One of the best things about the area surrounding Boulder Illinois is our access to Carlysle Lake. Carlysle Lake is Illinois’ largest man made lake at just over 25,000 acres and provides some amazing opportunities for hiking, biking and camping.
Biking
Probably the best biking opportunity here is the Carlyle Bike Trail. The bike trail is a joint effort between the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Carlyle and was created to provide an awesome biking experience for families and serious bikers alike with amazing views of the lake, surrounding farmlands and wetlands.
The trail connects the city with the lake recreation area and provides more than 20 miles of bike trails including rides across the top of the Carlyle Dam as well as numerous other saddle dams. It is a great place to take the kids and get them outdoors and off of their electronics.
For the more adventuresome, there is a ride known as the Carlyle Lake Bike Route which is a 65 mile ride that travels all the way around Carlyle Lake. This route will have you on numerous roads that are shared with vehicular traffic and is definitely for the more experienced rider.
Click the link for a complete brochure about the biking opportunities near Boulder.
Hiking
Similar to the biking opportunities, the hiking opportunities near Boulder are also associated with Carlyle Lake. The hiking trails are located inside of Eldon Hazlet State Park and consist of many trails that wind through the park and showcase the beauty of Illinois.
There are seven different hiking trails in the park.
- Cherokee Trail
- Kaskaskian Trail
- Illini Trail
- Pawnee Trail
- Eagle Trail
- Wetland Educational Trail
- Bluestem Trail
Cherokee Trail
Cherokee trail is made up of 3 different loops for a total distance of 3 miles meandering through old growth forest and man made bridges. Our favorite part is Loop 3. Loop 3 takes you by a civil war cemetery and is wheelchair accessible to the cemetery.
Kaskaskian Trail
Kaskaskian Trail is a 2.5 mile trail that is named after the Native Americans that lived in the Kaskaskia River Valley. It winds through many diverse habitats and wildlife sightings are common.
Illini Trail
The Illini Trail is 1.5 miles long and is wheelchair accessible. It winds through a restored prairie and around a pond that is open to fishing.
Pawnee Trail
The Pawnee trail is 1 mile long and takes hikers along a high ridge overlooking the lake for some really cool views.
Eagle Trail
The Eagle Trail is a .75 mile trail that was established by the Boy Scouts as an Eagle Scout project. This a great hike for the kids as it is an easy hike on mostly level terrain.
Wetland Educational Trail
The Wetland Educational Trail is a .5 mile trail that is wheelchair accessible and goes around a pond and through wetland with educational signs along the trail. There are a lot of wetland creatures along the trail. Another great short hike with the kids.
Bluestem Trail
The Bluestem Trail is a .5 mile interactive trail that is wheelchair accessible and winds through a restored prairie with lots of native prairie plants. Great for kids of all ages.
Conclusion
As you can see there are many wonderful hiking and biking opportunities near Boulder. It is so good to see families out here with their kids spending quality time in the outdoors.
I also love the fact that many of the trails that I have mentioned above are wheelchair accessible.
Put on your hiking or biking shoes and head out to one of the trails near boulder for a fun filled day in the outdoors!