Jubilee College State Park
We were trying to guess where we were on the trail map (it was not noted on the map). Photo by Jordan Goebig.
On a drive back from Northwest Illinois to Champaign, we decided to make a “stretch our legs” stop at Jubilee College State Park, located northwest of Peoria, Ill. Though their online presence heavily caters towards equestrians and cyclists, hikers are allowed on the trails. Pro tip: keep an eye on their social media page for trail closures - they usually are only closed to horses and bikes, so folks who just want to walk can explore their expansive trail system without having to worry about being in the way!
The Trails
.5 - 20 miles of trails weave and loop around the park
We parked in the Quail Meadow parking lot and then walked down to the Prairie Lane lot to hop onto the trail system. There are lots of trail openings at the different parking lots, just keep your eyes open since the signage is not large.
Because these are horse trails, they are fairly rugged trails. We encountered significant (for Illinois) elevation changes, plenty of mud, a bit of horse poop, and we had to cross some small streams. Highly recommend wearing hiking, waterproof boots on these trails.
The trails are named by color, though the signage and trail markings are a bit worn down (and can be confusing as there are bike path map-only signs on the trail plus a separate hiking/riding trail map). Most of the trail systems are loops, so just know what direction you are walking in and keep a park map on you. The Green Trail (6.2 miles) was closed when we hiked in March 2021, and there was no indication of this closure until we were walking the trails.
Things We Love
There are a lot of trails! We, selfishly, appreciated that the trails were closed to riders because we felt like we got to really explore and let the dog enjoy (she’s kind of afraid of horses…). We enjoyed that the trails meander and loop and get your heart going. It’s a great workout, in a beautiful park.
If you’re not traveling with a pup, it’s conveniently located near Wildlife Prairie Park. This place is definitely worth a visit, and there are additional trails nearby (not affiliated with Jubilee) for serious walkers.
We had just visited after a controlled burn, so the openness of the forest allowed us to see lots of birds, small critters, and several deer. I had never visited before, but other online reviews had complained that these trails can get over-grown, so a late spring (after they burn) may be a perfect time to visit.
Things to Know
The main entrance to the park was closed (March 2021), which seems like a common occurrence based on the weather in the area. There is another entrance off of Route 150, and I would recommend just mapping yourself to that entrance.
There are campgrounds on-site as well as vault toilets and water near each of the parking lots.
As re-iterated above, they do have an active Facebook page that keeps visitors looped in on closures.
They do allow hunting in the park and based on their social posting, it looks like it’s totally closed to hikers almost entirely from beginning to end of Illinois hunting season.