Wolf Creek State Park
During the Fall, the trails were leaf-covered…having a dog who knows how to sniff out a trail came in handy when we couldn’t find any markers. Photo by Jordan Goebig.
After visiting Eagle Creek State Park, we popped over to Wolf Creek (only about 10 minutes away) to get some additional hiking mileage in. Eagle Creek offers more hiking trails, while Wolf Creek seems more like a recreation area (with a seasonally open beach on-site).
Trail Conditions
.5 - 8 miles of trails
The longest trails, Red Fox and Unusual Tree, are closed during hunting season (Oct. - Jan.), so we started with the Overlook Trail. It’s a beautiful walk to…an overlook perched at the top of a bluff on Lake Shelbyville. It does offer a peaceful, excellent vantage point.
We drove over to the Lakeview Trail, which connects you to the campground and several other small mileage trails (.5 - 1 mile). Lakeview takes you along…the lake. It really felt more like a natural path road to the campground vs. a true hiking trail. The smaller trails weave around the campground. The forests are very pretty, but in high-camp season, you will be walking right near camp sites.
Directional trail signage is non-existent, and many of the trails are leaf-covered this time of year. It’s hard to get lost on a .5 mile trail, but it’s something to note.
Things We Love
Since most people are using this place for camping, and people don’t like to camp when it’s chilly outside…you really get the place to yourself in Fall-Winter months. We encountered no other hikers on the trails on a Saturday afternoon.
There were tons of birds at Wolf Creek, keeping Adam’s binoculars busy!
At this particular location, we noticed an array of mushrooms on fallen logs. 'I’m guessing this place is wild with them in the spring.
Our pup thoroughly enjoyed the beach walks. We actually hopped off a shorter trail onto the beach, and we ended up doing about 2 extra miles just walking along the shoreline. It was lovely.
Things to Know
There is plenty of camping, including a designated tent camping site that looked secluded and promising. There are restrooms and water on-site, though check the website to ensure facilities are open.
There is a designated parking spot for fishing and a boat ramp.
If you are going to visit during Illinois hunting season, call or email ahead to check to see what is open. We also do wear bright colors, and Emmy wears an orange scarf. We have never encountered any issues (and hunters have always been polite when we’ve bumped into them in the parking lot), but everyone should take safety seriously.
Close to Eagle Creek State Park, and a number of other trail systems.