Illinois trails · Lusk Creek
Lusk Creek
A 16.3-mile network in Illinois, with 313 ft of climbing. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 45% of the ascent falls between mile 5.4 and mile 10.8. It gives back about 1,128 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Heads up
Getting there
LUSK CREEK access. About 31 min drive (15 mi) from Harrisburg. 37.56620, -88.54926 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:34 a.m., the sun rises at 7:01 a.m. and sets at 6:18 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:44 p.m. (CDT) — 11 h 17 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 16.3-mile route takes roughly 6 h 11 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:11 p.m. — 5 h 07 min before sunset.
Loop options
- LUSK CREEK + PACO + 487K — 0.8 mi loop, 92 ft gain
- LUSK CREEK + BLANCHARD CROSSING + 481A — 7.8 mi loop, 875 ft gain
- LUSK CREEK + 492D + LITTLE LUSK CREEK — 14.4 mi loop, 1,502 ft gain
Nearby trails
- River To River Trail — 3.7 mi
- One Horse Gap — 5.7 mi
- New Gog - Karbers Ridge — 6.0 mi
- Sentry Bluff Trail — 6.7 mi