Woodland Spur Trail

Green Earth offers hiking and outdoor recreation at six sites across Carbondale, IL. All properties are open to the public during daylight hours. Green Earth's Chautauqua Bottoms is located on the north side of Chautauqua Road, between Emerald Lane and Tower Road. Historically this area was bottomland hardwood forest. The soils at this site are representative of wetlands, and indeed, the grounds are wet throughout the rainy season. This site possesses tall grass prairie, upland forest, bottomland hardwood, and a bottomland hardwood restoration area planted in 2005. This 37 acre preserve has four trail heads: the first is accessed from of a well-marked parking area located off of Chautauqua Road, the second is located at the western terminus of Freeman Street, the third is located just west of the Flagland site off of Sunset Road (along the east edge of the Carbondale Park District Soccer Fields), and the fourth is at the south end of this trail where it meets Chautauqua Road. The intensity level of each of the trails is light, unless one wishes to cross Little Crab Orchard Creek to successfully loop the trail system. The creek crossing is very steep and should only be attempted when the creek level is low. The Woodland Spur can be accessed from the Freeman Street trail head and trends northwest through an upland woodland. The trail passes a seasonal pond that is inundated throughout the rainy season. The .75 mi trail can either end at Little Crab Orchard Creek and be retraced back to the Freeman Street trail head, or continue on to cross Little Crab Orchard Creek to connect to the David Kenney Trail. The creek crossing is very steep and should be only be considered by those willing to get their feet wet. At the trailhead, you can turn south to connect to the Maurice Webb Trail for a loop hike through the woods and prairie restoration. Trail Adopters: Janel and Bob Taylor Exciting changes are coming to the Chautauqua Bottoms! See the organization's website to keep updated with the improvements to this location. Please visit http://www.greenearthinc.org/ for more information.