The White Rock Nature Reserve is located in Valmeyer, Illinois. This trail system has a wide variety of challenges for the beginner to the expert hiker. It has nice views, a mine, and plenty of wooded areas with wildlife. My life buddy Lea (she loves it when I call her that) and I decided to check this trial out in the afternoon. It was early October, the temperature was in the mid 60’s and it was sunny. We got to the park about 4 pm.
The parking lot is a bit small and can be easy to miss. There is a sign located across from the parking lot. The other issue about the parking lot is that it’s not near the actual trailhead. The signs at the lot attempt to tell you where to go. Being a first timer to this park we weren’t really sure that we were headed in the right direction The field just north of the parking lot has a semi tramped down area where you can see where other hikers have went. There is a lot of thick vegetation and is easy to get tangled up. Also there are signs posted around the park stating to watch out for ticks. Had we went during tick season I would have imagined we would have been covered.
So after our trek through the overgrown field we made it to the road that takes you to the trial head. The signs here can be a bit confusing and several times I turned to Lea and asked her if we are at the right place. The trial head road must be shared with private property owners. The sign says Private Property, Private Roadway, No Trespassing, No Parking. Then under that it states White Rock Nature Preserve. We decided to trek on as there were no other trails or roads that the trailhead can be on. There is a dry creek bed with a nice wooden bridge over (that is the picture seen on our home page).
Past the bridge there is a gate on the right side of the road. This is where the trailhead starts. This hike is really 4 separate hikes. Each trial offers something different. The first trail is called Early Venture Way Trail. It's about 0.21 miles in length and it’s a pretty steep incline. It’s a gravel trial and some of it is loose, so watch your footing. Lea and myself walk and hike a lot but still were huffing a bit when we reached the top.
After we reached the top of Early Venture Way Trail there is a nice cleared out area that is FLAT called Madeline’s Rest. I recommend taking the advice of the place and catching your breath. Here you will find a couple picnic tables and some benches. There is also an old mine that is not currently accessible but it is still neat to be able to see the entrance. There are signs that tell you the history of the mine and also tells you about local wildlife in area.
Once we caught or breath and explored Madeline’s Rest it was on to the next trial called White Mine Trail. This one is very similar to Early Venture Way. . It is also pretty steep. It is a bit longer than Early Venture Way but Lea and I agreed that it wasn’t as steep. Again it is a gravel trail with loose rocks at times so we had to watch or step. We are both accident prone and I could see either one of us slipping on a loose rock. The length of this trial is about 0.22 miles. It also caused us to be breathing hard by the time we reached the top. At this point the trial splits in two different directions. Ridgetop Trail North and Ridgetop Trail South. We flipped a coin and decided on taking the North trail first.
North trail is a mix of rock and dirt and it is well maintained. For the most part this trail is flat with a slight decline. The trial is about 0.25 miles to the view point. The end of the trail is well marked and the view alone is worth the work it took to get there. The other thing I like about the view is that there isn’t a steep drop off. At other parks with a high view they is usually a steep drop off. Here it is more gradual. I am afraid of heights and with the gradual slope of the cliff I was able to enjoy the view without being too freaked out. Also we both have kids and although there weren’t with us on this hike, we talked about being comfortable with taking them and feeling safe due to gradual slope.
One thing I forgot to mention is that none of the trails loop back on themselves. So after we took in the great views, we headed back to the T where the North and South trial met. We continued onto the South trial. This trial is a lot longer, one mile to be exact to the end which is also well-marked. It is a mix of gravel and dirt, mostly flat with one steep incline/decline. What this trial lacks in views it makes up for in the scenery. It winds through he woods.
All the animals that we came across on this hike we saw on this trial. The animals we saw were: chipmunks, squirrels and one snake. There is a nice view at the end although not as spectacular as the North trial. As I said before, none of the trials loop around, so once we had are fill of the South trial we headed back for the car. Being that it was fall, daylight was fading quickly. The trials are front loaded with hills so it was a nice break to be going down hill at the end of the hike. I did slip once on a rock on the decline.
We made it back to the car as the sun was setting. This time we avoided the field and took the main road to the car. It was a lot easier route then cutting across the field. Lea is very prone to getting poison ivy so she appreciated the road route as well.
We really enjoyed this trail! The pros of this trail are: the views are great, the trails aren’t that crowded (we saw 4 other hikers the whole time we were there), it is secluded and really feels like we were deep in the forest and the trials are well maintained. The only thing we didn’t like was the parking lot position to the trailhead and having to cut across the field to get to the road to the trailhead. Taking the road fixed most of these problems but the no trespassing signs also created a bit of anxiety (for me, Lea kept telling me to be quiet and keep going) causing a bit of doubt in our minds thinking maybe we weren’t going the right way. I would rate this trial as moderate in difficulty. The inclines are a bit tough at the beginning and the loose rock in some places can be a slip hazard. This is a trail we will be visiting again and was a very fun hike.
Want to check it out?
Location: 6438 Bluff Rd, Valmeyer, IL 62295
Tips: Once parking in the lot, take the MAIN ROAD (not the trampled down path) north to the gravel road and follow that and the signs to get to the trail head.
Total Miles: Approximately 3 miles if you take both the North and South trails
Recommended for Kids: Yes, if they are able to make the steep climb on their own. It would be some good exercise if you would have to carry them.
Link to trail map: http://www.clifftopalliance.org/2012/02/driving-directions-to-and-trail-map-for-white-rock-nature-preserve/
Another great Trail! You described the trails and what to expect, very well.
Can’t beat that vista! You should also check out Fults Prairie very near Salt Lick and White Rock. Amazing views as well!