ポープ郡のおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

One of several campgrounds in Ferne Clyffe State Park; this one is a nice middle ground for backpackers and "rustic" car campers, with camping pads, pit toilets, showers(!), cooking grills and picnic tables. If you want more quiet, there's another class C campground, specifically for backpackers, about a half-mile away.

The River to River Trail goes straight across the dam for Dutchman Lake. The views from the trail can be particularly pretty in the fall, when the trees blaze with orange and yellow — but the lake and accompanying creek are also the best source of water for miles around. (Make sure you filter the water before drinking!)

This natural area centers around the prominent rocky Crow Knob, which is said to have become the place of worship, and a utilitarian lookout point, for a community of freed slaves in pre-Civil War times. They began meeting at the knob after their church was burned.

I made this the last climb of the day. The stone staircase

Max Creek is said to be the site of a vortex, where orbs of mysterious, maybe supernatural light are sometimes seen floating around on their own. I don't know about that, but the creek is pretty much the best water source along this section of the River to River Trail. For weary thru-hikers there are plenty of flat spots to camp here, too.

This is the shorter, more direct of two trails leading south to Trigg Tower, an abandoned fire watchtower that has been repurposed into a lookout tower. It's the last remaining fire tower in Shawnee National Forest, and there is a manmade pond at this intersection that (in theory) has water year-round.

Ruby Falls is a modest little waterfall, located about a half-mile north (as the trail goes, not as the crow flies) of the River to River Trail.

Just north of here is a small reservoir along the River to River Trail. If you're thru-hiking it can be a nice place to camp, although there are no designated campsites or amenities — you're on your own for choosing an appropriate backcountry camping area. Beware of unstable rocks and ground near the dam's outflow. If you want to get closer to the lake, hike west until you strike the old, rough road that will take you right to its shores.