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Jackson Falls
4.6 ★★★★★ 468 Google reviews · Running trail in Simpson, Illinois · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 2 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Jackson Falls' own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Popular 2-mile trail featuring a scenic waterfall and steep canyon walls for climbing and hiking.
What runners say about Jackson Falls
“I assume from the pictures that the falls are very beautiful.”
“camped at one spot up the hill which was very secluded and peaceful.”
Awesome area to explore, the hiking trails aren't too well marked but if you have common sense you should be able to follow them. Best time to arrive is early spring after rain to see the falls flowing. During the week these trails are not busy in the slightest.
wonderful place. had really good time for the short time i was there. just a weekend. the camping was great. camped at one spot up the hill which was very secluded and peaceful. then spent a night by the river which was very nice listening to the river. the hiking was great.spent many hours hiking around. great views.
Took a short walk to the head of Jackson Falls just to scope it out. What a excellent time to be there since we had it all to ourselves! It's a 1/4 mile hike to it and the overlook. You can hear the water fall (low flow while we were there) but it must be rather awesome after a good rain.
A great place to do some more remote camping. Limited facilities so be prepared to dig a cat hole to poo. Great hiking and saw several people horseback riding. Also very good sport and Trad climbs, with mostly bolted top anchors.
Trail conditions & character
“If you've never bathed in a waterfall , this is a lovely place to try it!”
“At the bottom, near the parking area you can cross the stream but only with a high-clearance all-road vehicle.”
“camped at one spot up the hill which was very secluded and peaceful.”
“camped at one spot up the hill which was very secluded and peaceful.”
“I did not like driving there as the gravel road down is very bumpy and uneven.”
“I think it depends on what you are looking for in a hike, the trail was not easy, we got there one day after a rain and it was muddy (difficult).”
Plan your run at Jackson Falls
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance2 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Websitefs.usda.gov
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–10 pm |
Running trails near Simpson
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