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Washington County State Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 359 Google reviews · Running trail in Nashville, Illinois · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Washington County State Recreation Area's 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.
Peaceful, clean park featuring a lake that permits non-motorized boating plus cabins and campsites.
What runners say about Washington County State Recreation Area
“Clean campgrounds with hiking paths, and a beautiful lake for fishing or kayaking.”
“Beautiful Lake, easy access to Ranger station, lots of trails, can be private or public great for groups”
“Nice and peaceful, quite, a paved trail just for bikes and people to walk would nice but the road that's here was fine.”
“Family friendly camping grounds, nice little bait shop with boat rental.”
This recreational area is great! The lake is very pretty and the trail along the Northeast side of the lake is absolutely beautiful. Plenty of ups and downs to keep it interesting. The trail can get rather muddy so it’s best avoided after a heavy rain. Only a few miles of the Wacca Lake trail is actual trail.
We stayed at the Lonely Oakes campground and it had a lovely view of the lake with decent sized sites. I highly recommend arriving during daylight hours as it was pitch black last night which made it very difficult to navigate the area and find a site.
Love going here! Clean campgrounds with hiking paths, and a beautiful lake for fishing or kayaking. Well maintained grounds, with a store that also serves great tasting food. Highly recommend
Beautiful Lake, easy access to Ranger station, lots of trails, can be private or public great for groups
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful Lake, easy access to Ranger station, lots of trails, can be private or public great for groups”
“Nice and peaceful, quite, a paved trail just for bikes and people to walk would nice but the road that's here was fine.”
“Nice and peaceful, quite, a paved trail just for bikes and people to walk would nice but the road that's here was fine.”
Plan your run at Washington County State Recreation Area
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitednr.illinois.gov
- Phone(618) 327-3137
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Closed |
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