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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near Carbondale

The directory currently contains 6 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Carbondale. Their average mapped distance is 1.6 km and average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft); the longest route in the set is 3.3 km.

This subset represents 55% of the 11 quality-checked routes near Carbondale. Its average distance is 1.6 km, compared with 33.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft), versus 284 m (932 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 3 routes (50%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (33%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

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How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.6 km

Rebman's Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Big Rocky Hollow Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Historic graffiti along the Giant City Nature Trail in Giant City State Park in Illinois .
Moderate

Illinois · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
104 m
Typical duration
38 min
Moderate

Illinois · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Cave
Easy

Illinois · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
8 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Big Rocky Hollow TrailIllinois0.6 km0 m8 minEasyApril to October
Giant City Nature TrailIllinois2.3 km104 m38 minModerateApril to October
Old River to River - Alternate Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto PassIllinois3.3 km182 m58 minModerateApril to October
Hawk's Cave TrailIllinois0.8 km20 m11 minModerateApril to October
Rebman's TrailIllinois0.6 km8 m8 minEasyApril to October
Crab Orchard Visitor Center Pond and Woodland Nature TrailIllinois2.3 km0 m28 minEasyApril to October

Big Rocky Hollow Trail, Giant City Nature Trail, Old River to River - Alternate Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto Pass currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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