mad maps
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From: Illinois
mad maps
I have a little bit of info that some of you may be interested in. A few years ago, I bought a series of mad maps of areas I knew I wanted to tour. I have visited several of the places far from home and had great trips. This past Saturday and Sunday my wife and I did the trip #14 from the Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky map, the Shawnee National Forest 188 mile ride which ironically is the closest to home for me of all the mad map rides.
I enjoyed the weekend and am not trying to complain, but it was very different than I expected. I have been to that area, through it and all around it when travelling to other destinations. The Shawne national forest always seemed to elude me because I couldn't find it even when the map said I was there. It is huge on the map, but there are very few acres that are open to the public and represent a "national forest" compared to what all maps show. Most of it is privately owned homesteads or farn/cattle land.
The county roads listed on the map would be great trails for a jeep or an on/off road bike. We rode somewhere between 10 and 20 miles on CR-8 that was a narrow white rock road.
The state highways in that area are very fun to ride, decent scenery for Il. The southern end along the Ohio river is great. The Garden of the Gods state park is as good as scenery gets in Illinois. Dixon Springs state park is nice, but not worth driving out of your way for.
If you ride to Garden of the Gods park, you will end up in a parking area that has a lower parking area and an upper with hiking trails leading down from the lower area and up or almost level to the upper hiking trails. If you take the upper level, the trail is a very short, easy to walk trail that you will see and climb on rock formations that resemble the southwest insted of Illinois with a great view of the park. It is an easy walk on a good stone layed trail from the parking area. Not more than 1/2 mile round trip.
It is what it is, but the mad map #14 route on this series would not fit the bill for what most harley tourers are looking for in road conditions.
Dennis
I enjoyed the weekend and am not trying to complain, but it was very different than I expected. I have been to that area, through it and all around it when travelling to other destinations. The Shawne national forest always seemed to elude me because I couldn't find it even when the map said I was there. It is huge on the map, but there are very few acres that are open to the public and represent a "national forest" compared to what all maps show. Most of it is privately owned homesteads or farn/cattle land.
The county roads listed on the map would be great trails for a jeep or an on/off road bike. We rode somewhere between 10 and 20 miles on CR-8 that was a narrow white rock road.
The state highways in that area are very fun to ride, decent scenery for Il. The southern end along the Ohio river is great. The Garden of the Gods state park is as good as scenery gets in Illinois. Dixon Springs state park is nice, but not worth driving out of your way for.
If you ride to Garden of the Gods park, you will end up in a parking area that has a lower parking area and an upper with hiking trails leading down from the lower area and up or almost level to the upper hiking trails. If you take the upper level, the trail is a very short, easy to walk trail that you will see and climb on rock formations that resemble the southwest insted of Illinois with a great view of the park. It is an easy walk on a good stone layed trail from the parking area. Not more than 1/2 mile round trip.
It is what it is, but the mad map #14 route on this series would not fit the bill for what most harley tourers are looking for in road conditions.
Dennis
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