Lets hike Rock Cut State Park, ~9.5 miles or 6.5, optional lunch on Pierce Lake

Important:
Please do not enter 7318 Harlem Road Loves Park IL into your navigation.
This is the administrative building for Rock Cut State Park and we
are not meeting there.

To find the meeting place please do one of the following:

Enter Map PIN on your phone:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YTmZN8AVC5MH7fhX6?g_st=ic
or
Click on the map in the meetup app
or
Manual Directions
From the Route 173 entrance (also known as West Lake rd),
just keep driving straight 2.7 miles down Hart road.
You'll cross a bridge with Pierce lake on either side. Then
pass a concession stand. Shortly after that look for the group
in a parking lot.
or
Visual Directions
Look at the picture in the event showing how to get there via route 173 entrance
If all else fails call me at 847 757-1230 and I'll try to help you find it.

Optional Lunch on Pierce Lake, bring a lawn chair
Bring your own lunch or buy something from the concession stand. I had a veggie sandwich and it was great! They have ice cream too.

Overview
We came here last April and it rained so a lot of you didn't go. This place is an untamed, wild, fun gem!

This hike is cross posted with Chicagoland Trailblazers Hiking Group
https://www.meetup.com/chicagoland-trailblazers-hiking-group/events/307598779
and my guest rsvp will include members of that group

There are over 40 miles of trails here and found some great ones that have a little bit of everything. On this hike there will be a mix of both pine and traditional forests. Portions go along Pierce Lake, 80% heavily forested, a few small stream crossing, and trails are a combo of single track, packed dirt and grass. Bonus of surprising elevation changes and ravine views. I was thankful to have my poles for a beast of an unexpected steep hill!

Hike 1: ~6.5 miles
Brief stop at the Platform viewing area, a scenic stairway to nowhere that looks out into a ravine. The stairs are permanently closed here so have to head back and pick up trailhead nearby.

Hike 1 Main trail:
The trail is packed dirt, rocks, roots, and mix of some pines and typical forest. The ravines are visible from sections of this trail and the landscape is always changing.
From barren trees on slopes to thick woods on both sides.
Climb up a very steep hill and be rewarded with a view of the creek down below.
Its the steepest hill I've hiked in Illinois within 1.5 hour drive and when I saw it I muttered a 4 letter word. Then said to my son "Danny stand behind me to break my fall". LOL, glad I had my poles and I made it up just fine. This is the only part of the hike that I consider advanced.

Pine trees appear along the bluff trail and view of the creek down below is awesome. Gradually the trail descends and once again at eye level with the creek.
Heading back, there is a brief section that mimics Raceway Woods with its newly planted 15-20 foot evergreens and a mountain bike trail. But shortly after we're back in tall evergreens. Then traditional forest. That's what I love about this State Park, its an ever changing tapestry of nature.
We'll be back near the parking lot after this one.

Hike 2: 3 more miles (9 cumulative)
Add another hour if you plan to go on hike 2.
This is just over a 3 mile loop and very easy.
About 2 miles is thru a tall pine forest. Trails are flat with crushed pine needles gentle cushioning the hike. A little creek runs thru with bridge crossing. The other 1.5 miles will go around Pierce Lake on packed dirt trail or grass trails. There's a small creek crossing and enough material covering it to not get wet.
Toward the last half mile its well manicured and grassy surface. We saw a muskrat swimming with luck we'll have some nature sightings.