Burden falls Large Water Fall
Burden Falls Wilderness area is located in Pope County. The Wilderness area is 3,775-acres and is located adjacent to Bay Creek Wilderness area and is in a stone's throw of Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area.Burden Falls Wilderness is comprised of a central hardwood ecosystem with some pine plantations. Trails for hiking and equestrian use will take you by some indications of past use by people including homestead, fruit trees, cemeteries and abandoned roads.
There is a small, but very scenic waterfall located on the southern edge of the Burden falls wilderness area. Although this is a very small waterfall by the nationwide standards of the United States, Burden Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Illinois. Unlike most of the state, Pope County and extreme southern Illinois escaped glaciation during the Ice Ages, and steep slopes display the effects of lengthy erosion. Similar geological features in other regions of Illinois were ground into oblivion by the ice. Watercourses confined by sandstone ledges, of the sort found in Burden Falls Wilderness, are locally known as shut-ins Remember to Leave No Trace.
Hiking:
The Mail trail is 3.5 miles long but there are many side trails to explore Hiking and camping in the area are allowed. Bird watching and photography (especially when the falls are running) serve as draws for human visitors. Hunting and fishing are allowed. Use the Eddyville and Stonefort topographic quadrangle maps for Burden Falls.
Link to Burden falls in Pictures: Slide show
Parking, Trail Heads and Directions:
Limited parking along Forest Road 402:
State Hwy. 145 to junction with Forest Rd. 447, West to Forest Rd. 402
or
State Hwy.45 to Stone Fort, IL. Southeasterly on county roads.