On the Trail Trail of Tears State Forest is a local treasure

I'm a huge fan of Trail of Tears State Forest. It is 5,000 acres of well-managed and healthy oak forest 20 miles south of Carbondale. Unlike at Giant City or Feryne Clyffe state parks, there are only a few developed hiking trails here, but there are several miles of little-used gravel forest road and 21 miles of "fire trails" that can be combined for lots of different hikes.

The State Forest Road runs through the middle of the forest, and the 'White Barn' is the place to stop for information. There is no on-site staff, but there are brochures at the barn, restrooms, potable water picnic tables, etc.

I've spent parts of the last two summers walking all over the forest doing bird counts, but I recently hiked the cross-country Trail for the first time.

The cross-country Trail is a 3-mile loop that formerly hosted an annual Anna-Jonesboro Community High School cross country meet. So, I guess if you are into running trails ...

I'm not a trail runner, but I would say this trail is more about hiking than sauntering. Unlike many park trails, there are no waterfalls or rock shelters or scenic overlooks on this trail.

But, there are no people on any of these trails either. Seriously. I think of hiking in the forest as sort of a wilderness-lite experience. You really feel like you have the forest to yourself, but at the same time you are close to "civilization," and it is almost impossible to get lost.

The trailhead for this hike is behind the White Barn, but the "Main Street South" trailhead is also an access point. Either way, you will start in the valley, quickly ascend a ridge and then walk the spine of the ridge on Fire Trail 38. There is a non-forested portion of the trail that parallels fields that were formerly used to produce tree seedlings as part of a State Tree Nursery.

Along the eastern half of the trail, it is clear that the forest is being actively managed. These management actions include prescribed fire, thinning of the understory and selective timber harvest. In several areas, the forest on one side of the trail is being managed while the other is not.

This is part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resource's efforts to study different forest management strategies.

The issue in our southern Illinois forests is that historically they were dominated by oak trees along the ridges and upper slopes of the hills. But, after nearly a century of fire prevention, the old oaks are dying and are being replaced by shade tolerant species such as beech and maple. This is bad news for the plants and wildlife that depend on more open forests as habitat and oaks as a food source.

Management actions that open up the canopy and let sunlight reach the forest floor are meant to help restore native forest grasses and flowers and provide opportunities for oak seedlings to grow and eventually replace their aging parents.

Of course, none of this needs to concern you as you are hiking in the forest. Instead, I encourage you to be on the lookout for colorful migrant songbirds, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, and perhaps even a timber rattlesnake!

• Mike Baltz has a PhD in biology from the University of Missouri and writes about changing the world from his home in Carbondale.