Trail Overview
Current River State Park Road is a gravel road through the State Park leading to the Current River, with seasonal access from May 1st to October 31st, 9 AM to 6 PM, Friday to Sunday, and on holiday Mondays. The Road starts from Highway 19 elevated on the ridgeline, heading west over a few spines, passing the vault toilets and former check-in area, before dropping down a large, curvy hill into the valley below, hosting two small lakes. The road passes the first lake to the south, going over its concrete spillway and levee; after this, the road redirects south, pointing towards the second lake, passing some stone pillars and a vintage barn, and then riding along the west side of the second lake. This has a great view of some lodging called the "Alton Club" that exists to the east along the lake water; this is used by the state park staff. The road then meets a T-intersection at the second lake's levee; here, go right or west to continue towards the river. The road shortly leads to a small parking loop area hosting old foundations and farm equipment in the center, with a hiking trailhead and continuation onto the small sandy dirt road section of the trail on the far west corner of this lot, where it makes a U-shaped turn going below the parking loop to redirect east, to cross a small water collection hole, before hitting an open area along the Current River with a turnaround loop, a great place to use staging a float on the river. Throughout the park along the road, there are several parking areas with picnic tables to stop and have lunch or take a break in the shade.
Difficulty
Current River State Park Road is given a 2/10 for the bottom portion of the dirt road along the river, featuring a splash-level water collection hole, with the majority of the road being a 1/10 before this point, having been well-maintained gravel, featuring potential potholes, washboarding, and mounding of gravel along the way. Only during extreme wet conditions and flooding scenarios would the road experience any rise in difficulty, likely to happen out of season in the winter months. In these scenarios, if the upper lake's spillway is rapidly flowing or the river bottom has water covering the road, consider the road closed.
History
According to the Current River State Park site, the summarized history of the Alton Club is as follows.
"Current River State Park is built around the former retreat of the Alton Box Board Co. of Alton, Illinois. Constructed during the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Alton Club buildings themselves reflect the rustic architectural style used by the National Park Service in the early part of the 20th century. In addition to overnight lodging, activities offered at the Alton Club included floating, fishing, swimming, tennis, horseback riding, and golf. Today’s visitors to Current River State Park can enjoy hiking trails, two lakes, and picnic sites. Park staff provide tours of the historic Alton Club buildings and explain the park’s history." Sourced from the Current River State Park Website.
Offroad