Bike and Hike

Carlyle Lake Bike Trail

Maintaining an active lifestyle in Carlyle is easy and fun! We offer many miles of public bicycling, hiking routes and trails that are just waiting for you to enjoy. Biking is the most pleasant way to visit areas, including neighborhoods with historic homes, the Downtown, and our commercial areas along Franklin and 12th Streets.

Carlyle is located conveniently near the U.S. Army Corps facilities at Carlyle Lake where you will want to visit. The Carlyle Lake Dam is almost two miles long and offers fantastic views of the vast expanse of the lake, and is great for biking and hiking. Eldon Hazlet State Park is located approximately 5 miles North of Carlyle and also offers biking and the best hiking trails on the Lake.

In 2009, the City received a $20,000 planning grant from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources to work towards a bike trail that would circumnavigate Carlyle Lake. The City is currently working hard with staff of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and of the Southwestern Illinois Resource & Conservation District to put together this plan.

Please visit this page often for updates on this planned trail and for maps of routes and trails that you should consider biking or hiking right now!