Mystery Cars, Abandoned Corn Pickers, and 31 New Waypoints

If you've ever wondered what you might stumble across while walking through Southern Illinois... the answer this week is a rusted car, flattened and sitting on its roof in the middle of the woods. No roads anywhere in sight. No explanation. Just a very old, very crushed car that apparently decided this was its final resting place.

Welcome to the American Discovery Trail.

Rhiis & Sara

Westbound - Eastern, Northern & Southern Routes
Began: February 21, 2025 - Cape Henlopen, DE
Paused: November 5, 2025 - Julesburg, CO
Restarted: March 10, 2026 - Illinois/Indiana Line - Southern Route
Support Links: ImHikingAmerica, TrailJournals, YouTube, Venmo

Rhiis and Sara — our ADT hikers currently working through the River to River Trail in Southern Illinois — have been sending back a steady stream of field updates, and their intel is making our GPS data better with every mile they cover. Here's what's new.

Ferne Clyffe State Park: Best Trail Section in S. Illinois?

Rhiis isn't one for hyperbole, so when he says Ferne Clyffe State Park gets their vote as the best trail section in Southern Illinois, that carries weight. Creek crossings, well-maintained paths, huge trees, giant rock formations — he describes it as everything that makes Illinois trails good, concentrated into one section. If you're planning your route through this area, make sure Ferne Clyffe gets the time it deserves. Don't rush through it.

Panther Den Wilderness: Heads Up

On the other end of the spectrum, the Panther Den Wilderness in Segment 3 is rough right now. Lots of blowdowns and a stretch that requires some real bushwhacking. It's passable, but go in knowing what to expect. On the bright side, Rhiis and Sara identified additional campsites in the area — so if the going gets slow, you've got options for the night.

Church Camping Confirmed in IL South Segment 3

Here's a nice example of how our trail data gets better with each hiker who passes through. Back in 2024, ADT hiker Matthew Hengst flagged a church along the Segment 3 route as a potential rest stop — shade, electric — but he couldn't get in touch with anyone to confirm camping permission.

This week, Rhiis connected with a church member who confirmed that hikers are welcome to camp there with permission. We now have updated contact information in our waypoint data. What started as a maybe is now a confirmed resource for future hikers.

Finally - 'The Trail Provides'... Weird Stuff

Beyond the mystery car (seriously, how did it get there?), Rhiis and Sara also updated the location of an old abandoned corn picker along the Segment 4 route. Is it a critical navigational landmark? Not exactly. But when you're walking across the country, stumbling across something unexpected in the middle of nowhere is part of what makes the experience memorable. We've updated the waypoint so future hikers can find it too — because why not?

More Updates This Week

Rhiis and Sara also shared water source updates along the River to River Trail and identified flat dispersed camping areas in Shawnee National Forest — both now reflected in our GPS data. And we've adjusted the GPS track for the Illinois South Segment 3 section based on Rhiis's field intel.

All told, 31 new waypoints were added to our data this week.

The Data Gets Better Every Week

This is what we mean when we say our navigation is continuously updated and field-verified. It's not a static map drawn from satellite imagery — it's a living dataset shaped by the hikers who walk these miles and share what they find. Rhiis and Sara, and many other ADT and Great American Rail-Trail hikers, are making the trails more navigable for every hiker who follows.

And if you're already a Hiking America member, your Gaia GPS data already reflects all of these updates.

Hike Your Hike - John. 🥾

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