Many students staying on campus this summer may be looking to explore beyond the bars of Green Street and the cornfields of the Champaign-Urbana area. Here are five “mini-getaways” that three seniors have uncovered during their four years at the University, ranging from a short bike ride away to a five-hour drive. 

1. Homer Lake — 12.1 miles from Champaign

Tricia Maybaum, senior in Education, often takes biking trips around the Champaign-Urbana area. After becoming a member of Illini 4000, a Registered Student Organization that hosts a bike ride across the country from New York to San Francisco to raise money for cancer research, Maybaum began riding her bike to Homer Lake in Homer, Ill. Homer Lake is only about 12 miles from campus and is a ride that can be completed in a few hours. 

While the ride to Homer Lake is enjoyable, the site itself also has trails for hiking, and the lake can be used for both boating and fishing in the summer months.

Maybaum enjoys biking to Homer Lake for its health and recreational benefits and enjoys socializing during the bike ride with her friends. 

“It gets you off campus and to a lake where there’s trees,” she said. “Campus can be such a bubble, and (it’s nice) getting away from the college area for just a few hours.”

2. Kickapoo State Park — 29.3 miles from Champaign

Located only about 30 miles from campus in Oakwood, Ill., sits Kickapoo State Park. Visiting this park is a trip that can be completed in one day. Kickapoo holds a number of activities, including boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, biking, hiking, running and even scuba diving in Inland Sea and Sportsman’s Lake. For visitors looking to relax, there are also plenty of spots for a picnic and opportunities to take in all the natural wildlife that the park has to offer.

Maybaum has made plenty of day trips to this spot during her time at the University. 

“Included in the grounds is a river where people can float down on a nice day,” she said. “I usually just walk around, get something to eat at a little café and hang out by the lake.”

3. Jackson Falls — 213.8 miles from Champaign

Mike Smith, senior in LAS, travels down to Jackson Falls in southern Illinois, a three-hour car ride from Champaign, for rock climbing and camping with his friends in the University’s Climbing Club. Located in the Shawnee National Forest, Jackson Falls offers a lush forest, streams, caves, cliffs and a couple of waterfalls for visitors to enjoy.

“It’s just a beautiful natural area, and it’s great getting out of the concrete jungle of Champaign and get out into the woods,” he said. 

According to Smith, one of the best parts of traveling to Jackson Falls is the relatively small price tag and the ease of travel compared to many other trips he’s taken. Camping on the grounds is completely free. Smith pays for groceries and gas money, but not much more than that.

“It’s totally easy; all you need is a car, gas money and the willingness to sit in the car for a few hours,” he said. “Sometimes I find these trips even cheaper than if I were to stay in Champaign and eat out (and) drink a lot of alcohol.”

4. Red River Gorge — 326 miles from Champaign

For adventurers looking to get outside of the state, Red River Gorge is located five hours out of campustown in eastern Kentucky, and offers many of the same activities that Jackson Falls provides, but on a larger scale. This is another favorite of Smith’s, who travels there to camp and climb.

“It’s a lot hillier, taller, and the sheer size is bigger (than Jackson Falls),” he said. “The trails are steeper, more streams and waterfalls, natural bridges.”

In addition to camping and climbing, Red River Gorge also offers cabin lodging, ziplinging and hiking.

“Lots of people just stay in Champaign or stay in their dorms, and it’s nice to get outside and try something new with your free time,” Smith said.

5. Nashville, TN — 373.9 miles from Champaign

Approximately a five-hour car ride from Champaign, Nashville, Tenn., is a town built on country music. Melissa Wright, senior in LAS, spent a summer living in Nashville while interning at Universal Music Nashville and said she enjoyed spending time in “Music City.” 

“It’s all kinds of music all the time, and the atmosphere is just fun,” she said. “There’s a southern charm about it. It’s very lively.”

After experiencing all of what Nashville has to offer, Wright can make a few recommendations for her fellow student visitors.

For music, Wright suggests walking and going out on Broadway Avenue, which is the main street in Nashville.  

“There’s music all hours of the day,” Wright said. “It’s fun just walking down the street and drinking and listening to music.” 

For entertainment, Wright often visited Yazoo Brewing Company, which is located close to downtown Nashville. She also recommends going to a show at the Grand Ole Opry or Ryman Auditorium, both historic Nashville music venues.

When it comes to eating, Wright enjoys The Loveless Cafe and Jack’s Bar-B-Que.

“The Loveless Cafe is a pretty iconic restaurant and then Jack’s Barb-B-Que on Broadway is a good, cheap barbecue spot,” she said.

Kelly can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that Homer Lake is in Mahomet. Homer Lake is in Homer, not Mahomet. The Daily Illini regrets this error.