Great Lakes - Looking for info on Illinois Great River Trails

Does anyone know of any bike trails along the Mississippi River in Illinois?

I have some information about the Great River Trail system, that follows the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisanna. When I checked into that a couple of years ago, significant portions of that "trail" were highways that ran along the river. But they had announced plans to complete some bike paths along portions of the trail system.

Does anyone know if any of those paths are now open? I'm looking for something that is at least 15-20 miles long, so one could take a 30-40 mile ride down and back, without having to ride on a road.

I ride this trail frequently. You can ride from Rock Island, Illinois to Albany, Illinois for a one way distance of about 35 miles. You will have to ride some city streets in small towns, but no highways. You can go further North, but will have some county roads to ride on. It is very scenic with towns about every 5 miles. Let me know if you would like more specific information. Our bike club rides this trail a lot. Perhaps you would like to join us this spring.

What Slushlover said (minus any possible association with willingly riding through slush).

Some good resources are available from the League of Illinois Bicyclists (http://www.bikelib.org/git/seg5_2004.pdf) and a local newspaper (www.greatrivertrail.com/).

Tom not sure if your looking into doing a week long tour in Illinois but we are doing this ride, the GITAP. (http://www.bikelib.org/gitap/2008/index.htm) I have a group of about five riders from Wisconsin doing it this year along with some friends from Illinois.

I thought that Rock Island to Albany stretch was pretty much all trails. Thanks for confirming this.

Supposedly there are now trails up in Savanna area, which is very pretty.

Just looking for someplace to ride while the Wisconsin trails thaw out and warm up a bit. I know Rock Island isn't that warm in April, but warmer than we are here. Don't have any specific dates set yet.

Tom not sure if your looking into doing a week long tour in Illinois but we are doing this ride, the GITAP. (http://www.bikelib.org/gitap/2008/index.htm) I have a group of about five riders from Wisconsin doing it this year along with some friends from Illinois.

Thanks for the invite, but just looking for some peaceful trail riding over a long weekend.

What Slushlover said (minus any possible association with willingly riding through slush).

Some good resources are available from the League of Illinois Bicyclists (http://www.bikelib.org/git/seg5_2004.pdf) and a local newspaper (www.greatrivertrail.com/).

Thanks for the links. I visited that area last March, driving up the Illinois side of the river the entire length of that trail, from Rock Island to Albany. Had a hamburger in Port Bryon. Visited some Indian Mounds in Albany. Crossed the river to Clinton, IA and visited their historic museum. It was a nice day.

You can ride all the way to Savanna, but there are some challenges. Past Albany you will need to ride county roads for a short time. Ignore the marked section of gravel, there are better routes. Around Thompson the trail is crushed rock which seems to me to be minimally maintained. You will also have 1 mile of Hwy 84 which is heavily traveled with trucks and cars. We ride Hwy 84 on a 2 day ride called TOMRV, but I would be hesitant to ride it solo. If you do want to make a weekend trip, there are great county roads around Rock Island. Many of them are like big bike trails.

Thanks for the additional info. Sounds like I want to stay south of Albany. Or when in Savanna, stick to riding on the new path running north from town to Palisades State Park.

Here are some photos of a 2006 trip on that route from a little S.E. of East Moline to Hanover. Click on the map at the top of each page to see route details.

Colona to Albany Mounds
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/colona_to_albany_mounds.htm

Albany Mounds to Thomson
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/albany_mounds_to_thomson.htm

Hanover to Mississippi Palisades
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/hanover_to_palisades.htm

Mississippi Palisades to Thompson
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/palisades_to_thomson.htm

Here are some photos of a 2006 trip on that route from a little S.E. of East Moline to Hanover. Click on the map at the top of each page to see route details.

Colona to Albany Mounds
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/colona_to_albany_mounds.htm

Albany Mounds to Thomson
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/albany_mounds_to_thomson.htm

Hanover to Mississippi Palisades
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/hanover_to_palisades.htm

Mississippi Palisades to Thompson
http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/palisades_to_thomson.htm

Wow! What great documentation of your trip! As I sit here it is about 25 degrees and the forecast is for a possible 12" of snow. Your pictures really made my day seem warmer.

Wow! What great documentation of your trip! As I sit here it is about 25 degrees and the forecast is for a possible 12" of snow. Your pictures really made my day seem warmer.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the photos.

I usually ride the great river trail at some point during most of my rides. It is very scenic, but there is a stretch of a couple miles in Moline, where the traffic on the trail can get pretty heavy with runners, walkers, dogs, etc. especially on weekends. The trail is very flat, but it can get pretty windy riding along the river. There are also plenty of places to stop to fill up water bottles, and go to the bathroom.

Reviving this thread, can anyone tell me anything about the Great Illinois Trail Ride? Obviously, as the name suggests it has trail riding but how is the trail surface and how much of the routes are exclusively trails. I like trails a lot but would not want to exclusively be on them for a week, especially if they are packed earth and full of people.

http://www.bikelib.org/gitap/2009/index.htm

Hi Wiswell,

The Grand Illinois Trail as my wife and I rode it in 2006 is roughly 585 miles long with 49% on MUP, 45% on roads, and 6% in bike lanes. The southern section follows the I&M and Hennepin canal trails, which are generally pretty good crushed limestone. The tow paths are from Joliet to LaSalle and from Bureau to East Moline. You could elect to ride roads parallel to the canal tow paths. There are also some paths from Mchenry to the Lake Shore, and down to Lansing.

Your link above is to GITAP, which is an annual supported ride sponsored by the League of Illinois Bicyclists, IDNR and Openlands Project. Each year GITAP follows a different section of the Grand Illinois Trail and adds connections to different IL state parks. Most of the connections are on road. This year GITAP includes sections of both Hennepin and I&M canal tow paths, but there is an option to ride road routes parallel to the canal trails.

As was expressed above, those are some great pictures of your trip.

I'm thinking of heading out that way this Spring, and those pics just encourge me even more.

There have been major washouts along the Hennepin canal in Colona, Ill area. Technically the path is closed there, but still rideable.

Hi Wiswell,

The Grand Illinois Trail as my wife and I rode it in 2006 is roughly 585 miles long with 49% on MUP, 45% on roads, and 6% in bike lanes. The southern section follows the I&M and Hennepin canal trails, which are generally pretty good crushed limestone. The tow paths are from Joliet to LaSalle and from Bureau to East Moline. You could elect to ride roads parallel to the canal tow paths. There are also some paths from Mchenry to the Lake Shore, and down to Lansing.

Your link above is to GITAP, which is an annual supported ride sponsored by the League of Illinois Bicyclists, IDNR and Openlands Project. Each year GITAP follows a different section of the Grand Illinois Trail and adds connections to different IL state parks. Most of the connections are on road. This year GITAP includes sections of both Hennepin and I&M canal tow paths, but there is an option to ride road routes parallel to the canal trails.

Recycle,

When you rode the section between Hollowayille and Bureau Junction was part of it on gravel roads? I ask because I have been working on riding sections of the Grand Illinois Trail. So far I have done from Hollowayville to Utica, going through Spring Valley, Laselle/Peru, to Lock 14 and to Utica and back to Lock 14. I would love to do the section from Hollowaville to Bureau Junction next. But when I drove the route there were some really rough gravel roads. My bike would not have handled it very well at all. I ride a recumbent. I was last in that area about 2 and a half years ago. When I emailed the organization responsible for the mapping of the trail they told me they would look into imporivng the map by either changing the route, providing an alternate route or indicating what kind of road surface it is.

Here are the links to the maps I used:
http://www.openlands.org/git/maps/index.asp
http://www.openlands.org/git/maps/trail_section_14.asp
http://www.openlands.org/git/pdf/TownMap_7.pdf

Recycle,

When you rode the section between Hollowayille and Bureau Junction was part of it on gravel roads? I ask because I have been working on riding sections of the Grand Illinois Trail. So far I have done from Hollowayville to Utica, going through Spring Valley, Laselle/Peru, to Lock 14 and to Utica and back to Lock 14. I would love to do the section from Hollowaville to Bureau Junction next. But when I drove the route there were some really rough gravel roads. My bike would not have handled it very well at all. I ride a recumbent. I was last in that area about 2 and a half years ago. When I emailed the organization responsible for the mapping of the trail they told me they would look into imporivng the map by either changing the route, providing an alternate route or indicating what kind of road surface it is.

Here are the links to the maps I used:
http://www.openlands.org/git/maps/index.asp
http://www.openlands.org/git/maps/trail_section_14.asp
http://www.openlands.org/git/pdf/TownMap_7.pdf


I know exactly what you mean about the gravel on the Openlands route. We found a way nice to avoid all of it.

From Hollowayville, go west on US 6, then south on County 2775. The turn is about a mile and a half before (east of) where the Openlands route turns south on the gravel roads. After riding south on 2775 for about 1.4 miles, turn west on 1350 N Ave. That quickly bends back south, changes name to Oakbrook Dr, and takes you to IL 29, and then into Bureau. That route has light traffic, no gravel, and it avoids the ravine, blind hills, and bad curves on IL 29 near DePue. Openlands and LIB both have heard about the bypass.

Here is that leg from our web site: http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/seatonville_to_bureau.htm Click on the map image there for a bikeley.com route and cue sheet.

You may want to consider one other alternate route when you get farther north. The Openlands project suggests the Pecatonica Prairie Path from Freeport to Rockford. PPP is a MTB path and not at all suitable for a road bike. Fortunately, there are a number of road routes you can use instead.

There have been major washouts along the Hennepin canal in Colona, Ill area. Technically the path is closed there, but still rideable.

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the ILDNR will get funds to repair it.

I know exactly what you mean about the gravel on the Openlands route. We found a way nice to avoid all of it.

From Hollowayville, go west on US 6, then south on County 2775. The turn is about a mile and a half before (east of) where the Openlands route turns south on the gravel roads. After riding south on 2775 for about 1.4 miles, turn west on 1350 N Ave. That quickly bends back south, changes name to Oakbrook Dr, and takes you to IL 29, and then into Bureau. That route has light traffic, no gravel, and it avoids the ravine, blind hills, and bad curves on IL 29 near DePue. Openlands and LIB both have heard about the bypass.

Here is that leg from our web site: http://www.customized-applications.com/recycle/seatonville_to_bureau.htm Click on the map image there for a bikeley.com route and cue sheet.

You may want to consider one other alternate route when you get farther north. The Openlands project suggests the Pecatonica Prairie Path from Freeport to Rockford. PPP is a MTB path and not at all suitable for a road bike. Fortunately, there are a number of road routes you can use instead.

Thanks. In looking at the alternate you created I see exactly where I start when I've ridden the Hollowaville to Lock 14 route. The intersection of Hwy 6 & 1500 N Ave. I'll bookmark the link and use it when I ride this section of the GIT.

My mother in law is from De Pue and my father in law is from LaSelle/Peru, they live in Des Moines, Iowa now. My wife and I live in Sioux City, so we are about 8 hours from this area of Illinois. I have only been able to ride sections of the GIT when we visit once a year. I know about IL29 near De Pue, the curves are fun to drive but I wouldn't want to ride a bike through them because motor vehicle would not see a cyclist in time to avoid colliding with one. This year when we are there in June I am going to ride from Lock 14 in LaSelle to Ottawa and back about 40 miles round trip. I probably won't ride from Hollowayville to Bureau Junction and the Hennepin path until the trip in 2010.

Have you ever ridden down near the area north or Peoria? Along the scenic Illinois River Highway? It is beautiful. I had the pleasure, a few years ago to do a solo loop ride starting and returning from/to the town of Spring Bay and went through Bay View Gardens. Very scenic. My mother in law had a family reunion that my wife and I went to. After eating and conversing with people I had to get away and had my bike so I took off on a short 17 mile, very hilly and scenic ride. The area reminds me of the Big Sioux River area of this part of Iowa. Very scenic and hilly.

[... snip...]
Have you ever ridden down near the area north or Peoria? Along the scenic Illinois River Highway? It is beautiful. I had the pleasure, a few years ago to do a solo loop ride starting and returning from/to the town of Spring Bay and went through Bay View Gardens. Very scenic. My mother in law had a family reunion that my wife and I went to. After eating and conversing with people I had to get away and had my bike so I took off on a short 17 mile, very hilly and scenic ride. The area reminds me of the Big Sioux River area of this part of Iowa. Very scenic and hilly.

I've never been there on a bike, but would like to ride it some day.