Originally Posted by
Square & Compas
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.c..._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.