ExperienceAwesomeThe fall season is perfectfor setting off on one of thestate’s many bicycle trails.

Story By Dean SchottPhotos By Adele Hodde

2 / OutdoorIllinois September 2007

Pedaling a bicycle along a path inautumn excites the senses.

For starters, autumn’s clean,crisp air invigorates the lungs. Thegrand palette of changing colorsintensifies the views, and the ridetransmits the trail’s terrain through

the bicycle to the body—and mind.Whether the trail is flat, climbs or

descends, your soul can soar as youglide through the season’s soft light fil-tering down on the path. In this far-rang-ing Land of Lincoln, bicyclists can ride

through forests, beside prairies, alonghistoric canals or old railroad beds, andatop bluffs with spectacular panoramas.

Bicycling in autumn lets bicyclistsexperience Illinois during an ideal sea-son—after the hot, muggy days of sum-mer and before the frozen, snow-sweptdays of winter. For many a seriouscyclist, autumn affords a special windowof opportunity for an epic bike trip ortwo before the thermometer plummets,snow clogs the trails and the bike getsretired until spring.

Autumn Pere Marquette State Park

provides a beautiful landscape

for bike riding, especially during

the fall months.

September 2007 OutdoorIllinois / 3

Before taking to the trail for an awe-some autumnal excursion, bicyclistsshould make sure they and their bicy-cles are ready for the experience.Depending on the distance of the ride,be sure to pack some snacks, water, aspare inner tube or patch kit, tire pumpand tire levers for changing a flat.

Check the air in the tires, the bite ofyour brakes and the quick release leverssecuring the front and rear wheels to theframe to make sure things are ship-shape. Have a map, know where you’re

headed and how long it will take and,just in case, take a cell phone. Andbefore pushing off on the trail, makesure a helmet fits snug on the noggin.

To ensure all bicyclists will enjoy theirtrip, they should select trails that matchtheir fitness and skills. Illinois has trailsto suit everyone from children to experi-enced trail riders. Some trails may bepaved with asphalt for an easier glide,while some, especially in more rural ornatural settings, will be covered withcrushed limestone.

Mountain bike trails may have eventougher terrain with gravel, rocks andsand along with swales, ruts, fallen treelimbs, sharp turns, steep climbs and fastdescents that present exhilarating chal-lenges to riders with the technical skillsto ride over and around obstacles in theirway. With fallen leaves covering sometrails, a cyclist can’t always be sure whatlies beneath so use caution.

Where to go? With scores of choices,here is a sample of great Illinois trail rides.

Rock Cut State Park—NearRockford, this park gives visitors thechoice of riding paved park roads or a23-mile rolling network of trails aroundPierce Lake. The mountain bike trailsare marked with blue signs and areopen only from April 1 to November 30.The park’s hardwood trees offer a color-ful show in the fall.

Tunnel Hill State Trail—Frombottomlands and farm lands to hills andbluffs, this 47-mile trail from Harrisburgto Karnak provides a variety of viewsand riding experiences through a 543-foot tunnel and over 23 trestles. The trailfollows a deserted rail bed through theShawnee National Forest and theCache River State Natural Area, whichoffer great vistas, especially in the fall.

Moraine Hills State Park—The11-mile, mostly flat trail near McHenry isa great destination for a family ride withthe children because of its four trail seg-ments of 1.7-3.7-miles each. The trailalso gives riders a glimpse of what glaci-ers did to the local terrain. Also, PikeMarsh, a 115-acre area in the southeastcorner of the park, is home to many rareplants, including the state’s largestknown colonies of pitcher plants.

Rock Island Trail—The 28-milegreenway follows the former path of theRock Island Railroad from Alta nearPeoria to Toulon and passes through avast plain once dominated by tall-grassprairies. Trail features include an arched

culvert made of massive limestone, asteel trestle bridge spanning the SpoonRiver, and in Wyoming, a rehabilitated1871 railroad station.

Illinois & Michigan Canal

State Trail—Riding the trail takes youback in time when commerce movedslowly on boats harnessed to mules andhorses on towpaths. The I&M Canalhelped connect Lake Michigan to theGulf of Mexico. The trail goes fromChannahon, southwest of Joliet, 60miles to LaSalle. Eight miles from Chan-nahon is Aux Sable where trail riderscan see an aqueduct, lock and the locktender’s residence. The trail is part ofnorthern Illinois’ 500-mile Grand IllinoisTrail and the 6,800-mile, coast-to-coastAmerican Discovery Trail.

Vadalabene Bike Trail—This 22-mile trail between Alton and Grafton,including 9 miles along the Great RiverRoad, affords wondrous views of OldMan River and its bluffs. To sample theflavor of 19th century Mississippi River

life along the way, be sure to visit Elsah,the town that time forgot. Nearby is PereMarquette State Park, known for its spec-tacular fall foliage and home to winteringbald eagles. The trail is part of the 3,000-mile, 10-state Mississippi River Trail.

Fox River Trail—Thirty-five milesof trail run through open spaces andsmall communities along the Fox RiverValley from Algonquin to Aurora. To thenorth, the Fox River Trail connects withMcHenry County’s Prairie Trail, going25.9 miles to the Wisconsin border nearGenoa City. To the south, the Fox RiverTrail connects with the Great WesternTrail and the Illinois Prairie Path, makinga continuous trail of more than 100miles. This also is part of the Grand Illi-nois Trail.

Riders emerge from the 543-foot

tunnel, one of the many highlights

along southern Illinois’ Tunnel

Hill State Trail.

For those wanting to explore autum-nal Illinois on paved roads rather

than trails, try these popular organizedbicycle rides:

Oct. 6 – Leaf Peepers, Elizabeth,routes of 21, 31, 46 and 60 miles. Con-tact joyce_mccready@gmail.com.

Oct. 7 – Pumpkin Pedal, Maple Park,road routes of 7, 25, 45 and 62 miles;trail routes 10 and 20 miles. Contactshutchins@soill.org.

Oct. 7 – Pumpkin Pie Ride, Ottawa,routes of 31, 62 and 100 miles. Contactbikegod@ivnet.com.

4 / OutdoorIllinois September 2007

Ride alongside the former railroad

on the Peoria-area Rock Island

Trail from Alta to Toulon.

Bicyclists who want a more intenseriding experience can sign up for thethree-day Shawnee Weekend ForestRide, Sept. 29-Oct.1. During the week-end, participants can do 30, 62 or 100miles through the Shawnee in Jackson,Williamson and Union counties andcamp in lodges or tents at the Touch ofNature Environmental Center just northof Giant City State Park. The League ofIllinois Bicyclists sponsors the weekendtour with the Carbondale Bike Clubassisting. To learn more about the eventand to register, go to www.bikelib.org/swfr/index.htm.

While pumping those pedals alongthese and other trails, don’t forget tokeep your eyes and ears alert to thenature all about you—a harmless blacksnake basking on a sunny trail, a pheas-ant’s distinctive call, a soaring eagle,deer grazing in a field, a fox lopingfurtively through the woods, squirrels andchipmunks rattling dry leaves as theyscamper about looking for food for winterstorage. It’s all there and more.

Some state sites allow mountain

biking, but riders are advised

to call ahead to verify

site-specific regulations.

Dean Schott of Glenview is outreachdirector for the League of Illinois Bicy-clist and can be reached at dean@bikelib.org.

Illinois GreatRivers Ride

The Sept. 9-15 Illinois Great RiversRide is a non-competitive, week-long

ride that offers a range of one-of-a-kindexperiences as it winds through Chica-go, Joliet, Starved Rock State Park,Kewanee, Peoria, Lincoln’s New Salemand Springfield. This approximately 350mile ride makes many stops along theway for bikers to discover Illinois’ richtreasures. For information, visit www.illinoisgreatriversride.com/index.htm, call(309) 837-7460 or e-mail info@illinoisgreatriversride.com.

Helpful tips

Remember, most trails are not just forcyclists. Be alert to joggers, hikers,

horseback riders and dog walkers. Showthem courtesy when passing by announc-ing yourself in advance. Mountain bikingis allowed in some parks, but riders areadvised to call ahead to verify regulations,stay on trails designated for that use andyield to hikers and equestrians.

To check out the Illinois state parksbicycling guide to favorite bicyclingspots and for more tips for your trip, goto www.dnr.state.il.us. To view search-able, on-line bicycle trail maps, or ordera paper copy of any of the nine regionalmaps, visit www.dot.il.govbikemap/STATE.HTML. For more information onother trails and rides, go to www.bikelib.org and click on maps/trails.

September 2007 OutdoorIllinois / 5

Southwest Illinois’ Vadalabene

Bike Trail is part of the 3,000-mile,

10-state Mississippi River Trail.