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North Coast Inland Trail - Sandusky/Ottawa County (Bellevue to Elmore)
Nice trail; good bike shop in Elmore

By zbicyclist in 6/12/2010 5:56:14 PM |

We're on a cross-country tour and this was a big improvement over the shoulder of US20. The trail is nearly all paved and in good condition. Most of the side roads are marked. There are mile markers.

I'd ripped a hole in my shorts earlier and stopped in the trailside shop in Elmore. It's a full shop with a good inventory. They do rentals. Mike was very helpful and gave us an improved route to Perrysburg.

North Shore Bike Path
"East to West across Lake County, IL"

By zbicyclist in 9/4/2001 12:00:00 AM |

"This is a rail-to-trail that runs from Lake Bluff (McClory trail) west to Mundelein, paralleling IL 176, and crossing the Des Plaines River trail and passing by Lamb's Farm. The trail provides a east-west link where most of the major routes go north-south. It's not particularly scenic, it's flat, and some of the crossings are not optimal (e.g. Milwaukee Avenue). TO CONTINUE ACROSS LAKE COUNTY: At west end of the trail, stay on Hawley Rd west to go through Mundelein. Just before you cross the railroad tracks in Mundelein is a good, cheap Mexican restaurant. Continue west on Hawley, then (carefully!) about 0.5 miles on IL 176 then left on Ivanhoe -- go across the barrier at what seems to be the end of Ivanhoe to continue on ""formerly paved"" Ivanhoe in the Lakewood Forest Preserve past the Lake County Museum and on to Wauconda. Then you can go north on Old Rand, west on Bonner (bike lane), north on Darrell, west on Burnett and you have crossed Lake County, IL completely from east to west and are close to Moraine Hills State Park, McHenry, and the northern part of the Fox River Trail. "

Robert McClory Bike Path (formerly North Shore Bike Path)
McClory Bike Path

By zbicyclist in 9/4/2001 12:00:00 AM |

"This is a flat, rails-to-trails conversion that follows UP rail tracks on the south, the old North Shore right of way further north. Trail is not completely continuous in northern Highland Park; follow signs. Partly limestone, partly paved. Lots of dog walkers in a.m. Restrooms available at train stations from N. Chicago south. AVOID WAUKEGAN SECTIONS of the trail. These are limestone, cross streets every block or so, and have LOTS OF BROKEN GLASS in the limestone last time I tried it. Best to head 0.5 mile west on Buckley or 22nd St and take Lewis Avenue through Waukegan. Pick up trail again in Zion. Trail connects on the north with Kenosha County trail to Kenosha, and on south with Green Bay trail (or 0.5 west at County Line Rd to Botanic Gardens and thence to North Branch Trail). Skokie Valley trail parallels this trail from Highland Park to Lake Forest and can be used for a nice loop; Sheridan Rd can also form a nice loop in most parts. "

Hennepin Canal Parkway
Crushed stone now? Or still grass?

By zbicyclist in 9/4/2001 12:00:00 AM |

"I would appreciate an update on this trail, which is part of the Grand Illinois Trail. When I last checked, the trail wasn't crushed stone, at least in the spots where I checked it on an auto trip. It was just a grass bank, suitable for mountain bikes (as long as there weren't enough mountain bikes to wear out the grass).

The cue sheet for the Grand Illinois trail

http://www.bikelib.org/trails/git/cues/Seg4.html

doesn't route you on this trail at all, but on parallel roads, making me think this segment may not be finished as of August, 2001.

If you know of contrary information, please post it in a corrected review here, so visitors will get current info."