In my quest to ride all of the "Hall of Fame"trails, I rode the trail on Saturday and Sunday, Sept 10 & 11. I was surprised on how much I enjoyed the ride even with the numerous street crossings. It was a beautiful weather and there were nice neighbors in which the trails went through. The trail had great signage and the surface was excellent for dirt. I was surprised on the rural feel of some areas on the branches. The trail is a real treasure for those communities.
The only real negative was the lack of clarity and difficulty in staying on the trail and crossing at Winfield Road. On Saturday, my wife found an excellent Texas style barbeque place in Wheaton just two blocks from the trail near the commuter terminal (we are constantly on the watch for barbeque as we travel around the country). As I was riding the Geneva branch through West Chicago on Sunday morning(9-11), I came upon a fire station where a fireman was practicing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. There were other firemen in dress uniforms nearby. It appeared they were preparing for a ceremony or parade for the 911 anniversary.

Chris Bracknell

Just recently they have made a new path connecting Fox River Trail to the IL Prairie Path it follows the new stern road bridge/route 25 that they have built. They are also saying their going to build a park buy where the bridge starts on the east side. It's also about a mile and half and all asphalt. Buy the connection with the IPP there are two tunnels so you do not have to cross streets expect for one which is more of a side street but i does have i light. By making this path it makes a bout a 8mile ring around the east side of South Elgin. It connects two great paths and makes a great quick ride.

No accounting for taste, but my current favorite (among the cluster of off-road trails in N.W. Illinois, for which I come down from S.E. Wis.!), is the EASTERNMOST section of the I.P.P., from the start, west to WHEATON and return. Why? An engaging blend of urban and rural: coursing thru the back yards of small towns, then out to greenery, then thru some "industrial-pastoral" of old faded brick factories etc. Not too much countryside (can get boring?), nor too much intrusive cityscape (can get noisy etc.). Over to You...
Chester, flaneur [I have ridden in France the tow-paths of the Canals du Midi S.W., Burgundy, Ourcq coming into Paris from the N.E., the Lacanau-to-Cap-Ferrat pine sand country in the S.W. Atlantic section...and when I can't get there, our cluster right here is quite sufficient!...]

Chester Kartoffelkopfe, "flaneur"...

"This trail has some very scenic areas on it. The Elgin branch become rural enough at times that you forget that you are in a Chicago suburb. On the other hand, the trail has too many road crossings in Wheaton and Lombard and points east. In Wheaton, motorists stopped waiting for trains on the parallel Union Pacific tracks will block the trail making it difficult to cross the street. "

Absolutly an asset to the community. I only wish I worked near the trail so I could ride to work. I have been exploring the trail and it's access to other trails in the area for three years now and still haven't come close to seeing it all. A definite must see for all involved.

"The Prairie Path is the most fulfilling trail around! From Blackhawk Forest Preserve in South Elgin, I usually ride south to St. Charles, where there's a very convenient Starbucks. I continue south to downtown Batavia and then head east to Warrenville and then Wheaten. In Wheaten you will find plenty of places to refuel, including another Starbucks.

The Prarie Path Main Stem continues east from Wheaten and takes you through downtown Glen Elyn (the last decent place to stop and hang out), Villa Park, Elmhurst, and eventually Maywood. At Maywood, I double back to Wheaten (or I hop on the Great Western Trail which is two blocks north on Villa St. in Villa Park). From Wheaten, I hop on the Elgin Branch, which I have nicknamed ""The Lonesome Road.""

Heading northwest for the most part, the Elgin Branch, which is the last leg of a 60-mile loop, is pretty boring. There's really no place to stop and no one to see.

All in all, though, The Prairie Path is a very fun trail to ride while getting some good miles in. "

"I have been riding and jogging on the Illinois Prairie Path for 10 years and I always find something new to admire every time I visit. In the meadows and tree stands I have come across deer, fowl, and foxes while riding or jogging. I have seen egrets and heron, ducks and geese in the numerous wetlands.

There is also the chance to stop and shop or grab an ice cream cone or sandwich.

The entire trail itself is over fifty miles long, but my regular bike ride is from Wayne southeastwards to Wheaton, then southwestward to just shy of Aurora, then turning almost due North up to South Elgin, then turning back to the east to Wayne. This roughly-shaped triangle constitutes a 30-35 mile ride that combines quiet and peaceful stretches of wetland and tree stands with suburban and rural sprawl.

There are some inclines and the trail surface varies from pavement through asphalt onto crushed stone and dirt. There are fairly frequent zones where one can park and then either start a walk, jog or ride. Most portions of the trail have mile markers. Outdoor washrooms or port-a-potties are somewhat infrequent so plan ahead accordingly. Signs from the Dupage Sheriff's Police advise travlers to call 911 in case of emergencies. I recommend carrying a cell phone on all rides or jogs, not that there is any particular danger on the path - but just in case.

All in all, I recommend the path highly - particularly the scenic areas near the Fox River and the Lincoln Marsh in Wheaton. Another good thing about the Prairie Path is that it links to many other good bike paths - the Fox River Trail, Great Western Trail and the biking trails of Fermilab being just a few. "