I rode this trail May 16, 2012 from Harwell Bridge Road to Winnebago and back. The trail surface is dirt and cinder dust (probably part of the old rail bed aggregate) overgrown with grasses and weeds most of its length. The grass and weeds are often 2-3 ft. high and obscure the ruts and holes in the trail so well you simply cannot see them all. Some of them are large and deep enough to stop your bike instantly. Generally on the fills (where the rail bed had been raised well above grade) the trail is more passable, but in the cuts it is more overgrown and stays muddy, even in dry periods. One 1/10th mile section between Pecatonica and US Hwy 20 is a mire with many puddles of standing water and ooze so soft and deep it was impossible to ride through. Although (in Winnebago County, at least) signs (use at your own risk!) are posted prohibiting motorized vehicles, people have been using dirt bikes and all-terrain 4X4's. I shared the trail with one of them west of Winnebago yesterday. Another problem is that farmers are still using the path to get their tractors from field to field and cutting ruts into the trail surface. You don't see them because of the overgrowth, but you will definitely feel them.

On the section I rode, all bridges are in place and planked, albeit the planking is quite old and weathered. The nails no longer keep the planking down as you go over it, but it does not move laterally. Except for three new or refurbished bridges on either side of Hwy 20, none of the bridges have railings. The underpass at Hwy 20 is finished, and it is very nice. In Pecatonica you detour slightly to a road through the fairgrounds as the railbed was converted into a parking lot many years ago.

I cannot recommend riding this trail until the surface has been improved. The trail is a test for even the ardent and strong rider. It is far too dangerous and difficult for casual riders or children unless you are hiking. If you try it, I suggest nothing less than a full-suspension mountain bike on nothing smaller than 2.10 tires. It would be prudent to carry an extra innertube and pump. Bridges (excluding the three new ones with railings) should be walked or you risk problems with nail heads.

The trail has great potential and will be an enjoyable ride once it is finished. At this time, however, it should not be listed as an active recreational bike trail. I give it one star for the nice work done in the Hwy 20 area alone.

We parked at Sumner Park in Pecatonica, walked a block or so to the Pecatonica Prairie Path (PPP) and then headed west. The east edge of the SW corner of the FP is about 1.25 miles according to Google Earth.

Sumner Park is pretty nice. Has all the usual park amenities plus a working bathroom that was not locked. Kind of a rare find for me of late. The outdoor water fountain was not on, but the sink in the bathroom worked for getting Wilma some nice cold water when we got back. There was also a pop machine.

The PPP follows a power line easement. It is not real well signed in Pecatonica so the best way to find it is via the power lines. It seems to go right thru the fairgrounds and there is a gate there. It appears like you could detour around the fairgrounds to the south if the gate was closed. Seems a little odd.

Given the PPP runs under power lines, it is not real surprising that there is no shade. There were some holes, probably animnal burrows, in the surface of the grass and packed dirt path that might present a big surprise to a bicyclist who was not paying attention.

I took some video and pictures and posted it at http://ilbob.blogspot.com/2012/03/sumner-park-pecatonica-prairie-path.html.

We were only on the path for the approximately 1.25 miles leg from Sumner Park to Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve. But that part of the path was in good shape for a dirt and grass path. It is not going to be real popular with bicyclists who are mostly interested in getting somewhere as fast as they can. The surface is going to dictate a mountain bike and it will be a lot more effort than on a paved surface.

What we saw was a nice hiking and horseback riding surface, but the lack of any shade at all would make it unpleasant in warmer weather. The part we were on was 6-8 feet above the surrounding terrain so the path was pretty dry. There was a lot of mud and standing water on either side but none on the path itself.

Decided to check out this trail last night. Rained early in the day so I had expected it to be a little muddy but it was much more wet than I had expected. Dispite the muddiness I decided to do a little cyclocross training. Started at the far east end, only did about 8miles due to the poor conditions. Looks like this trail would be great for those looking to do some cyclocross training or looking to take a fatbike out and really see what it can go through. Thinking I will give it another try during some less wet conditions.

I located this trail east of Ridott but was not going to take my 29er with 38mm tires on it. It might be a fun challenge with wide knobby tires. After crossing it but not finding it in Ridott, and adding about 10 miles to my trip from Freeport to Rockford I finally found it, but the entrance from Farwell Bridge Rd. was unmarked and unrecognizable. This should not be considered a biking trail by normal rails-to-trails standards and it should be removed from Illinois DNR's bicycling map of northwestern Illinois.

I took the northern half of the GIT, this should be removed as a trail. I experienced the worst trail ever. My bike was trashed by all the mud and my legs got all cut up from the tall weeds. I had bags get trashed from mud and I ended up carrying my bike.

On July 6, 2011 I got on this trail in Winnebago to bike to Pecatonica. The trail is poorly maintained in several areas. A new bridge has been installed but the grass was 3 ft high in places. Near Pecatonica the trail has water on is and is impassable. Do not use this trail use the road instead.

I just rode this route from Meridian Road west to Conger Road outside just East of Pecatonica. The entrance is very hard to find and you have to park in the auction house parking lot at the corner of Cunningham and Meridian Road.

The first mile or so is a almost like a service or farm implement road. It is very rough and slow going. Standing water and deep mud holes make certain parts of the route impassible, so you have to go the high road and ride over the recently bulldozed tree brush.

Parts of the trail are very decent (watch out for the purple rock pits) until after you go through Winnebago then it is a grass trail very well suited for long distance runners. It is very slow going, but there are some newer bridges and the Sherman Underpass of US 20 that are interesting scenery.

This trail (at least the portion I rode) definitely requires a mountain bike and tires suited for mud. If you are into slow, rough riding with constant pedaling then this is a trail for you. There are very few downhills and the trails don't allow for any type of speed or carried momentum.

Overall ride-ability sucks, but it is different than just cruising on nice polished trails. If it ever gets the attention it needs and is made a bit more biker friendly it could be a very nice trail.

If I ride it again I would probably start from the west side near Freeport and head East.

10/2/2010 I rode west from Hosington Rd to Farwell Bridge Rd and back. The trail is over grown with grass and weeds 90% of this area. About a mile west of Hosington Rd the trail is very wet to include standing water over mud. I had to walk about 100 yards thought the worst of it. Some sections have been moved so the tires actually touch the trail surafce rather than riding on the layers of new and old grasses. The scenery is quit nice and you are definitely alone out there. When you get to the city of Pecatonica it is a cluster fu__ getting though town and back on the trail. I followed the trail only to come to a fenced area with locked gate at the Winnegao County Fairgrounds. I back tracked to find my way arouund.

The trail is great for a change of pace from the crushed rock that most trails offer now... The difficulty factor is raised due to the conditions, but thats what makes it a great ride. The first mile or so, starting from the east, headed west, is really rough. I'd suggest starting a street up from the beginning unless you are into off road riding.

I just completed the northern leg of the GIT on August 6th 2010. I attempted to get on the Pecatonica Prarie Path at the designated start off Rt 75/Strutco Rd. near Freeport. Starting off on a nice gravel path, it abruptly ended with a double set of barricades on each side of a brand new bridge. The bridge was fine, but the path quickly shrank into a barely passable single track. About a mile in, the growth became so thick it stopped my bike by dragging on the panniers. Had to bail out and reroute onto the local roads. I checked at a couple of other locations at road crossings and the same overgrowth was present. There were a few locations where the river was near the trail from recent flooding. When viewing the trail from a distance near Ridot, it appeared to be flooded.

There is evidence of new bridgework in progress on both ends of the trail. The trail crew on the Jane Addams Trail said the Pecatonica should be open and connected to the JA in a year. They already have the new maps ready to post.

For now, with the heavy rains, flooding, and overgrown conditions, this would be a job for a lightly loaded mountain bike and determined rider.

I would give this one 1 star for rideability and 5 stars for adventure biking.

Good potential for the near future. Will try again in another year.

I'm trying to get my daughter to do some fun new things. This trail is just about in our back yard. Awesome views, easy acess for many different ride lengths. We saw a bunch of different birds and animals. And BUGS(I guess you'll have that in July.) Oh well, just swat and keep pedaling. It does need some TLC. I would be interested to know what group or entity is reponsible for mowing, triming, and such as there is a board or 2 that need to be replaced on the river bridge. Anyway it is a nice gem that needs polishing.

On May 2, 2010, my family road once again on the Prairie Path. This time we went from Village of Ridott to Dakota Road. The path was clear the entire way, the grass was a bit tall on this section (maybe just over ankle high). We were going to continue on down the path but, the grass was knee high, which is far to tall to pull a trailer in and for a 7 year old to try and trudge through. The kids loved seeing the bridge. It does have a board missing on it though. Other than the mowing it is still a fun trail.

My family and I just road this trail on Good Friday; we went from the village of Winnebago to the bridge just past Hoisington Road. I have a 6.5 yo that road his own bike and a 3.5 yo that road in a trailer. I was happy to see that there were new bridges or box culverts in on the trail. There was only one older bridge that we went over. The trail could use a bit of TLC in the areas where the bridges were replaces as it is very rutted from the construction equipment. My 6.5 yo loved the bumps and called them the bull riding bridges. The new arch culvert under Route 20 was a neat feature that both the boys loved.

The trail itself is in good shape just in the areas where the new bridges were at were in need of care. That section if from Comly Road to Swift Street in Winnebago. The rest of the ride was fine. My 6.5 yo was really tuckered out at the end, but had fun. He will even be getting a new bike now, as we found his was too heavy for him and shifting gears would have helped.

Any idea who is responsible for maintenance of the trail? Would like to contact.

Hey, I actually live in Winnebago and ride the prairie path quite frequently. Although from alot of rain the past couple years the stretch of the path east of winnebago from falconer road to weldon road is partially washed out, and seems to be getting worse every year. The portions of the trail from falconer road to swift street is in pretty good condition. There is two bridges west winnebago on the path before you get to route 20. There are signs saying that there is a bridge out. The second bridge, if your riding west out of winnebago, is in disrepair but still very passable. The stretch of path that is in between comly road and route 20 has high grass and can be a rough ride. I havent ridden past 20, but I have hiked past 20 and some spots can be a little rough. I highly recommend a moutain bike if you intend to ride.

Starting Spring 2008, the eastern corridor of Pecatonica Prairie Path is to have a face lift . Starting at Meridian Road on the west edge of Rockford and going west approximately 8 miles to Conger Road, the path is to be resurfaced and improved to riding and hiking conditions with crushed stone. I believe it is a state grant of 4 million to start improvements. At one time, the city of Winnebago was talking of Black topping the section that runs through town. There are 3 or 4 bridges that need to be made or repaired to be able to cross creeks. There should also be a crossing for the path going over or under the 4 lanes of hwy 20, that would be included.

In 2007, I rode from Meridian road to the town of Ridot. Caution in crossing a couple of degraded bridges that have eroded entrances, one now says it is closed. A mountain Bike is a must as some areas are rough. They started in 2006 to clear some of the undergrowth with graders and that left the path with tire ruts and tread marks. It is a nice ride if you are not in a hurry.

I was on the section from Meridian Road to west of Winnebago at Keith Road the other day, and the first 2 mile section between Meridian and Falconer road is wet and has many large mud puddles that are hard to get around without going through the weeds. Wear old shoes or just go right through the middle where the gravel is. Each year, these mud holes stay longer and take more time to dry out.

"I have just finished hiking the Pecatonica Prairie Path. I hiked it from west to east as part of my hike of the Grand Illinois Trail. I tried to start at Il 75, but the trail is impassible at that site. I finaly found a starting point at Dakota Road. The whole thing is still very overgrown but I was able to hike it all the way to Meridian Road. The bridge just west of Winnebago is still out, so you need to take a detour on the roads around it.
You will also need to cross Route 20 , an active four lane highway.

You can get full details on my hike - along with lots of photos - on my website at ""trailjournals.com/slowwalkerGIT/"" starting with the August 5th entry

I do not know if you could cycle on it. The grass and weeds are knee high in many places.
A cyclist that I met in Rockford told me that there are legal issues that are preventing the maintainence of the Path.
Slow Walker"

"This trail follows a high voltage powerline between Freeport, Ridott, Pecatonica, and Winnebago. It is overgrown to the point now where it is not worth using. The trail did have signs for it the late 1970s. They have long weathered and disappeared. The trail was actually ridable but rough and soft when I rode it in 1978 and 1979. Yes, the trail is almost 30 years old. The building of the US 20 Freeport bypass in the mid 1980s cutoff the Freeport end off from the rest of the trail.

The Illinois Distict 2 bike map is the only map that I know of that shows where the trail is. This trail is the poster child for what neglect does to a trail. "

"This path is not well marked. Don't park in the Winnebago High School parking lot as it is quite a walk to get to the path from there. From the main street, turn right (west) on McNair and then turn left (south) on Swift. The Path can be entered by the Winnebago Feed Store, just follow the telephone poles to find it.

However, a bridge is out that prevents you from going more than 3/4 of a mile. A better way is to continue about two miles west on McNair and follow the road around a curve. Here you will see the Path (again watch for telephone poles as signs are VERY obscure and faded).

Biking would be difficult without a mountain bike. Hiking is nice. There are lots of wild cherries in bloom, a nice breeze, farms, creeks, etc. "

"I saw this trail listed in many places so I thought I'd try it. I don't think it would be fun with a full blown mountain bike let alone anything else. I found the trail to be very overgrown. It's not well kept at all. Part of it was so swampy I had to turn back and find a side road. I drove by the entrance three times befroe I finally asked and soembdoy told me it was between those two bushes. When friends have mentioned it, I have never recommended it. This was two years ago and maybe it is better maintained now. If not, do not try it."