I ride a Giant FCR Flat bar road bike with 28mm Continenetal Gator Back tires. I had high hopes for this trail. It was part of a plan for a marathon ride. I planned to ride the Old Plank from Park Forest, then pick up Waubonsee trail down to the Kanakakee River. Having ridden Old Plank several times, I decided to check out the Waubonsee Glacial trail first before I combined the two trails into one long ride. I accessed the trail at Rowell Rd in Joliet.

The first few Miles of the trail are wide, paved (pavement in excelent condition) and scenic. After the Visitors Center at Laraway Rd the trail turns to limestone screenings. The surface sucks. I don't think the trail gets enough use to keep the limestone packed. And there are portions of the trail that are completely unconsolidated. Someone had been riding horse on part of the trail, and the surface was marred with Hoof prints and Road apples. On other portions, farm boys had used the trail to race ATVs, further aerating the surface.

To make matters worse, trail is largely unprotected and since it runs generally southwest, you're always headiing into prevailing winds. I bucked a 20mph headwind all the way south and was hard pressed to get over 12MPH. In the distance I could see a storm gathering. So I made my way to Symerton to seek shelter. Thankfully the only business in town, a bar, opened at noon and I was able to sit out the storm.

The Storm front passed and the wind direction changed so on my trip back north, I was now battling the same 20 mph head wind, only 15 degrees cooler. The trail surface had turned to wheel sucking spoo. It took me 3 hours to make the 15 miles back to Joliet. Most of the way I was on the center ring in front and the big ring in back, maintaining a cadence that should have propelled me at about 15 or 16 mph, but I was going between 5 and 7 MPH. I arrived soaked, muddy and cold; My bike looked like it had been dipped in concrete.

When I loaded up my bike and unloaded my bike bag, I set my cell phone and wallet on the rear bumper. You can guess the rest. I drove away and lost everything. A 100MPH + trip back to where I parked ensued when I realized what had happened. I found nothing and I went home and cancelled everything.

After that ride from hell, some redemption: Someone called About 9PM and had found my Cell and Wallet by the roadside. This restored my opinion of humanity, but unfortunatly, not of Waubonsee Trail.

I rode this trail on probably the nicest day this fall. If you begin in Joliet and travel to Custer Park you enter from urban to country in about three miles. Most of the trail is crushed limestone and there are some areas with loose gravel but for the most part the trail is packed down pretty well. There are several rest areas along the path. The fall scenery was beautiful. Some parts of the trail are covered with leaves, if wet could be a problem. Threre are long stretches of farm land throughout the trail but the iron bridge at the Custer Park trail head is a pretty cool place stop and take in the view of the Kankakee river.

My wife and I rode the Wauponsee Trail last Saturday. We started in Custer Park and rode north. This was our first time riding from that point north; we previously rode from the Nature center north into Joliet. The southern tip of this trail is quiet (at least on this day), we only saw one other biker. It was cloudy and at times sprinkling rain but it was a great ride. Riding by the Tall Grass Prairie we would be trailed by butterflies. About ten miles up the trail from the Custer Park head is a rest stop with bathroom and water fountain. It is a well kept trail, great scenery.

We started our tour of the Wauponsee glacial trail in a little town called Custer park. If you can find it, start there. the trail starts with a 600 foot rail bridge over the Kankakee River. It gives you a breathtaking view of the area. The trail itself is nice and wide. It has mile markers and every once in awhile a nice sign thats tells you where you are and some interesting history about the old railroad and the ancient glacial lake that covered most of Illinois. If you go out on a bright day I personally recommend a nice pair of sun glasses because you WILL go blind. the trail surface is pretty new but its nice a packed down. overall a great trail to ride.

I rode the Wauponsee Trail today. I had great expectations when I started at Rowell Road in Joliet. The trail was great, mile markers and asphalt. Once the trail officially began, the trail turned to semi crushed lime stone in spots, other miles were easier and more hard packed. overall, the signage was very good, but the trail was tough to ride on with skinnier tires.