Pecatonica Prairie Path:
Illinois
Trail Map
  • Get Personalized Driving Directions!
  • Find Trail Side Shops with Google Search!
  • See Users’ Geocoded Photos!
  • Get a Print-Friendly Map and Get Outdoors!
Description:
The Pecatonica Prairie Path is an 18-mile long biking, hiking and nature trail extending from Illinois route 75 and River Road, east of Freeport, to the Village of Winnebago. It passes through the villages of Ridott in Stephenson County and Pecatonica in Winnebago County. The Path follows the old right-of-way of the Chicago & Northwestern RR, now owned by Commonwealth Edison Co. The Path is leased to the Pecatonica Prairie Path, Inc., a non-profit educational and recreational organization formed to develop and manage the path for public use.

The Path is open to the public year-round for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing at no cost. Use of the Path as a natural science laboratory and for outdoor education, birdwatching and nature study is encouraged.
... Click to read more
Parking & Trail Access:
Access to the Path is from several country road crossings. Parking is allowed along county roads, in Ridott, in Sumner Park in Pecatonica and in the Winnebago High School parking lot. Take McNair Street from the H.S. to the beginning of the Path.
... Click to read more
... Click to read more
Reviews: [9 trail ratings]
[View all reviews for this trail]
[register/login to Submit a Review of this Trail]
Cowpath suitable for mountain or cyclocross bikes
By dgnutt in October, 2011
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.
This needs to be removed from GIT
By kaulds in September, 2011
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.
Do not use this trail
By blorfeldm in July, 2011
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.
Browse Trails by Activity: