Virgil Gilman Trail:
Illinois
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Description:
The smooth, asphalt Virgil Gilman Trail travels through forest and prairie land from a quiet, rural community college campus all the way into suburban Chicago. The trail's namesake, Virgil Gilman, served as director of the Fox Valley Park District for 30 years and successfully championed public access to the river-indeed, access grew from 66 feet in 1946 to more than 30 miles today.
Beginning at Waubonsee Community College, the trail heads into open native prairie land for the first mile. (Don't be alarmed if you hear gunshots for the first few miles, as the Aurora Sportsman's Club shooting range is nearby.) After traveling through the grasslands, you enter the Bliss Woods Forest Preserve, marked by beautiful large white and black oak trees. The preserve is also home to many other tree species, including sycamore, white poplar, and cottonwood. Keep your eyes open for birds. It's not uncommon to encounter red-winged blackbirds, downy woodpeckers, cardinals, and blue jays along the trail.
From Bliss Woods, the trail travels alongside a rolling brook until it crosses Route 56 on an overpass. Now the landscape becomes large farm fields as you slowly begin to enter a more developed area with subdivisions of single-family homes.
After crossing another bridge over Orchard Rd., the route becomes a 1.75-mile rail-with-trail stretch, and you may hear the active tracks through the thick vegetation that creates a natural buffer between the two corridors. Emerging onto Terry Avenue the trail briefly continues on quiet side streets that are very easy to navigate. Take a left on Terry Avenue followed quickly by a right on Rathbone Avenue. Follow Rathbone a short distance until you cross the active rail line. The trail begins immediately after this crossing, at Copley Park, a nice rest stop.
Shortly after leaving the park, the trail crosses the Fox River via an original old trestle bridge. Off to one side of the bridge, you can see the old pedestrian walkway-a testament to days gone by. Once across the river, follow the smooth path for 2.75 miles, through the suburban developments of Montgomery, to the trailhead on Route 30-the eastern terminus of the Virgil Gilman Trail.

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Parking & Trail Access:
To access the start at Waubonsee Community College, take Interstate 88 to Highway 56 south and continue 3.8 miles. Turn right on Highway 47, and after a little more than 2 miles, turn right on Waubonsee Drive. Continue to the community college and look for the trailhead at the far end of the parking lot.
To reach the Montgomery trailhead from Interstate 88, take N. Farnsworth Avenue south for 4.5 miles. Turn right on Montgomery Road and travel a quarter mile to US Highway and turn left. The trailhead is a half mile ahead, on the right.

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Reviews: [1 trail ratings]
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newer blacktop for allmost whole trail and nice ride
By fierobrian in July, 2010
i justed started to ride againand i live near and love the trail . i think it is a well mainted trail that is a nice ride .i do hope they make it longer but hay . there are a few nice lookout over the bridges and stuff . just agood clean trail and not to crowed ontop of that
Awesome Trail!
By Barbie58 in September, 2009
I love this trail. It's an easy ride (except getting up the I-88 bridge), and it is not crowded. The forested part of the trail is beautiful to ride through. I've taken a friend there, and she loves it now as well. The only downside is that there are no water fountains along the way, nor many places to sit and rest. The beginning/end is at Waubonsee Community College. It would be nice if there were some tables or benches there to rest on after your ride.
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