Find the top rated trails in Champaign, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
The Constitution Trail is so named because it was dedicated on the 200th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, September 17, 1987. The first and main north-south section of the trail was built along an...
This trail through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve shows off Central Illinois' great natural beauty. Starting from the west, the trail meanders through a wonderfully restored prairie. It passes...
For just over a mile, the Sangamon River Trail in western Monticello follows the former route of the Illinois Central Railroad, which carried passengers from Chicago to New Orleans. The trail includes...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
Covington Circle Trail provides a partial loop around Covington in northwestern Indiana, offering views of farmland, wetlands, and small wooded creeks. Future plans call for completing the circle...
This is a story of three trails in one. The newest section of the trail is a beautifully landscaped rail-trail along the former alignment of the Fisher Farmers Railroad, which connected the north side...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail offers a paved route paralleling East Oak Street/Route 150 on Mahomet's east side. The pathway begins at South East Street, just a block from Sangamon Elementary School,...
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
This is a story of three trails in one. The newest section of the trail is a beautifully landscaped rail-trail along the former alignment of the Fisher Farmers Railroad, which connected the north side...
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
Covington Circle Trail provides a partial loop around Covington in northwestern Indiana, offering views of farmland, wetlands, and small wooded creeks. Future plans call for completing the circle...
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
This trail through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve shows off Central Illinois' great natural beauty. Starting from the west, the trail meanders through a wonderfully restored prairie. It passes...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
For just over a mile, the Sangamon River Trail in western Monticello follows the former route of the Illinois Central Railroad, which carried passengers from Chicago to New Orleans. The trail includes...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail offers a paved route paralleling East Oak Street/Route 150 on Mahomet's east side. The pathway begins at South East Street, just a block from Sangamon Elementary School,...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
The Constitution Trail is so named because it was dedicated on the 200th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, September 17, 1987. The first and main north-south section of the trail was built along an...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
This is a story of three trails in one. The newest section of the trail is a beautifully landscaped rail-trail along the former alignment of the Fisher Farmers Railroad, which connected the north side...
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
For just over a mile, the Sangamon River Trail in western Monticello follows the former route of the Illinois Central Railroad, which carried passengers from Chicago to New Orleans. The trail includes...
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
Covington Circle Trail provides a partial loop around Covington in northwestern Indiana, offering views of farmland, wetlands, and small wooded creeks. Future plans call for completing the circle...
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
The Constitution Trail is so named because it was dedicated on the 200th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, September 17, 1987. The first and main north-south section of the trail was built along an...
This trail through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve shows off Central Illinois' great natural beauty. Starting from the west, the trail meanders through a wonderfully restored prairie. It passes...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail offers a paved route paralleling East Oak Street/Route 150 on Mahomet's east side. The pathway begins at South East Street, just a block from Sangamon Elementary School,...
We started off at the storm water detention pond parking area. Nice parking lot with a porta potty and the large pond is filled with goldfish or koi. Then we went North and rode the East-West section that is the old rail line. Let the kids play at a playground that's right on the trail. Finished off with a ride around historic downtown that is just off the west end of the of the old rail line trail. Not much wildlife to view but a very flat, somewhat smooth, urban trail.
Scenic and smooth. Great for a walker and a partner in an electric wheelchair. A wonderful way to share the outdoors together.
Other then IN where else can you go ride your bike through a cover bridge and follow the trail of the Bison. Very nice peaceful ride. You do have to cross a highway if you do the whole trail. There also is other trails but these aren't paved and are good for a soft off roading.
I do like to park my car near the 172 exit off 74 there is a bathroom there and the parking lot is a bit bigger. If you are coming from the east as you get off turn right and a few feet on your left is the parking lot.
The 5 trails shown on the west side of Decatur all intersect, so you can enjoy over 20 miles of continuous paved bike trail all through natural areas and parks.
Nice little trail through the country. Lots of wildlife to be seen. Good trail to begin with. Just enough hills to make it a bit of a challenge for beginners.
This bike path has trails that is good and ugly. The newer addition is through housing area (Good), Maple wood Dr path near a busy road and at one point you will have to cross a busy street (Ugly), the next section is a nice ride around a small pound (Good) from there your path take you on the the old Chanute Base, then back into town near a park (good) back on Chanute again ending near the water park (Good & Ugly).
Be prepare there is a lot of roads to cross therefore a lot of stop signs to master.
My wife and I headed from Peoria to try out something new and we were definitely not let down. Perfect trail system for our riding style. We parked at the Kerrick Parking and Access point and then headed south. Went all the way to the south endpoint of the Illinois Central branch. Then headed back north. Midway back we headed east on the Bloomer Line branch to the end of it and finally back to the car. In total just a hair over 22 miles of beautiful trails through the heart of town. I would say about 1/2-3/4 of our trip was tree covered. Very excited to head back and do it again!
This is one of my favorite trails. Good parking is available. The trail is not very curvy. It's somewhat hilly, but do-able. The trail near the end in Charleston is very peaceful. Downtown Charleston is only a couple blocks away too, plenty of food & drink.
First trip on recumbent, positive experience with most other riders and walkers. Only passed one "pro" who was a little antsy due to the walkers in his lane. Handicap friendly area, pavement is a bit bumpy near Vonachens and near ISU campus, but tolerable. Shady areas for people wity heat intolerance like me, make this a pleasant ride.
We believe that the system of bike trails of Decatur, especially including Fairview Park, is one of Decatur's greatest assets! We are on it often, throughout the year and it is simply beautiful. The only drawback is a few dog owners who refuse to clean up after their pets.
This was a great ride. An easy trail winding through the trees along the river. It is a mostly secluded trail although there are a couple of areas where you need to watch for vehicles.
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