Explore the best rated trails in Scottville, IL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Arches Rail Trail and Benld-Gillespie Bike Trail . With more than 31 trails covering 465 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Started at Chatham after I found end of trail. There are a few bumps especially around Chatham. There are a few areas that have been patched and are smooth. The trail is closed for now when you go under road near Scheels for construction. The bike manager at Scheels told me the trail was open farther on. Will come back and finish it another time.
I rode this trail in late 2023 from Russell Commons in Alton to Chain of Rocks bridge. The surface is old but well-maintained. A lot of filled cracks along the asphalt portion, views of the industrial use of the river (barge facilities, chemical plant), and several places where the trail comes down from the levee top and crosses a road, then climbs back up. I didn't find these hills to be particularly steep (and they're always short). The chip-and-seal surface of the next part of the trail could use fewer chips and more seal, although it was perfectly flat and smooth.
I left the trail at Chain of Rocks bridge, and did not ride the remaining 5 miles. The detailed MCT map shows after a few more miles it changes briefly to stone, then is paved & alongside city streets to its end.
I rode from Alton, IL along the Confluence Trail, across Chain of Rocks Bridge (pedestrians and bikes only), then the full length of the St. Louis Riverfront trail to Gateway Arch and a little beyond. This made a very pleasant 55 mile round-trip.
The trail surface is generally quite good, but as an urban trail I preferred to mount my road bike with the wider tires I use on stone trails (I was also passed by fast riders on narrow tires). A new trailhead is being developed at the north end in 2024, but just a mile or so down the trail there are city parks with full facilities. As I continued south the landscape became more commercial and industrial (barge facilities, railroad terminal, auto graveyard). Rather than detracting from the ride I found it interesting to see what activities still remain from the Mississippi's heyday as a working river. Throughout this section the trail runs along the levee- on top, or along either side of it. There are a few "rest stop" facilities along this stretch, and painted arrows with an arch symbol reminded me of my destination.
Towards the south end the trail came to an abrupt end between 2 brick buildings. A one-block ride next to the building and through 2 open gates in a chain-link fence brought me onto a recognizable trail again. A long-term project has closed the trail from here to the Eads Bridge, but the detour is simple (go 1 block west and take the cobblestone street). The trail resumes at Gateway Arch National Park as a wide path along the river and past the statue of Lewis and Clark (and Seaman the dog), who are looking west through the Arch toward the vast new U.S. territory they have just returned from exploring.
The trail continues about a half mile further south, then ends with a flourish.
Trail is almost completely overgrown now. All access to confluence was closed. Too bad.
I rode this trail from Elsah to Pere Marquette. Several reviews say the paving is in bad shape. There are a few bumps that you would want to lift up off the seat, but they are not that bad. Going on and off some of the bridges are also a little rough. The scenery is great. Watch out for walnuts on the trail in the fall.
Decided to check out this trail on a warm fall day. I rode from Auburn - Divernon-Farmersville-Waggoner which made it around 40 miles round trip. Once I hit Farmersville, the trail was easy to locate at the end of S. Cleveland Street.
The trail passes through some woods and has a few gentle curves at the beginning. A couple benches and a picnic table were just off the trail the first half-mile from Farmersville, presumably for walkers. The trail quickly straightens out and heads south, the old rail line being rather obvious due to the flat, straight, fairly level path. I rode mid-morning, so still had the benefit of shade from the trees that lined either side of the path. At mid-day there would be a lot more sun because those trees would be ineffective in providing shade. I encountered two walkers (photographers, both with cameras) on this Saturday morning. No other cyclists, coming or going, but did catch up to an older gentleman and his wife/lady friend in a 4-wheel-drive Gator. He took up the entire path, and was driving around 5-7 mph, so I was able to pass him on the left by going into the grass. From a distance when I saw the vehicle I assumed it was someone doing maintenance on the trail. But when I passed him, it seemed obvious he was just ignoring the rules about no motorized vehicles.
By the description, the trail used to be asphalt, but now is mostly covered in crushed limestone. It was bumpy in parts ... the emerging weeds, fallen leaves, and limestone made it difficult to see the rough patches, but overall, it was a pretty smooth trail. I probably slowed down a good 2-3 mph from my average speed on the road, mostly due to the crushed gravel surface. I was glad I had let some air out of my 35c tires to make it a more comfortable ride on the bumpy sections.
The trail doesn't appear to be well-maintained ... the weeds are really grown up in parts, and they encroach right at the edge of the trail.
In Waggoner, two diamond-shaped yellow signs that start the trailhead say "Ride at your own risk." Yes, well, anytime you venture out of your house you assume certain risks. Does the highway coming into Main Street say "Drive at your own risk?" They have concrete barriers where the path is interrupted by roadways to deter anything larger than a bicycle on the trail.
The historic depot in Waggoner was locked at 10 am on a Saturday. I didn't see any sign if it has hours that it is open. Also, that building is pretty run down. The sign that says "Waggoner" is really faded and worn. It is no where near the pristine condition shown in the photo from 2013 on this site.
I took a short rest at the gazebo in Waggoner to consume a snack and beverage that I brought. As another reviewer mentioned, there is not even a vending machine in town, so bring any water/snacks with you. Farmersville has places to stop if needed.
All-in-all, a nice, short trail, which is a nice change of pace from always riding on the road. The trail itself has seen better days, to be sure, but still is a decent, ridable trail, one which I will do again.
This trail was overall very nice!! the only issue i had with it personally was that the first bridge i crossed, about a mile in, was blocked off with concrete dividers. thankfully, there were some desire trails going around these, so i was able to walk my bike over the bridge. it was a very long trail, and sometimes i wouldnt be able to find the the path again when it passed through an industrial or residential area, but that wasn’t really a big issue. i was riding my mountain bike, and the path was very clear and easy to ride on. only complaints i have are about the first bridge, and the mile markers were not clear enough, so i didnt really know where i was at.
It is a lovely trail. Nicely maintained and easily walkable on a nice day. Good views right next to the golf course, and a few creeks to view over bridges.
Sure the Katy Trail is very long with some scenic parts but it is no GAP/C&O Canal Towpath. I rode every mile as part of my Astoria to Pittsburgh cross-country ride. Clinton to Boonville had interesting ups and downs but the surface needs a resurface all too much of the way, especially on slopes. Seems they use a different crushed limestone than they do in the east and it just doesn't compact as well. If you ride Boonville to Jefferson City, you've seen the best part. Jeff City to the eastern end is just more of the same for another 150 miles. Access to services was a problem, especially in the east although a do strongly recommend staying at Joey's Birdhouse in McKittrick. If you play the internet right, you can get a cheap room at the plush casino hotel in Boonville.
Here is a summary of the southern part of this trail from my wife to a friend: “Well I would NOT recommend the bike trail …… took me on next to the river. It smelled like human excrement, couldn’t see the river because of flood walls, felt extremely unsafe, got a flat tire, it was hot as hell, and may lead to a divorce.” Needless to say, I would not recommend it. The city or park district (or someone) should either close it or improve the conditions/safety and remove the glass and metal shards from the path.
We started the trail in Williamsville since it was so close to the I-55 exit. We parked at Williamsville High School and walked 2 blocks to the path. The town is adorable! The path was fabulous! Well maintained. Flat, no hills. Great asphalt! Part of the path is along farms and a rail road track. I-55 is on the other side of the rail road track. You can see and hear it but it is not bothersome. The other part of the path is wooded with a lake and amid some beautiful big homes. The trail head has ample parking and a clean out house. Path is half shaded and half sun.
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