I have wanted to do this trail for 7 years, but logistics did not line up until this weekend. I rode the 60 miles from Bureau Junction to Colona. Started at Lock 3 at Route 26/29 because that parking lot is not as isolated as the Lock 2 parking lot. Heading West, there had been a washout at 1.2 miles, but they had filled it the day before. Apparently, this happens semi-regularly due to the Big Bureau Creek flooding.

Overall, the Eastern one-third (20 miles) of this trail is rougher but more scenic. The Western two-thirds to Colona has a more stable surface but is more exposed to the sun and has less variation in scenery. There were way more people fishing than biking, which was a nice change.

Heading out from Bureau, the first 4.5 miles are particularly rough. There's any kind of surface you can imagine -- oil & chip, gravel, sand, limestone chat, etc. You have to pay close attention in this section and count on slow going. I have a hybrid bike and was totally comfortable. Road bikes would be rough if you are doing the whole 60 miles. I really appreciate how difficult it is to keep the Eastern section maintained, due to the geography. Once you get to Lock 6, the surface becomes more stable and that is when I really started to enjoy the trail and the canal.

Different kinds of locks, gates and dams keep the engineering interesting. The locks were where most of the people were fishing.

While the Western two-thirds had a more stable surface, you still have to pay attention. Most of it was oil & chip 4 feet wide (slightly rough), but occasionally you will get a section with mostly grass and as little as a 6-inch wide strip of limestone. Very rideable, but you have to focus. There were not many parts of the trail in which it was wide enough or smooth enough to pull a trailer with kids in it (unless you don't like your kids!).

I recommend packing all the food and water you need. You can't count on water being available even at the visitor's center. The trail does not go directly through any towns, so you would be making side trips to find an open store/restaurant.

As for signage, it is limited, but I found that Google Maps (with the Bicycling layer turned on) was spot on for accuracy. Only a few very small hills to note, mostly in the Eastern section.

Lots of water scenery, plants, and animals. It's definitely a great trail to ride if you want to get away from the crowds.

All in all, I would do this trail again, but likely in the Spring or Fall, when the heat index is lower than 98F!

I in-line skated on this trail July 1,2020 and it was in great condition. Mostly uphill from East Peoria to Morton, and well worth it for the enjoyable downhill skate back toward Peoria.

We rode from Utica to Channahon, split into two days (Utica to Seneca and back on June 11, & Seneca to Channahon and back on June 13). Total distance = 96 miles.

Day 1, Utica to Seneca: We rode out from our rental house right on the trail in Utica and headed east. 2 miles east of Utica, there is a bridge out over a fairly deep ravine. Enough trail users have been through to create a small footpath to the bottom and a makeshift bridge was installed. Be prepared to navigate mud and water while pushing your bike. The trail surface was in decent condition, but very weedy and a one-lane track in most parts. We also stopped at least 4 times to shove / pull trees limbs off the trail, had to carry over a few large ones. It also looks like the trail had been recently repaired from a washout west of Buffalo Rock SP. We ran into a "trail closed" sign on the west edge of Ottawa, and followed the bike traffic signs on city streets to pick up the trail on the east side of town. **NOTE: on the way back, we tried the "closed" trail.... it is finished and passable, but some loose gravel in places.** At our turn-back point in Seneca, we met two helpful IDNR employees. Due to COVID-19, they were just allowed back to do maintenance approx. 10 days prior to our ride. While we found the trail to be in very rough condition, we learned it would likely have been cleared if we rode a day or two later; case-and-point... on our return trip the trees had been cut and trail recently mowed.

Day 2, Seneca to Channahon: We found much better trail conditions on this portion. Very easy ride, peaceful, all the way to Morris. At Morris, there is a path detour (aqueduct bridge washed out several years ago has not been replaced); take the foot bridge into Gebhard Woods SP. The path via city streets going west to east is not well marked, in my opinion. Take Ottawa/Shabbona St north to Fremont St; east to Nettle St; south to Illinois St; east to Calhoun and pick the trail back up there. There is a lock keepers house at the lock and aqueduct at Aux Sable with a shady picnic area for resting. Be sure to check out the mile markers; they all include little tidbits of history about the canal & sites. There is an access road to the south of the Dresden Mule Barn that leads to the modern lock and dam on the Illinois River, and you can watch barges being raised and lowered. The trail from Morris to Channahon was my favorite of the trip, riding right along the river, the scenery is beautiful.

Overall this is a decent trail, with lots of potential and room for improvement. It is well shaded and a nice, even ride with lots of history. I rated it a 3, mainly because of the bridges that have not been replaced; upon talking to some locals, they have both been washed out for 5 + years. This is a good trail, just come prepared for some challenges.

We rode from Morris to Seneca and back 6/7/2020. It’s 9 miles of a nice trail, very wooden and shaded. We found it was easiest to park at the Gebhard Woods park off Ottawa St. There is construction near the Stratton Park. The trail get narrow on some areas but we hardly saw any other bikers. We saw 4 baby snapping turtles on our ride.

Going west from the parking lot in Bureau Junction, Rt. 26, the trail is closed. It is in extremely poor condition, bridge out, grass growing through the VERY old asphalt, and a dangerous hole in middle of trail. Bridge is out about 1.2 miles from parking lot. Who ever is suppose to maintain this portion of the trail is NOT. Can not speak to the remainder of the trail.

I'm writing this because we weren't able to find any information on current trail conditions. The I&M is one of our favorite trails in Northern Illinois. Today my husband and I rode between Channahon and Morris for the first time this season (now that they've finally re-opened the restrooms). We were pleased to see that it was not badly affected by recent flooding, but it definitely needs some maintenance. Between Au Sable and Morris there were three large holes which others had fortunately marked by putting large sticks in them. At Au Sable a tree limb is partially blocking the path at the west end of the park. Another rider said it had been there a week already. That section also hasn't been mowed yet, so the trail seems even narrower than usual. At Morris, we hoped to continue west. We knew there was a break in the trail and that you're supposed to be able to ride around the break on the street, but there was no signage or any other indication of how to do that, so we had to turn around when we came to a barrier. Also at Morris, be aware that the road bridge leading from town into Governor Stratton State Park on the east end is being replaced. You can either carry your bike down steps to the park or walk it around the barricades very carefully (at least on a Sunday when they're not working). East of Au Sable, the trail edges have been mowed, which is a good thing, because you need to watch for large wash-out holes on the canal edge. I know it's been a rough spring in terms of both weather and the pandemic, but I hope that the IDNR will be able to get the trail back in good shape again soon. It's a real treasure.

We rode the SW section last weekend and the family really enjoyed it. We found great parking and a spot to eat before we rode the 5 miles into town and back out. The surface was well maintained. The scenery was great. It was a nice quiet ride and we stopped to take a lot of pictures.

This is the best trail I have ever ridden!

Beautiful but cold ride with just a little snow on the trail and 22F. Saw a decent sized buck that ran in front of me down the trail for a mile. The trail is very well-maintained, at least the 15 miles I rode from Joliet.