A stunning afternoon and my first time riding around Galena. Hopped the trail from the Depot parking lot (signage is a bit lacking but the access is on the SE corner of the lot by the boat launch.

Absolutely smashing ride all the way to Aiken (they seem to have opened up the preserve so there were a few extra miles). Trail is shady and pretty good, mostly flat with a few small hills. Only saw 3 other bikers the whole length. No kids, no runners, very private. It's finely packed gravel so my road bike was okay and there were no moments of alarm. A section heading south follows a paved road but there do not seem to be many cars or other trail users.

The other end of the parking lot by the actual depot (cute little restaurant called Otto's right there; looks very popular) starts the short end of the trail. Runs flat and is completely out in the open and along the river. Stunning day, great scenery.

Would do it again in a heartbeat. Got in a good 13-mile round trip.

We rode from Freeport to Orangeville and back. The trail was great and shaded almost the whole way. Scenery was beautiful and the trail was not crowded. Looking forward to going further north next time.

This is a pretty trail with a few gentle hills but mostly flat and tree lined. Start in the parking lot by the train depot and head south for several miles along the river toward the Mississippi. Or head north for a couple miles. Watch out for walnuts in the fall.

19 July 2020, 80 degrees, light wind , 54 miles r/t, partly cloudy, started east to west. Last update on Hennepin. Road bikers youre on(no clinchers or sewups), trail was completely clear of debris and in good shape, full sun. Scenery is great not as good as the east but nice, saw lots of humans. This part is obviously used 99% more than the other 2 sections and is maintained. Hennepin trail is a very un-utililized trail that is so scenic, I am sad for its overall poor condition. Oh, due to covid Hickory Grove Campground cannot accept tenters,no public facilties are open. Rvers are self contained. I do recommend the trail but wish it was kept up more.

We rode this trail from Toulon to Princeville today. It was great! The path was very good. It is mostly shaded. Excellent. We stopped in Wyoming on our way back for lunch. Ate at 111 Coffee Shop. Don’t be fooled, this is NOT just a coffee shop. The lunch was delicious. And it is decorated all with bikes! Perfect for us bikers. And check out the bathroom. Cute!!! Can’t wait to do more of the route from Princeville going south.

This time I started at the stateline trailhead and went south to Cedarville Road. It was a beautiful shady ride, I saw owls and birds and chipmunks and a few geese. Not much traffic, but about a quarter mile north of ORangeville, there was a huge tree broken over the whole trail, with just enough room to squeeze through. Then the following few miles between Brush Creek Road and Lane Road were really choppy: lots of shallow holes in the path and not a ride I would want to do on a road bike. It was scenic and private, and I loved that, but am glad for the shock absorbers on my hybrid. This would be a splendid trail if they paved it, but that seems unlikely. Still, a gorgeous ride, just one where you have to pay acute attention to the path in order to avoid some pitfalls....

July 17,2020, 70 miles r/t, 85 degrees, 70 % humidity, partly cloudly and light west breeze, path100% flat. Feeder trail north off the henneipen to Rock Falls. SORRY, road bikers ,you're still off this trail, the debris is just too much and rough. i would love to get you out there but you would curse me if I recommended it for you.
CONFUSED: One mans trash, we have ridden alot if paths, but the scenery and greenness and desolation and QQUUUIIIEETTT of this ride is impossible to match, what a day!!! No water,no cars ,no people,no noise, no bugs,no towns,no trash,no stores,no nothing, 2 poopers,REALLY CLEAN. To the Illinois department that maintains the path, on this day CUDDOS, on the way out at least 12downed trees(massive storm), added 2 hours to north route. On the way back,mowers and tree cutters cleared the path YYYEEEEHHHAAA!! THANKS. OK,you know mr poo poo has to chime in. Talked to farmer on the path,he said they have let the path go. This path is still a gold mine, but the debris on the path is so much its hard to see anything, you better keep you eye on the road or you are going to break a foot or loose some spokes. Ok, the mowing guy went by and 300 yards behind him were branches down(cant get all of it),but the debris is years old. Path surface on this section is very good, half was tar and chip(really good), 19 miles to Rock Falls was all hard dirt. I am confused about this path because its going to be a challenge for most to complete any of the 3 legs of the path. NO SERVICES, no motels,no bed and breakfast, no water,no stores, which MAKES the path. But unless you do 35 miles one way ,you're on your own. So, the thing needs to be cleaned up so most people can do the 35 and leave all that crap in town and not on the path(get it??)OK!! We are riding modified mountain bikes and try to average 15 to 16 mph, and wrists are pretty sore from the bobbling debis, on anything else you are at 8 mph. Everyone has their oppinion and this is mine.

We started in Orangeville and rode halfway to Freeport. Beautiful ride. We didn’t notice the hot weather because of the canopy of shade. The only negative is that there is no drinking water on the trail. Bring plenty of water.

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!