Find the top rated hiking trails in Dixon, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
As of July 23, 2024 there are no signs of tunnel revival. The first six miles from the northern end are paved and well maintained. After that it turns to gravel and dirt. With a lot of grass. It appears neglected.
As of 7/7/24 no work done on tunnel. There isnt even a trail left, leading up to the tunnel. The tunnel project is a complete sham. Where is the 6 million dollars? Where did the insurance money go, for the bridge, north of Monroe? Time for someone to be held accountable.
We’ve ridden from Sumner Park in Pecatonica east to Meridian Rd. several times. It’s crushed gravel most of the way. Between Lundgren Rd and Hoisington Rd it’s grass and gravel and kinda bumpy. The rest is in pretty good shape. West of Pecatonica to Farwell Bridge Rd is fairly bumpy. It’s mostly flat. It runs along the power lines so it’s not shady. Great bike shop in Pecatonica though, Bicycle Hub. Open Tuesday-Saturdays. Right on the main street.
June 19, 2024 (11:30AM)
Rode the Great River Trail as day two of our Mississippi trip. I was not happy with the trip at all. Let me tell you why. The trail is 60+ miles long and stretches from Savanna, IL to the Rock Island, IL area. Having read the reviews we drove up Hwy 84 to just south of Savanna. We could see the trail along the way, asphalt but a lot of cracks/bumps, dips and yikes areas. We saw maybe 2 bikers. Our starting point ended up at Spring Lake, just south of Savanna. It was a good spot and there is a 4 mile trail around this lake, which we did not do, but wished we had. Going south, our plan was to get to Thomson and grab a lunch. The weather was hot with just enough wind, out of the south, to be annoying. At first the trail was a perfect rails to trails; asphalt path, a little cluttered but ok. We rounded a turn at a nice visitors center and then the niceness ended; as did the trail. We ended up on a country road; Riverview Road; which is a road but there were limited glimpses of the river. Traffic was light therefore we had no trouble with cars/trucks. We kept waiting for the trail to pick back up but it never did. This was our main disappointment. The saving grace was Dusty's, in Thomson, IL. The friendly staff took good care of us, cooling us down and getting us some lunch. We flipped back north, past the federal penitentiary, on the country road, this time with the wind at our backs. All in all we did 16 miles with 157 feet of elevation. This was a one time trail for us. I look back at the trail map and it does show Riverview Road, however I wanted to make sure, with this review, that other riders understood that they would be on a country road.
Kevin
Biking between Sycamore and Lily Lake the trail is long, straight and flat - if that’s your kind of thing. Just lock your wheel straight and go. Trees offer protection from the sun and a nice farmland setting to view along the way, but could be monotonous for some. Trail parallels Route 64 on this section so there is some road noise, but no busy streets to cross. The crushed limestone is in great condition making for a nice relaxing ride. We much preferred the eastern end from Lily Lake to St Charles, but we started to encounter more trail traffic. A foray into Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve is worthwhile.
We rood from the William G. Stratton State Park to Rockdale which is a 46 mile round trip. We saw deers, water fowl, birds, and a large black snake on the trail. The trail is mostly unpaved crushed limestone that runs along the canal. It does have ample cover from the sun with plenty of trees and water views. Someone else pointed out that they experienced a fallen tree that was covered with poison ivy on their ride. While there was more poison ivy along the trail than I have ever seen in my life, there was a low chance of coming in contact with it unless you go off the trail and into the brush. The trail does need some grooming as there were a few large holes on the trail, an un marked rked flooded under pass and some parts that had signs that they might’ve under repair.
We loved this path, paved nicely with a lot to look at!
This is a fine trail, but no longer gives you distances like it used to. I had to guess how far I went based on a silly 200 ft. bar at bottom of map. Seriously with all the walking/biking competitions for good health going on, how hard is it to give the mileage of the path?
I rode from the northernmost point (connection w/ the Centennial Trail) to Joliet. The gravel on this section was in great shape, although the pavement in some parts could use some love. There was minor flooding south of Lockport, but it wasn't an issue.
Seeing the various rail lines, historic canal, and nature was awesome. I look forward to riding more out here!
I have rode this trail over the last 30 plus years and many parts need grading and gravel. I wish part that runs through Joliet could be paved and become part of Joliet Junction Trail
We rode this trail along with the Stone Bridge Trail. The asphalt needs some repair but still a nice trail.
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