Find the top rated bike trails in Effingham, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Overall this is a good trail. We had e bikes with 22.5 tires and had no troubles riding. We started in Pana and rode up 7.3 miles. Paved 99% and it had many cracks that made it bumpy. It looks like the trail is not used much because grass was growing up through the cracks. Trail could use some maintenance. Not a lot to see on the south side of the trail. It was 95 degrees and most of the trail is shaded. This made it nice for the day we rode.
This is one of my favorite trails and I’ve probably biked over a hundred. It’s a good workout and also relaxing because it’s straight, mostly flat, and bordered by wildflowers and butterflies. I’d avoid the town portions in both Mattoon and Charleston, going park to park from the east of Mattoon to the west of Charleston. This is still about a ten mile stretch each way. There is only one crossing that’s at all iffy - the top of a hill both ways just east of the golf course. Otherwise just a super calm ride.
The segment east of Charleston is not paved. It's only a mile but if you are a trail completionist, be prepared for a rough ride for that mile or and back. Closer to a field road than a trail.Rest of the trail was perfect.
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail pavement has been extended 6 blocks further west to the YMCA parking lot and a beautiful new park on 16th Street.
With construction of the new trail bridge over the Flat Branch starting in September (2024), the trail will soon be restored to its full 14.6-mile length, with access points at the Taylorville Trailhead, Lake Taylorville (Lake Point Veterans Memorial) parking lot, Owaneco, and the Pana Trailhead.
After riding other trails I was truly disappointed with this one; wouldn’t you know it’s the closest to us and probably the worst! No upkeep whatsoever; it has potential for a nice ride, but there has been no maintenance for quite a while. It says on website that the village of Pana owns it…
This trail is well maintained. Lots of birds and wildlife. I rode the trail on a Friday afternoon in late March (62 degrees) and there were 5 other folks riding and walking. It is a flat trail that runs through mostly farm land. ¿
The trail surface is smooth asphalt. Except for the first and last miles, it is also essentially seamless. Great.
The scenery is pretty much nothing, and there isn't really anything along the way. The eastern portion is more scenic than the western, passing over a couple ravines of tributaries to the Embarras river.
Great trail for a workout.
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.
Nice way to spend a beautiful day biking 16+ miles on an asphalt trail. They are currently doing work putting in new telephone poles.
Heavy leaf cover and branches and other debris from trees completely cover the pavement in many areas along the trail which require very slow and careful navigation when on a bike. Stopped several times to either walk bike through rough patches or to pull twigs lodged between tire front fender. This trail is not maintained at all and needs a thorough sweeping by villages or organization tasked with keeping trail in a safe and reasonably maintained condition for the enjoyment of everyone whether biking or hiking.
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