Find the top rated running trails in North Pekin, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
We brought along our bikes on our visit to Springfield to ride this trail - it was wonderful! We had beautiful weather. We started at Centennial Park and rode the entire trail. We enjoyed the variety of scenery riding through areas of housing/neighborhoods and rural areas. The trail was extra wide, completely paved and in excellent condition- very well maintained. Kudos to Sangamon County for maintaining this beautiful trail!
Ok section, kind of dull. Agriculture & cows. Found a bit of shade by a grain elevator for lunch. Several washouts filled with tumbleweeds as you get closer to Lind.
Just love this trail. It was a beautiful fall day. Trail is very clearly marked. We appreciated the wide asphalt path. The bridges gave us some great views, you go from the sunny corn fields to the shaded tree covered areas. This is a trail that we will return to ride again.
This was a very nice trail thru mostly wooded area.
Rode from Colona to Bureau early October. The trail was dry and in good enough condition to average 9-10mph. There was lots of animal and bird life. I was surprised at how few people I saw. It was very peaceful. The only trail hazard of note were walnuts in the path. I did notice that there could be issues if it is wet. Drainage and mud could be a problem. I do ride a Surly Ogre with 29x2.35 tires and 45 lbs of gear on it. Navigation was not a problem.
Rode from Colona to Bureau early October. The trail was dry and in good enough condition to average 9-10mph. There was lots of animal and bird life. I was surprised at how few people I saw. It was very peaceful. The only trail hazard of note were walnuts in the path. I did notice that there could be issues if it is wet. Drainage and mud could be a problem. I do ride a Surly Ogre with 29x2.35 tires and 45 lbs of gear on it. Navigation was not a problem.
I rode the Rock Island trail in early October 2024 on a perfect day. I started in Toulon and rode into Peoria to East Glen Ave and rode back. This is a wonderful long trail. In the gravel section there are a few small rivulets where water has drained to watch out for, mostly by the bridges. Most of the asphalt was good. Some older places had some roots but most of it was great. My favorite was the gravel section for the solitude. I would rate this more than five stars if I could. I highly recommend checking this trail out! Traveling cyclist Facebook
I rode the trail in late Sept 2024 on a cloudy breezy day. I started at Bass Pro in East Peoria and rode to Morton then back. I didn’t really notice the uphill going out but I did on my return. The trail is in great shape except for a couple miles or so in Morton with some cracks across the trail. I rate it five stars, I enjoyed it a lot. Traveling cyclist Facebook
Tired of our local trail, we whimsically traveled the 1.5 hours to check out this trail which is the perfect length for us. My husband rides a float wheel and I have an ebike. We found the trail and bridges nicely maintained and there was very little traffic. It’s a beautiful mix of prairie, fields and forest. We can’t wait to come back and see it in the fall. Perfect!
We ( recumbent trike & e-bike) headed West from the Kiwanis park. Turned around after 9km as the surface was really tough on the trike. There’s 2 good wheel tracks for bikes, but the trike had to ride partially in the coarse trail ballast. Scenic area with farm views and a huge windmill farm in the distance.
I walked the whole trail this past Saturday, starting in Toulon and heading south(ish) to Peoria. From a pedestrian perspective, this is two distinct trails.
From Toulon to Alta is a crushed limestone rail trail which runs mostly through farmland. Large portions of it pass through a beautiful tunnel of trees. Each town involves a short road walk, which offer good options for snacks etc. I'd certainly walk this 25 miles again.
From Alta to the waterfront in Peoria is a paved interurban trail that spends lots of time in suburban back yards. If you like miles of fences, apartments, etc, this section is for you. The trail is signed in this section, but I still found myself referring to a GPS map to make sure I was on track. The last several miles (heading south) are relatively steeply downhill to the waterfront. I would not walk this section again.
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