Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Rochelle, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_211455_st.jpg)
_135428_st.jpg)
_49791_st.jpg)
_207962_st.jpg)
This is a short path off the north end of the Kishwaukee-Kiwanis Trail. It was freshly repaved for a smooth ride with nice greenery on each side and a bridge over the river near the northwest end. The path is handicapped accessible and there was no traffic on the neighborhood cross streets. I didn't linger, but based on the number of squirrels crossing the path, I could imagine seeing a fair amount of wildlife at the right time of day.
I rode out-and-back on this trail and the connecting DeKalb Nature Trail on a warm Sunday afternoon. The good news is that there is no on-road component to this trail. It is all paved and passes under a few roads and a railroad as it follows the S. Branch Kishwaukee River. I started at the south end at Lions Park and immediately had to cross Taylor Street. There is basically no signage along the trail. Fortunately someone had painted some arrows on the pavement, apparently for a 5K race. The crossing at Lucinda was a little odd where you have to cut slightly west to cross at a driveway. There's a nice ramp to get you under, then over, the N. 1st Street bridge, then there's an at grade crossing at Hillcrest. All-in-all, it's not bad getting across those roads.
The trail smoothness varies. It's a little bumpy in areas, but not too bad. The least pleasant ride is adjacent to Sycamore Road near the north end of the trail. Through the wooded sections, there were areas of crunchy Osage orange and walnut(?) shells to traverse, but it's fall so that's probably to be expected. The scenery is suburban with a good dose of parkland. The trail seems to have more use by walkers than by riders. The round trip was 11.5 miles.
My son and I rode from the visitor center east to the first aqueduct, about 20 miles round trip. It was beautiful day, we took our time, looked for turtles and stopped at a Casey's in Wyanet for lunch. Keeping to a healthy diet I went for sausage pizza, Yoo-hoo and an iced sugar cookie. The trail was rough, and rougher in spots but not a problem on my gravel bike with 40 mm tires. My son rides a Synapse with 35 tires and did it have a problem. If you ride a road bike or prefer smooth trails this might not be for you. we enjoyed it.
Did a round trip from Dean Street to Sycamore and back. Trail surface is pretty good however there are a few washouts and gopher holes. You just have to be careful. True to a former railroad bed, it is flat except for a few bridges. No busy streets to cross. The elevation profile shows a gentle rise from each end to the middle.
Do not just ride the trail and go home. At the west end take a few minutes to ride through downtown Sycamore. It is a delightful town. Enjoy some of the classic old homes on South Somonuk Street.
Our annual women’s biking trip did this ride on our 3rd day, a total of 36 miles round trip. Woodstock needs to have a marked bike route from the end of Ridgefield Trace into downtown Woodstock as there is a lot of traffic where the trail ends. Some spots on the trail have a lot of bumpy cracks, but overall was OK for what we needed to get from Crystal Lake to Woodstock. Downtown Woodstock is very cute with lots of shops & restaurants with a cute park/square & where Groundhog Day was filmed.
(8/13/2025) - Beautiful day for a ride on the Jane Addams. Trail was in very good condition and it was a smooth ride all the way from Tutty's Crossing in Freeport to the Wisconsin state line (Badger State Trail in WI). Everything was green and lush and the country side scenery was beautiful. The Addams people do a very fine job of maintaining their trail. One of my favorites to ride every year! Highly recommended. Of course, don't forget to stop at Union Dairy afterwards for some delicious ice cream. It's the best.
My buddy and I rode the trail from Big Hill Park to downtown Janesville yesterday. What a great ride. About 60% of the trail is shaded. The blacktop three miles or so from Janesville is heavily cracked and rough but not too bad. The first 9mi it’s a very smooth trail. We’ll be doing this one again.
I ride on the Prarie Path almost all the time and I love it! Goes by many downtown areas and the places you ride by are pretty nice. I would recommend!
This trail was miserable to ride with a hybrid touring bike. It would be completely unusable on a road bike despite what the trail description may say. The gravel is so bumpy and the trail has been barely maintained. Not much of a surprise in hindsight given the fact that I saw zero other cyclists throughout an entire day riding on this trail. I would only ride this trail again with a fat tire. What is nice though is the trail is very remote and quiet.
I’ve been walking and cycling this trail for most of my life and it’s always a wonderful experience, such beautiful scenery along the river. It’s by far my favorite trail in the Chicagoland area.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Scan the QR code to get TrailLink on your phone
Map Search
