Explore the best rated trails in Lincoln, IL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Lincoln Prairie Trail and Leland Grove Trail . With more than 20 trails covering 166 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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.
Started at Chatham after I found end of trail. There are a few bumps especially around Chatham. There are a few areas that have been patched and are smooth. The trail is closed for now when you go under road near Scheels for construction. The bike manager at Scheels told me the trail was open farther on. Will come back and finish it another time.
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.
Love this trail. We frequently drive over from Springfield to ride this trail. The hills and curves through the woods and along side the creek make it so much more interesting than a flat, rail trail. And hooking up in Fairview Park gives you several options for more riding and having a picnic lunch. And all of the trails beginning in Fairview Park are interesting and still in pretty good shape.
We started downtown Peoria and parked at the big lot at the park on Eaton Street. This parking lot has plenty of spaces and seemed to be safe. We do not live around here so all of this was new to us.
The trail was a tiny bit hard to follow in the beginning when we had to cross public streets and there was a good amount of traffic. If you want to avoid the public streets and traffic (especially if you are riding with children) then park closer to the zoo and go riding from that area. The trail does cross over many farm roads but these roads did not have a single moving vehicle on them when we were riding. There are stop signs and it is very safe to cross over these narrow two lane country roads.
We rode all the way to Princeville and then back.....I have to admit we RAN OUT OF BATTERIES on our ebikes. It was really hard to make it back the final 5 miles but we made it!
The trail is a mix of newer asphalt, ground limestone and crushed stone. There are a few spots that are pretty bumpy from tree roots pushing up the asphalt. You do have to pay attention to these areas because they are pretty bad. There were also a few spots where there was crushed stone that had some deep indentations from previous rain storms would be my guess. Your tires could kinda get stuck so just pay attention.
The trail is about 95% flat and very shady. There were spots that definitely had more people that were walking and riding and those areas where near the homes that back up to the trail in some areas. This trail seems to be very clean and safe for people of all ages.
Trail is well marked and maintained . Even though I rode this trail right after a thunder storm, it was still usable. I was impressed with the natural drainage . The tree coverage was beautiful. I hope to return in the fall !
We started the trail in Williamsville since it was so close to the I-55 exit. We parked at Williamsville High School and walked 2 blocks to the path. The town is adorable! The path was fabulous! Well maintained. Flat, no hills. Great asphalt! Part of the path is along farms and a rail road track. I-55 is on the other side of the rail road track. You can see and hear it but it is not bothersome. The other part of the path is wooded with a lake and amid some beautiful big homes. The trail head has ample parking and a clean out house. Path is half shaded and half sun.
Rode this trail yesterday from central Bloomington to where it ends north of Towanda. Trail is in very good condition and easy to ride. I felt safe along the trail - it is far enough away from the old Route 66 Hwy. which was a plus! There are ample stopping/resting points along the way if needed. Now this trail needs to be completed all the way to Lexington and northward from there! ¿
Rose e-bikes from Alta to Wyoming. Ran out of power on way back, but worth the trip and experience.
Amazing path and trees, best foliage from late spring to early fall
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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