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Park at the lot under Pekin bridge at the trail's west end, at Broadway and 14th Street, at the park at Coal Car Dr. and Red Bud Memorial Dr. or at Coal Miners' Park off Parkway Dr.
Enjoyable trail, paved, bumpy in some spots and crosses quite a few streets. Have to closely watch the trail signs because of some road construction. Flat, not too steep hills and curvy, just what you like in a trail. Riding through Coal Miners park was quite a treat with open spaces and tree canopy covering other areas. Kudos to this small community trail!
Once you leave Mineral Springs Park, the trail is not marked. I had to ride along Broadway for a few blocks before finding it again. Then I lost it again down by where the old West Campus used to be. Once you get west of Eighth Street, you have to stop every block to watch for cars before crossing the street.
The trail is really better for walkers than for riders.
This trail was a real letdown! It is REALLY difficult for a first-time visitor to navigate! Route signage is nonexistent in the two large parks on the eastern end, and there are several junctions of long spurs. Unless you've been there before and explored them all, you have no way to know which way to go! You can meander around for a long time trying to figure it out by yourself. Or ask someone who knows; but even then their directions can be so complicated, they're of little help. In its midsection, the trail runs on sidewalks and crosses a busy intersection lacking a good crosswalk and signal system. Then the western section of the trail has blind neighborhood street crossings, block after block after block. Not bad if you're walking, I guess; but a real pain if you're on a bike. The trail's only bright spot for us was the nice riverfront park.
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