The late Mrs. Willoughby. The trail is a test for even the ardent and strong rider. If not, do not try it. Join TrailLink (a non-profit) to view more than 40,000 miles of trail maps and more! The new arch culvert under Route 20 was a neat feature that both the boys loved. There is a community garden that popped up and it is located just South of the Pecatonica Prairie Path. Seven bridge structures, including the Sherman Underpass, were constructed in Winnebago and Stephenson counties in 2009-10. Good spots, and not as good spots. It's apparent that at some time in the past, this path was better maintained; in fact, you come across several covered picnic shelters that have been inexplicably abandoned to the weeds and grass. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. There is no place to park at the Meridian Road terminus; do NOT assume (as we did) that it would be OK to park in the big empty field at the SW corner of Meridian owned by the auction company. Plants such as joe pye weed and tussock sedge grow in the 40 acres of wetland at the north end of the preserve. I highly recommend a moutain bike if you intend to ride. A few rural road crossings at 1 mile intervals but not many. I would not recommend this one for any less than mountain bike size tires. ", "This path is not well marked. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7e81fc4c9b912291 Now it's a nice trail. See More. ON Sept. 12, 2013 there was an official opening ceremony for the path. The Pecatonica Prairie Trail is a 29.5 mile mixed terrain path that will eventually connect Rockford to Freeport. It is overgrown to the point now where it is not worth using. has not be graded and graveled. DO NOT attempt to ride this trail with a road bike or hybrid!! I would take kids on it. in the near future. It looks like they've widened it to move heavy equipment through. It's not well kept at all. Part of it was so swampy I had to turn back and find a side road. Patience for a while. At bridge/path transitions they used road gravel that was poorly graded. The county is also rebuilding the bridges west of the fairgrounds which means that part of the trail is closed until the bridge work is done. The surface is going to dictate a mountain bike and it will be a lot more effort than on a paved surface. I'd say it's mostly a 'put your head down and peddle' path. This trail has so much potential. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Biked west from the eastern terminus at Meridian Road, and back. In total I put in about 8 miles on it, loaded up my bike and headed for better riding. If there was more shade I would give it 5 stars. Even without the current challenges for this trail there are much better and well maintained trails in Northern Illinois. The bridges show extreme wear, with approaches that can puncture a tire and broken boards showing through to the muddy water below. With one caveat - the part from the S. Meridian (Rockford) head to the WInnebago County line 1 mile west of Pecatonica is in great shape and very rideable for most people. About a mile out of Pec towards Freeport the trail converts to grass (I turned around there). The stretch of path that is in between comly road and route 20 has high grass and can be a rough ride. I will be returning to this trail to see what is at Farwell Bridge Road and beyond, as well as to complete the ride to Rockford and see what's up on that end. The Pecatonica River and several streams meander along the length of the trail. You definitely don't want to ride it if there's been rain recently. One must pay attention and watch for the mini-sinkholes, as well as the variations in trail surface. Click to reveal Date/Time Date(s) - 12/13/2019 9:30 am. Please visit us on instagram to see more pictures of the farm @grettasgoats and check . Get directions. Take it or leave it. I don't think it would be fun with a full blown mountain bike let alone anything else. Colman Dells Nature Preserve This was two years ago and maybe it is better maintained now. 116.118.49.206 Each is a natural treasure. Your donation will help us to continue connecting more people to trails around the country. As I rode west from Pecatonica, the trail used to basically stop then turn weedy at the county line. The Winnebago County Fairgrounds are on the west side of town, adjacent to Sumner Park, a common meeting and excursion point for adventures on the "Pecatonica Prairie/Bike Path". I parked in western Rockford and picked this trail up at it's far eastern point. The bridge just west of Winnebago is still out, so you need to take a detour on the roads around it. Get a FREE Rail Trails Guidebook when you become a Member with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. No parties allowed or large gatherings. The eastern portion spent much of this summer being used by the electric utility, so it was technically closed. I attempted to get on the Pecatonica Prarie Path at the designated start off Rt 75/Strutco Rd. A better way is to continue about two miles west on McNair and follow the road around a curve. Yesterday me and my son rode from Winnebago to beyond Pecatonica with the expectation the trail was done. However, a bridge is out that prevents you from going more than 3/4 of a mile. I even just bought a new seat prior to going and now my tailbone hurts so bad I can barely walk or sit. Eventually, the trail will continue into Rockford, il. (22-001) RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE PECATONICA PRAIRIE TRAIL COMMISSION BUDGET FOR FY 2023, 2024 & 2025 (Draft - Final Vote at June 17, 2022 Meeting) 7. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. This route has since been reclaimed as a nature trail known as the Prairie Path, and with the exception of small portions of private property near Winnebago (there are roads to avoid this . Places and buildings of Pecatonica Prairie Path on the live satellite map - restaurants, bars, cafes and coffee houses, hotels, banks, gas stations, parking lots, cinemas, groceries, post offices, markets, shops, hospitals, pharmacies, taxi, bus stations, landmarks and more. Pec Prairie Path. Along the trail there isn't much in the way of scenery. However, we are still waiting on a mower. Hint: bring enough water with you! Read, borrow, and discover more than 3M books for free. Cook County Fields on both sides and flat. There are still some things about the trail that may be a problem for some bikers. I like the improvements that have been happening. But passable. Awesome views, easy acess for many different ride lengths. I was a little surprised that there were no water or mud issues except for the less developed stretch west of Pecatonica. And the west end stops nowhere, but should be done to at least Farwell Rd. Well-maintained, good crushed rock base, pretty easy riding for our bikes with hybrid tires. They have long weathered and disappeared. Silver Creek Woods Preserve 6. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Plants such as joe pye weed and tussock . Winnebago is the only town you pass through between Rockford and Pecatonica, so I recommend taking water. Little, crazy children : a true crime tragedy. About a mile in, the growth became so thick it stopped my bike by dragging on the panniers. I've used this trail for years. I'm just saying : a guide to maintaining civil discourse in an increasingly divided world. I have heard some story that the Rockford Park District is planning some kind of paved trail that will head east from the Meridian Road trail head, but I don't know much about it. The work being done will make this an excellent trail for off road cyclists. Free or royalty-free photos and images. The bridge was fine, but the path quickly shrank into a barely passable single track. Completely overgrown Pecatonica Prairie Path. The path through Pec is all asphalt, which is wonderful! Native prairies are rare in Illinois. Spam? The trail follows the old right-of-way of the Chicago and North Western Railway, now owned by Commonwealth Edison and used for electricity transmission. Recently, I rode the first half of the Pecatonica Prairie Path from Rockford to Pecatonica. I saw one crater at least a foot in diameter and a foot deep. It is far too dangerous and difficult for casual riders or children unless you are hiking. My 6.5 yo loved the bumps and called them the bull riding bridges. There is evidence of new bridgework in progress on both ends of the trail. My family and I just road this trail on Good Friday; we went from the village of Winnebago to the bridge just past Hoisington Road. The PPP follows a power line easement. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Good potential for the near future. Pecatonica Public Library 400 W. 11th Street Pecatonica, IL 61063. It is paved only in short sections - in the towns/villages of Winnebago and Pecatonica, as well as in the vicinity of Highway 20, where it appears that a very large paved parking lot has been recently constructed on the north side of the road. My bike was trashed by all the mud and my legs got all cut up from the tall weeds. NOT OKAY! The trail did have signs for it the late 1970s. As stated previously, "This trail is what it is". It's not developed at all and really isn't ready for any civilized biking. It would be great for a runner but there are a lot of safety issues for bikers. Lost a couple miles on my tracking program. This trail is the poster child for what neglect does to a trail. This trail is terrible from the rain the area has had this summer. But, I got in 26 miles R/T on the part mentioned and on a perfect autumn day like today, it could not have been any better. On the section I rode, all bridges are in place and planked, albeit the planking is quite old and weathered. The preserve includes an eight-acre gem of original native prairie at the south end with species that include pasque flower, pale purple coneflower, rosinweed, porcupine grass and prairie dropseed. The first mile or so, starting from the east, headed west, is really rough. My friend and I had quite the challenge riding on the path after Pec because it soon after turns to grass. Become a member and wear your FREE T-Shirt with pride. We were going to continue on down the path but, the grass was knee high, which is far to tall to pull a trailer in and for a 7 year old to try and trudge through. My 6.5 yo was really tuckered out at the end, but had fun. In rural areas the trail travels through farmland, woods, remnant prairies, wetlands and scenic meadows. There are many nice country views of farms and fields. As the miles pass, the path becomes overgrown with weeds, brambles, and long grass. Length: 14.3 miles Trail end points: S Meridian Rd, north of Cunningham Rd (Rockford) and Stephenson-Winnebago County Line, east of N Farwell Bridge Rd (west of Pecatonica) Trail surfaces: Asphalt, Crushed Stone Trail category: Rail-Trail ID: 6015786 Activities: Bike Walking Cross Country Skiing Go Unlimited Export to Trail Guide Create Guidebook Yes, the trail is almost 30 years old. The nails no longer keep the planking down as you go over it, but it does not move laterally. And leave the road bike at home unless you're a brave soul. This bike trail may not be the most scenic, and may not be a 'real' Rail-Trail, as it seems to parallel the old rail line rather than use it, but it's still better than riding the streets in town for this guy. I tried to start at Il 75, but the trail is impassible at that site. During the first couple of miles, the track is deeply rutted, scattered with large rocks, and sometimes vanishes into muddy weeds. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Caution in crossing a couple of degraded bridges that have eroded entrances, one now says it is closed. As it leaves the fairground area, it transitions to hard packed gravel. It is very rough and slow going. The sun is beastly. For now, with the heavy rains, flooding, and overgrown conditions, this would be a job for a lightly loaded mountain bike and determined rider.
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