Illinois Prairie Path Trail Guide

effort. At this same time, DuPage County DuPage time, same this At effort.

in Illinois to receive this designation. this receive to Illinois in

Prairie Path, Inc. to spearhead the conversion the spearhead to Inc. Path, Prairie

the National Trail System. This is the first trail trail first the is This System. Trail National the

formed a non-profit corporation called The Illinois The called corporation non-profit a formed $760,000.

Trail Rd. in Wayne. Wayne. in Rd. Trail designates the Illinois Prairie Path as part of of part as Path Prairie Illinois the designates

Chicago. In the mid 1960’s, local volunteers local 1960’s, mid the In Chicago. Taylor Street Bridge in Glen Ellyn, at a cost of cost a at Ellyn, Glen in Bridge Street Taylor

Both sides of Army of sides Both P17 Av. North from Enter The US Department of the Interior Interior the of Department US The 1971:

nature trail through the western suburbs of suburbs western the through trail nature DuPage County constructs the 65-foot the constructs County DuPage 2001:

road north of North Av. and west of the path. the of west and Av. North of north road

and Elgin Railway be converted to a recreational a to converted be Railway Elgin and

Along the abandoned frontage abandoned the Along P16 Rds. Geneva through the years. the through

is doae h bnoe hcg,Aurora, Chicago, abandoned the advocated first the Great Western Trail over the I-355 Tollway. I-355 the over Trail Western Great the

Northwest corner of County Farm and Farm County of corner Northwest P15 features and have garnered numerous awards numerous garnered have and features

Distinguished naturalist May Theilgaard Watts Theilgaard May naturalist Distinguished dollars. This double span, 243-foot bridge carries bridge 243-foot span, double This dollars.

Both sides of Jewel Rd. Rd. Jewel of sides Both P14 path. the near are distinguished by outstanding construction outstanding by distinguished are

Western Trail Bridge at a cost of $1.4 million million $1.4 of cost a at Bridge Trail Western

In Wheaton along Lincoln and Western Aves Western and Lincoln along Wheaton In P13 The Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail Western Great and Path Prairie Illinois The

TRAIL HISTORY TRAIL DuPage County constructs the Great the constructs County DuPage 1996:

ELGIN BRANCH ELGIN NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS NOTABLE

$736,000.

Road north of the path. the of north Road

single span bridge over Eola Rd. at a cost of cost a at Rd. Eola over bridge span single

East of Prince Crossing Prince of East P32 Chicago: West

east of the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad crossing. Railroad (UP) Pacific Union the of east (web site) www.IPP.org site) (web DuPage County constructs a 430-foot 430-foot a constructs County DuPage 1995:

north from College Av. on Prospect St., one block one St., Prospect on Av. College from north (630) 752-0120 (630)

Forest Preserve parking lot. parking Preserve Forest

Elmer J. Hoffman Park. Enter Park. Hoffman J. Elmer P12 Wheaton: Wheaton, Illinois 60189 Illinois Wheaton, constructed at a cost of $700,000. $700,000. of cost a at constructed

Kline Creek Farm/Timber Ridge Farm/Timber Creek Kline P29 Winfield:

P.O. Box 1086 Box P.O. IL Rt. 59. This single span 125-foot bridge was bridge 125-foot span single This 59. Rt. IL

Montclair and Duane north of the path. the of north Duane and Montclair The Illinois Prairie Path Prairie Illinois The completes the Illinois Prairie Path Bridge over over Bridge Path Prairie Illinois the completes

path.

Montclair Commuter Lot, 1 block north of north block 1 Lot, Commuter Montclair The Illinois Department of Transportation of Department Illinois The 1994:

West of Main St. south of the of south St. Main of West P28 Ellyn: Glen

Park P27 Park. Danby from path the Enter activities. For further information contact: information further For activities.

The western end of Duane St. Duane of end western The P11 Taylor. to terly newsletter, and sponsors many trail-related many sponsors and newsletter, terly of Merit for this structure. this for Merit of

Water Park. Water

Along Walnut St. from Lowell from St. Walnut Along P10 Ellyn: Glen on path improvement projects, publishes a quar- a publishes projects, improvement path on Construction Prize Bridge Competition Award Award Competition Bridge Prize Construction

Lombard Park DistrictÐMoran Park Lombard P9 Lombard:

The Illinois Prairie Path, Inc. continues to work to continues Inc. Path, Prairie Illinois The County received the American Institute of Steel of Institute American the received County

Along Broadway on both sides of the path. the of sides both on Broadway Along P8 Railroads in West Chicago. In 1991 DuPage 1991 In Chicago. West in Railroads

Hall parking lot. parking Hall

Parking lot west of Westmore Av. Westmore of west lot Parking P7 Lombard: vegetation, and mowing trail shoulders. trail mowing and vegetation, Spur over 10 tracks of the UP and EJ&E and UP the of tracks 10 over Spur

Villa Park Village Park Villa P26 and P6 P5, Park: Villa

onyicuersraigtetal,pruning trails, the resurfacing include County 400-foot-long arch bridge carries the Geneva the carries bridge arch 400-foot-long

Central and Park Blvds. Park and Central Ongoing maintenance activities performed by the by performed activities maintenance Ongoing Knuepfer Bridge at a cost of $1.2 million. This million. $1.2 of cost a at Bridge Knuepfer

GREAT WESTERN TRAIL WESTERN GREAT

West of Ardmore Av. on on Av. Ardmore of West P6 Blvd. Central on DuPage County constructs the Jack T. Jack the constructs County DuPage 1990:

Parking lot west of Villa Av. Av. Villa of west lot Parking P5 Park: Villa easements through the City of West Chicago. West of City the through easements

pleted in 1996, includes on-street and off-street and on-street includes 1996, in pleted . P15 Also, Spur.

the path. the a opee n19.TeGnv pr com- Spur, Geneva The 1991. in completed was south of Main St. between IL 59 and Wilson Av. Wilson and 59 IL between St. Main of south tion of Counties for construction of the Batavia the of construction for Counties of tion

Randolph St. north of north St. Randolph P25 path. the of north Av. Railroad. Construction of the Great Western Trail Western Great the of Construction Railroad. Commuter Lot and free public parking lot parking public free and Lot Commuter P31 Achievement Award from the National Associa- National the from Award Achievement

Seminole P24 Berkley. of west and path the of way of the former Chicago and Great Western Great and Chicago former the of way West Chicago Prairie F.P. F.P. Prairie Chicago West P30 St. National DuPage County receives the County the receives County DuPage 1988:

Prairie Path Lane south Lane Path Prairie P4 path. the of north Rd. 1980’s, the County also acquired the right-of- the acquired also County the 1980’s, Reed-Keppler Park, Reed-Keppler P23 Chicago: West

Parking lot west of Spring of west lot Parking P3 Railroad. CC&P Spurs began the following year. During the mid the During year. following the began Spurs public lands. public

Prairie Path Lane where the path crosses the crosses path the where Lane Path Prairie Path. Construction of the Batavia and Geneva and Batavia the of Construction Path. GENEVA SPUR GENEVA nizing their twenty-five-year stewardship of of stewardship twenty-five-year their nizing

Pioneer Park at the east end of end east the at Park Pioneer P2 St. Vallette maintenance and expansion of the Illinois Prairie Illinois the of expansion and maintenance h ainlTk rd nAeiaAad recog- Award, America in Pride Take national the

between Vallette St. and the path. Enter from Enter path. the and St. Vallette between In 1986, the County assumed responsibility for responsibility assumed County the 1986, In The Illinois Prairie Path, Inc. receives receives Inc. Path, Prairie Illinois The 1988:

Bilter Rd. Bilter P22

Parking lot east of York Rd. York of east lot Parking P1 Elmhurst:

nance and construction. and nance Wheaton.

BATAVIA SPUR BATAVIA

parking is available at the following sites: following the at available is parking made significant contributions to path mainte- path to contributions significant made Front Streets and the UP Railroad tracks in tracks Railroad UP the and Streets Front

weekends (except in Wheaton). Additional free Additional Wheaton). in (except weekends removing debris. Several municipalities also municipalities Several debris. removing construct Volunteer Bridge, spanning Wesley and Wesley spanning Bridge, Volunteer construct

train commuters. Commuter parking is free on on free is parking Commuter commuters. train the right-of-way by planting vegetation and vegetation planting by right-of-way the West side of Eola Rd. Eola of side West P21 lots. to (north) community volunteers and donated materials to materials donated and volunteers community

of it is metered parking or leased parking for for parking leased or parking metered is it of path, construct bridges, erect signs, and enhance and signs, erect bridges, construct path, south of path, go one block and then turn right turn then and block one go path, of south The Illinois Prairie Path, Inc. mobilizes Inc. Path, Prairie Illinois The 1986:

the municipalities along the Main Stem. Most Most Stem. Main the along municipalities the volunteers and DuPage County worked to lay a a lay to worked County DuPage and volunteers library. Turn west from Batavia Rd. one block one Rd. Batavia from west Turn library.

There is public parking near the path in all of of all in path the near parking public is There Over the next 20 years, Illinois Prairie Path Path Prairie Illinois years, 20 next the Over path near Warrenville City Hall and the public the and Hall City Warrenville near path Development.

Large parking lots south of the of south lots parking Large P20 Rd. Winfield of the Department of Housing and Urban and Housing of Department the of

MAIN STEM MAIN nance of a trail. a of nance West side of side West P19 Wheaton. St., Center P18 in Horizons on Display, a bicentennial program bicentennial a Display, on Horizons in

to the corporation for development and mainte- and development for corporation the to projects in the United States selected to participate to selected States United the in projects

PARKING LOCATIONS PARKING acquired the CA&E right-of-way and leased it it leased and right-of-way CA&E the acquired AURORA BRANCH AURORA The Illinois Prairie Path was one of 200 of one was Path Prairie Illinois The 1976:

THE DU PAGE COUNTY TRAIL SYSTEM POINTS OF INTEREST 14 West Chicago Prairie (picnic tables, latrines, and parking lot) Within DuPage County, residents and visitors 1 Wild Meadows Trace Park, Elmhurst enjoy year-round use of a 52-mile recreational (drinking fountain and picnic area) 15 Atten Park, Wheaton (rest rooms) trail system managed by the DuPage County Division of Transportation. Approximately 40 2 Great Western Prairie, Elmhurst Park 16 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (bicycle miles of trails comprise the Illinois Prairie Path, District trail, equestrian trails, picnic tables, which is located in the right-of-way of the former drinking water, latrines, parking lots, and Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin, Railway. Almost 12 3 Villa Park Historical Society Museum Ð concessions) miles long, the Great Western Trail is located within the right-of-way of the former Chicago and room, water, and information) 17 Roy C. Blackwell Forest Preserve (bicycle Great Western Railroad. The trails are surfaced trail, equestrian trails, picnic tables, with limestone screenings and average 10 feet in 4 Churchill Woods Forest Preserve, drinking water, latrines, parking lots, and width. Churchill Prairie (picnic tables, drinking concessions) water, latrines, and parking lots) Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders are 18 Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve (picnic all welcome on the Illinois Prairie Path and the 5 Prairie Path Park, Glen Ellyn (drinking tables, drinking water, latrines, and parking Great Western Trail. County ordinances prohibit fountain) lot) the use of motorized vehicles, alcoholic bever- ages, and controlled substances on the trails. Pet 6 Elmer J. Hoffman Park (Wheaton Park 19 St. Stephen Cemetery (1852-1887) owners are required by local ordinances to keep District Trail and drinking fountain) their animals leashed at all times and to clean up Herrick Lake and Blackwell Forest Preserves after them. 7 DuPage County Historical Museum (free offer concessions that are open daily from admission) Memorial Day through Labor Day, and on Spanning DuPage County, the Illinois Prairie some weekends during spring and fall, weather Path and Great Western Trail link county forest 8 Illinois Prairie Path Volunteer Park permitting. Camping facilities are also available preserves, municipal parks, and recreational (historic CA&E bridge over Union at several county forest preserves. For more trails in Cook and Kane Counties. From the Pacific Railroad, latrine) information contact the DuPage County Forest Cook/DuPage County Line, the Illinois Prairie Preserve District at (630) 933-7200. Path extends 4.5 miles eastward to 1st Avenue 9 Lincoln Marsh (Wheaton Park District in Maywood. At the DuPage/Kane County Line, Trail) branches of the Illinois Prairie Path continue westward to Elgin, Geneva, Batavia, and Aurora, 10 Kline Creek Farm (A 1890’s living history connecting to the Fox River Trail. farm. The Timber Ridge Trail along west side of County Farm Rd. connects the For more information about the Illinois Prairie Illinois Prairie Path to the Great Western Path or the Great Western Trail contact: Trail and to Kline Creek Farm.)

The DuPage County Division of Transportation 11 Pratts Wayne Woods Forest Preserve (630) 682-7318 (equestrian trails, picnic tables, drinking water, latrines, and parking lots) For more information about the Fox River Trail contact: 12 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (restored archeological site) The Kane County Forest Preserve (630) 232-1242 13 Jack T. Knuepfer Bridge at Reed- Keppler Park, West Chicago (swimming pool, concession stand, drinking fountain, picnic tables, pavilions, rest rooms, and parking lot)