Lee County 0 1 2 3 4 5 SEE DETAIL ON OTHER SIDE Flagg Rd. The Purpose of this Plan The Need for Action The Lee County Greenways & The desire and intention of Fran Ogle County miles kli n Trails Plan focuses on two residents to preserve the rural . Cr Greenways d e 10 e R k important issues: character of the county is n 26 o i underscored by the 2000 Lee t The desirability to establish a 38 and N Ashton County Comprehensive Plan. It set forth 52 t Quarry Rd. a vision of resident's wants, in s o the following guidelines: L Lowden Rd. orderto determine what would Daysville Rd. Naylor Rd. benefit the county now, as well as Trails Preserve environmental corridor 39 way Dixon what might be possible 10, 20, or features including waterways, flood igh ic H cen 2 more years into the future. plains, wetlands, woodlands, steep S l Old Mill Rd. Plan a n Franklin slopes, wildlife habitats, and scenic io Stony Point Rd. Maples Rd. The need to develop a strategy Nat 11 Track Rd. 251 Steward vistas through the adoption and Grove detailing the priorities and possible Perry Rd. courses of action to achieve that implementation of environmental protection zoning and subdivision vision. 13 88 ordinance standards. Lincoln Highway N.S.B. Twist Rd. Lincoln Highway 38 Conservation, economic development, and lroad nion Pacific Rai transportation planning at local and state levels is an Ensure that residents of all ages and abilities in U 12 ongoing process. Taken together, the visionary the County have adequate access to a diverse range of park and recreational facilities. Nachusa planning and the strategic planning approaches Hill Rd. 14 defined above are our best assurance of benefiting Promote recreational and cultural opportunities 2 from critical opportunities as they arise. The Lee (for tourists) in the County. County Greenways & Trails Plan has been conceived as Mound Nelson Rd. Provide safe and convenient access for the frontline tool for: pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles between RiverNelson • identifying our natural and recreational resources neighborhoods, park and recreational facilities, Eldena Rd. 52 • defining opportunities and priorities schools, service and employment centers. Rock • recommending courses of action Whitney Rd. Lee Lee Rd. It has been designed to be useful to greenspace, Rock Island Rd. environmental, and recreational organizations, Scarboro Brooklyn Rd. agencies, and jurisdictions from local communities to Eldena county, regional, and state. With the assistance of Pump Factory Rd. this map we can link our resources to planned Green River Willow Creek greenways and trails in neighboring counties. We can expect planning officials to promote and secure funding for local plans and projects that will provide 30 30 better environment, ensure access to recreation for 18 residents and visitors, and help preserve a high Lee Center quality of life throughout our region. Five Mile Branch Green Dekalb County Red Brick Rd. River How will this Plan support these objectives? Industrial . 19 d Area R The Plan envisions systems of greenspace that will Amboy r e preserve critical features of our natural heritage. It Harmon t Sterling Rd. n e Paw Rd. proposes shared-use trails on existing roads as well as Whiteside County 17 C 15 16 Lee extensions of dedicated off-road recreational paths, Howlett Rd. linking communities with one another and with natural and cultural resource sites throughout the Shaw Rd. county. This initiative of citizens and cooperating Van Petten Rd. Chicago Rd. Rd. local agencies takes as its premise the idea that Peru Rd. The restored H. I. Lincoln Building, 24 improvement of open space "infrastructure" and Encourage the Franklin Grove, built with native 22 West Brooklyn Compton recreational access will, over time, provide lasting limestone in 1860, serves as a gift shop Searls development of multi- Harmon Rd. 23 and increasingly important benefits to residents and use trails within the and as national headquarters of the Lincoln Highway Association. visitors alike. The objectives and benefits of County, as well as greenways and trails planning include: connect them to other trails in the region. Paw Paw 21 Providing a framework for coordinated greenway and 20 trail conservation and development. What is a Greenway? Assistance to implementing and funding agencies to A greenway is any linear open space established along Rd. Wing Green allocate resources in support of plan priorities. either a natural corridor such as a stream valley, or 39 overland along a man-made corridor such as a Green River Initiating a forum for discussion and resolution of converted railroad right-of-way, canal, scenic road or Wildlife Area Wood Haven greenway issues among government jurisdictions and Lakes parkway. Like arteries linking vital organs, greenways Indian Head Rd. private sector interests. connect parks, nature preserves, wetlands, streams, Rd. Earlville Providing a basis for coordinating transportation, cultural and historic sites with each other and with Sublette Rd. Sublette Creek recreation, water quality, storm and flood water, populated areas. u 25 rea Bu wildlife, and related programs, which will advance Maytown Rd. Some,though not all,greenways are trails that allow r e conservation of greenways and reduce conflict with v visitors into and through nature. However, any natural i Tampico Rd. R other development activities. n or landscaped course for pedestrian or bicycle passage e re LaSalle County Increasing the understanding and appreciation of Lee is a greenway. G 52 La Maille Rd. County's natural and cultural resources and Greenways may be as wide as a watershed or as narrow 26 encouraging stewardship. as a trail. Some are publicly owned. Some are 26 Center Rd. established on private land by easements, or other Monroe WISCONSIN Pleasant Prarie Easy Rd. Rocky Ford Rd. methods that protect valuable natural areas and JO DAVIESS STEPHENSON WINNEBAGO BOONE MC HENRY LAKE cultural/historic sites, or allow public access along Harvard trails. Some are managed to preserve ecological Galena Rockford Waukegan diversity, while others are purely Peoria Rd. Freeport recreational. Belvidere Crystal Lake continued CARROL OGLE Byron Bureau County DE KALB KANE COOK on back Savanna Oregon Polo Sycamore Rock Elgin River DU PAGE Chicago IOWA Trail WHITESIDE DeKalb Fulton Sterling LEE Dixon Aurora Amboy Lee County Greenways and Trails Plan WILL INDIANA Davenport LASALLE HENRY BUREAU Moline 10 LaSallier/Mack trading post site, early 1800's KENDALL Flood plains Existing Trail GRUNDY In all seasons, the 11 Franklin Creek Grist Mill and Learning Center, 1847 reconstruction ROCK ISLAND Geneseo Princeton Nature Conservancy's 12 Chaplin Creek Historic Village, restored buildings of the 1835-1895 era Roads, etc. Potential Recreational Trail LaSalle-Peru Ottawa Nachusa Grasslands 13 H. I. Lincoln Building, 1860, national headquarters of the Lincoln Highway Association KANKAKEE provides hikers with a 14 Col. Nathan Whitney house and site of Whitney Nursery, 1856 Legend Snowmobile Corridor Secondary Trail (potential) vivid sense of the 15 Illinois Central Rail Road Amboy Depot (museum), 1876 Potential Snowmobile Trail Rail Roads PUTNAM extensive prairie, 16 First Carson Pirie store site, 1855 marsh, and savanna 17 Early settlement of Binghampton; site of Palmer's & Dexter's saw mill, ca. 1840 Public Greenspace River & Streams landscapes of Lee 18 Early settler homes, ca. 1837 County prior to River crossing of early settler/Indian trail; site of Dewey's saw mill and town of Inlet; Inlet cemetery Potential Greenspace Potential Canoe Trail settlement. 19 Flowing from the historic 20 Galena Trail corduroy road toll crossing site, ca. 1830s Private Greenspace Canoe Site Inlet Swamp area of central Lee County, the Green Grand Illinois Trail System Site of Howe's grist mill, ca. 1840 Historic Attractions 21 River Greenway links remnants of bordering groves and 22 Site of Perkins' saw mill, ca. 1840 Recreational Areas Historic Site the Green River Wildlife Area. Pictured is Rocky Ford, a 23 Mormon Cemetery and early settlement site (private and commercial Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site crossing that dates back to old Indian trails. 24 Malugin's Grove settlement and site of inn on historic Chicago-Galena road, 1834 campgrounds, religious, etc.) 25 Sandy Hill Catholic Church and cemetery, 1840/1853 26 Ovid settlement on intersection of historic trails, 1836 Two Types of Trails continued trails do not conform solely to Dedicated Trails are designed and east-west trending greenway and built off-road for the exclusive use Lee County railway corridors; instead they follow of pedestrians, bicyclists, cross- historic precedent by cutting across the grain geographically to link country skiers, skaters, people in HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS OF LEE COUNTY Lowell Park communities, public sites, and scenic wheelchairs, equestrians, or Greenways destinations located in the natural motorized use such as snowmobilers. 1 Sugar Grove Church/School, 1883 corridors. Surface treatment and width may and 2 "Lincoln the Soldier" statue, 1930; vary, depending on the usage of a specific A prominent exception will be the Rock River site of blockhouse built during trail or segment. Permitted usage is Trails Trail. It will follow the greenway on the Rock Black Hawk War, 1832; Old Settlers' established by the organizations and public River in order to provide Lee County with a Memorial Log Cabin (museum), 1894 Joe Stengel Trail Mile Rd. agencies involved in the acquisition, Plan connection to the Grand Illinois Trail. 3 Dixon's ferry site, ca. 1829 development, and maintenance of each 4 Dixon Theatre, 1922 trail. Although more than one type of non- The Top Priorities 5 Nachusa House hotel, 1853 motorized use is allowed on most trails, typically the Prioritizing development is the key to winning broad 6 Old Lee County Courthouse, 1901 use by motorized recreational vehicles is segregated local support for implementation of individual 7 Loveland Community House and by location and/or by season.