Suburban trails a wheel deal for cycling fans
While summer may be the prime time for bike riding, some enthusiasts enjoy area trails no matter the season or the weather. In fact to the delight of cycling fans, the number of bike trails has increased in Chicago and its suburbs, especially in the last 20 years.
A new book entitled: “Where to Bike Chicago: Best Biking in Chicago and Suburbs” by Greg Borzo (Where to Bike BA Press, $24.95) details 72 routes from north to south, east to west and everywhere in between. The book includes at-a-glance descriptions of trails, a little history and background of the communities the trails go through, sights to see along the way, side trips, a ride log and trail map.
What follows are excerpts of four suburban trails included in the book. So grab your helmet, check your tires and start pedalling.
Algonquin Trail & Douglas Forest PreserveAt a glance: Distance 16.6 miles
Terrain: Paved blacktop trail over flat and gently rolling open land.
Traffic: There is a lot of traffic, with several busy parallel and cross streets, near the beginning and end of the ride. There is little or no traffic, however, in the two forest preserves this ride visits.
How to get there: Pace #696 bus goes along Roselle and Algonquin roads to Harper College. By car, exit Highway 53 going west on Euclid Avenue. After two miles, turn left at North Drive to enter Harper College's campus. Park in Parking Lot P.
Food and drink: There's plenty of water available in the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve and even more fast food available along Algonquin Road.
Side trip: Visit the Crabtree Nature Center at 3 Stover Road in Barrington just a few steps north of the turnaround point of this ride. The spacious exhibit building and several miles of self-guided, educational trails will improve your appreciation of the area's wildlife and native plants.
Where to Bike rating: 2
Starting in Palatine, this trail links Harper College, the Algonquin Road Trail, the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve, the Crabtree Forest Preserve and a local park. Thus, it offers a lot of variety and shows how you can make rides longer and more interesting by cobbling together bike trails, parks, local landmarks and forest preserves. In the process, you'll familiarize yourself with new areas and connect many pieces of that puzzle that is Chicago's vast bicycle infrastructure.
Harper College is not the region's most attractive campus but it has pretty spots including a natural area and a small lake. In any event, it has a nice bike trail running along its eastern edge. ... the college's ample visitor's parking provides a good place to start this ride.
The highlight of the ride is the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve, a 1,800-acre tract of former cropland named after Douglas, a former U.S. senator from Illinois, conservationist and preservationist renowned for helping to preserve the Indiana Dunes.
The loop around the edge of this preserve that many bicyclists go around and around, is large and enjoyable, with only a few road crossings. Wooded areas surround born-again wetlands. Scattered about are remnants of the area's old farming days including fence posts and barbed wire, overgrown vegetation and even some old farm equipment.
The preserve is a bird haven, in part because the forest preserve district can raise and lower water levels as needed to mimic the optimal conditions to grow native plants and attract birds.
To the northwest, the 1,000-acre Crabtree Forest Preserve is even more popular with birders. More than 263 bird species have been observed here, and at least 89 species have been recorded to breed on the property. You will access this preserve via a short ride on paved bike paths along busy streets about midway through your loop around the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve. Alas, the bike trail ends only 1.1 miles into the Crabtree Forest Preserve but it will give you a another sample of the area's natural beauty.
Deer Grove Palatine Trails
At a glance: distance: 15 miles
Terrain: Paved paths with gentle curves and easy hills. Enjoy secluded sections and open spaces; sun and shade; bucolic areas and suburban scenes.
Traffic: There's only one road crossing in the preserve. The Palatine Trail, however, crosses a few busy roads and several quiet residential streets.
How to get there: Take Metra's Union Pacific Northwestern Line to Palatine and bike north on Smith Road to Dundee Road. Turn right; after 400 feet turn left on Pepper Tree Drive going into the preserve. The Pace #699 bus will get you to Dundee and Hicks roads, half a mile east of the entrance. By car, enter the preserve from Dundee Road going north on Pepper Tree Drive, half a mile west of Hicks Road and two miles east of Route 14 (Northwest Highway).
Food and drink: Plenty of water along the way, but no convenient restaurants or stores. Best to pack a lunch to enjoy at one of many picnic spots.
Side trip: At about 5.4 miles on the way out or 10.7 miles on the way back, go south through Ashwood Park and pick up the Palatine Trail heading south along Benton Street. This would add up to 10 miles along well-marked residential streets to your ride.
Where to Bike Rating: 2
This ride in Palatine links a relatively small forest preserve multiuse trail with an extensive suburban bike trail system. It's a wonderful example of how connecting trails allow you to vary your route and enjoy multiple areas and diverse settings #8212; all in one ride. Such variety keeps a ride interesting.
The 1,800-acre Deer Grove Forest Preserve is aptly named because you're likely to see deer, especially early and late in the day, as well as many other wildlife including elks, hummingbirds and water striders. It offers a mixture of rolling upland forests, ravines and open meadows, with wetlands and streams that feed two small lakes.
The main loop, the Red Trail, has several lateral cracks in the pavement, which will make the ride a little bumpy on a road bike. Quentin Road divides the preserve into two sections (east and west). The Black Trail into the western section is smoother and more wooded than the Red Trail. ... After an initial visit to get acquainted with the preserve, come back and explore the extensive network of almost 10 miles of mountain bike trails, some of which are pretty rugged. Be sure to stay on designated bike trails, however, since the preserve has suffered a great deal of damage and erosion due to mountain biking in unauthorized areas.
The Palatine Trail is more linear, developed and suburban than the forest preserve trail, and it runs along utility lines much of the way. Nevertheless, it's quite pleasant and scenic, passing parks and schools, beautiful homes and wooded areas. The trail connects with other trails, including the Arlington Heights Bikeway.
The Palatine Trail crosses several residential streets and a few busy roads. At Hicks Road, it features a safe and convenient underpass. Wouldn't it be nice if all busy road crossings along Chicagoland's bicycle trails were replaced with such an underpass or a bike bridge!
Fermilab Trail Illinois Prairie Path
At a glance: distance 14 miles
Terrain: Flat path along paved and crushed limestone paths.
Traffic: There is a fair amount of cross traffic, with a couple busy highways to negotiate.
How to get there: The trailhead is not readily accessible by transit, though Pace Bus 676 runs on Batavia Road along portions of this ride. By car, exit Interstate 88 at Route 59 going north. Turn right on Butterfield Road. From the intersection of Butterfield and Batavia roads go east one block to Manning Avenue, take the first right onto Warren Avenue and the first right, again, onto Stafford Place. Park on the left.
Food and drink: Fermilab's main cafeteria on the first floor of Wilson Hall is open to the public.
Side trip: At the very least, visit Wilson Hall at Fermilab. In addition, consider a tour of Fermilab's buildings and grounds. For information about virtual and real tours (scheduled and private), visit fnal.gov.
Where to Bike Rating: 3
At three miles one way, the Fermilab Trail in Batavia is so short that it is often overlooked. This ride extends that trail by starting in Warrenville and incorporating parts of the vast Illinois Prairie Path, making the ride more varied and more interesting. This description focuses on the Fermilab Trail, leaving the IPP for another description.
Although short and sweet, the Fermilab Trail is full of art and science, history and beauty. Along the way, savor both natural and man-made wonders, from woods and buffalo to impressive architecture and beautiful sculptures. ... This 6,800-acre site contains wetlands, woodlands and 1,100 acres of reconstructed tall-grass prairie #8212; one of Illinois' largest such projects. Learn about this by walking the interpretive trails, which have bike racks at their trailheads.
The ride gives a good introduction to the Illinois Prairie Path, one of Chicagoland's largest and most extensive bike trail systems. It starts along IPP's Aurora Branch, one of the three branches that radiate out from Wheaton. Soon thereafter the ride turns off onto IPP's Batavia Spur.
Greene Valley Forest Preserve
At a glance:distance 20 miles
Terrain: Crushed limestone path over flat terrain with a couple of gentle inclines.
Traffic: Half a dozen road crossings within the forest preserve, and more than a dozen additional road crossings if you take the 10-mile extension at 7.3 miles to the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve.
How to get there: The preserve is not convenient to transit. By car, exit Interstate 88 at Route 53 going south. Turn west on Hobson Road and then south on Greene Road. The entrance is about 1,000 feet on the left.
Food and drink: Only water in the preserve, but plenty of fast-food restaurants along the ride to Waterfall Glen from 7.3 miles to 17.3 miles.
Side trip: Check out the scenic overview from Greene Valley Hill in the preserve, although the hill is open only 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends May through October.
Where to Bike rating: 3
This trail begins in Woodridge and goes through the 1,414-acre Greene Valley Forest Preserve with an optional extension along suburban streets. Biking through this serene forest preserve is so pleasant that it will inspire you to visit all of Chicagoland's many other preserves. Here you'll find woodlands, prairies, wetlands and a winding stream. You'll also see the second highest point in DuPage County and an old farmhouse. This trail is not as busy as many other forest preserve trails, so don't miss out.
In 1835, William Greene settled down in what is now part of the Greene Valley Forest Preserve. His home, the 1841 Oak Cottage, still stands on the northwest corner of the preserve and makes a good starting point for this ride.
With more than 540 native plant species, this preserve is one of the most botanically diverse places in DuPage County. The ride goes through stands of oak, shrubby savannas, marshes and open grasslands. A number of times it crosses Anderson Creek, which flows into the East Branch of the DuPage River.
Most of the ride is exposed to the sun, but there are many refreshing albeit short interludes of shade. Picnic areas abound, as do intersections with dirt and mowed-grass mountain bike trails. Note, however, that this preserve does not have trail signs at intersections to keep you on the right path.
Early into the ride, there's a huge dog park on the left. It's over half a mile long and usually full of happily frolicking dogs. (Alas, your dog must have a permit to play.)
A little farther into the ride, a big hill looms. This former landfill was closed in 1996 and is now planted with native grasses and shrubs intended to attract some of the 370 native animals that call the area home. At 980 feet, the hill is the second highest point in the county. A scenic overlook at the top affords views of the DuPage River Valley and even Chicago in the distance. Nevertheless, this ride does not include the overlook because the hill is open only 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends from May through October.
At the eastern end of the Greene Valley Forest Preserve you can turn around or continue on suburban bike paths five miles to the Water Fall Glen Forest Preserve. Although this extension through Woodridge and Lemont parallels major roads, it demonstrates how safe and pleasant suburban bike paths can be.
#8226; Reprinted with permission of #8220;Where to Bike Chicago: Best Biking in City and Suburbs.#8221;