Worthy salute to peaceful, precious Path

There's a general feeling, both among city dwellers and those of us who live in the suburbs, that's it's near impossible to get around the suburbs without a car. And in many respects, that rings true.

But it's not the complete story. If you wanted to bike, for example, from Maywood to Wheaton, without worrying about traffic or stop lights, you could do it. Or if you wanted to continue your travels to Elgin and then Geneva or to Aurora and then Batavia, you could do that as well.

The Illinois Prairie Path is a 62-mile limestone gateway to the western suburbs for those on bikes or foot and this year, according to a story by Daily Herald staff writer Jake Griffin, it's getting recognized as one of the best trails in the country.

There's much to be proud of when it comes to the Prairie Path. Whether you are taking a morning jog; logging long miles in training for a marathon; taking a leisurely bike ride with your children; or a serious bike trek, the path offers a beautiful view of nature and a quiet respite from the travails of everyday suburban life.

"It's a great combination of (nature and civilization)," said West Dundee cyclist John Vieceli. "Just the other day I was riding and I had to stop because a fawn was nursing in the middle of the trail. Where else are you going to see that?"

Indeed. That's why it is so important for suburban communities and forest preserves and park districts to make sure that not all available land is gobbled up for development. The Prairie Path history is a lesson for future generations.

As Griffin reported, the path, once a rail line, could have become a series of parking lots or even an expressway. But a movement was afoot, literally, to preserve the land as a walking path. And volunteers, like Dick Wilson, now of Des Plaines, worked hard to clear the path of abandoned cars, appliances and other garbage.

"It's been very rewarding to see how important the Prairie Path has become because trails weren't really a big deal when we got started," Wilson said. "But nowadays it's extremely important in this age of air pollution and congestion and getting people around."

We couldn't agree more. We salute the volunteers who got the path started in the 1960s and the volunteers who still keep the path clean today. And we think the Illinois Prairie Path is as important to the transportation needs of the western suburbs as the North-South Tollway. While the weekends can bring a good number of people out to the path, we hope even more people discover its beauty and its simplicity of use, whether for recreation or to get from one community to another.

The national recognition as a hall-of-fame recipient from the Rails-to-Trail Conservancy is well-deserved and a good reminder that the suburbs have a jewel similar to the lakefront path in the city of Chicago. It's incumbent upon all of us to make sure it continues to be a premier trail that is maintained well and continues to rise in popularity.