Last gap in Des Plaines River Trail closed

The purchase of 4.4 acres approved Tuesday by the Lake County Forest Preserve District board officially will close the last gap in the Des Plaines River Trail. The small but critical piece behind the Par-King Skill Golf course in Lincolnshire is the last open section on the 31-mile trail. The purchase for $50,000 an acre will be an addition to the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area. The district created a vision for the Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway in 1963. "We're going to complete a decades long mission," said longtime Commissioner Carol Calabresa. The transaction is contingent on a closing within 90 days, with trail construction expected in the spring.