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Illinois Prairie Path

{{Short description|Bicycle trail network in Illinois, US}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox trail

| photo = Mile marker 0 at the Illinois Prairie Path.jpg

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| caption = Zero mile marker on the Illinois Prairie Path in Wheaton, Illinois

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| established = {{start date and age|1963}}

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| length_mi = 61

| location = Kane County, DuPage County, Cook County

| designation = {{plainlist|1=

  • {{jct|state=IL|CR|47|nolink1=yes}}
  • {{jct|state=IL|CR|48|nolink1=yes}}
  • {{jct|state=IL|CR|49|nolink1=yes}}
  • {{jct|state=IL|CR|57|nolink1=yes}}

}}

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| website = {{URL|https://ipp.org/}}

| map = {{maplink-road

|type=line |id=Q119498681 |description=Main Stem |stroke-width=3 |stroke-color=#1B9B6F

|type2=line |id2=Q119499126 |description2=Aurora Branch |stroke-width2=3 |stroke-color2=#CA70E6

|type3=line |id3=Q119499153 |description3=Elgin Branch |stroke-width3=3 |stroke-color3=#FF0000

|type4=line |id4=Q119499135 |description4=Batavia Spur |stroke-width4=3 |stroke-color4=#1F449C

|type5=line |id5=Q119499147 |description5=Geneva Spur |stroke-width5=3 |stroke-color5=#7CA1CC

}}

| map_caption =

{{legend-line|#1B9B6F solid 3px|Main Stem}}

{{legend-line|#CA70E6 solid 3px|Aurora Branch}}

{{legend-line|#FF0000 solid 3px|Elgin Branch}}

{{legend-line|#1F449C solid 3px|Batavia Spur}}

{{legend-line|#7CA1CC solid 3px|Geneva Spur}}

}}

The Illinois Prairie Path (often called the Prairie Path and abbreviated IPP) is a network of {{convert|61|mi}} of bicycle trails, mostly in DuPage County, Illinois. Portions of the trail extend west to Kane County and east to Cook County. Most of the trail is categorized as rail-to-trail, meaning that the bicycle path is built atop a converted former railroad right of way. In the case of the Prairie Path, the vast majority of its routing runs on the former right-of-way of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad.

May Theilgaard Watts is credited for a letter written in 1963 that initiated the first project in what became a widespread rail-to-trails program of land use across the United States.{{Cite news |title=Bicentennial Bucket List |last=Rackl |first=Lori |date=June 3, 2018 |work=Chicago Tribune |department=Section 5 |page=1}} In August 2008, the Illinois Prairie Path was inducted into the Rails-to-Trails hall of fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/archives/0808.html |title=Trail of the Month: August 2008|access-date=2013-08-19 |date=2008-08-01 |author=Rails-to-Trails Conservancy}}

Routing

File:Ipp-over-ejande.jpg in Wayne, Illinois]]

The Illinois Prairie Path consists of three distinct branches originating from a point just west of downtown Wheaton ({{coord|41|51|51.0|N|88|6|58.4|W|region:US-IL|display=inline}}). The northwest branch is called the Elgin Branch and runs approximately {{convert|16|mi}} to Elgin, where it intersects with the Fox River Trail {{coord|42|0|49.1|N|88|16|29.2|W|region:US-IL|display=inline}}). This branch is the longest of the three. The southwest branch is called the Aurora Branch and runs approximately {{convert|14|mi}} to RiverEdge Park in Aurora, where it, too, intersects with the Fox River Trail ({{coord|41|46|14.5|N|88|18|28.1|W|region:US-IL|display=inline}}). The eastern branch is known as the Main Stem and runs {{convert|15|mi}} east to Forest Park at the Forest Park CTA station, where it crosses the historic Elmhurst Great Western Prairie {{coord|41|52|27.4|N|87|49|0.3|W|region:US-IL|display=inline}}).

All three branches are marked with concrete mile markers stating the name of the branch, and how many miles away from Wheaton the rider is. The frequency and character of these markers varies from county to county.

After the path's conception, spurs were added to the system extending west from the Elgin Branch to Geneva (known as the Geneva Spur) and west from the Aurora Branch to Batavia (known as the Batavia Spur). These spur branches are 6 and 5 miles (10 and 9 km) long respectively, and are also marked with mile markers.

The Prairie Path is part of a larger regional network of trails in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Elgin Branch and Main Stem are part of the {{convert|575|mi|adj=on}} long Grand Illinois Trail in north-central Illinois. On a more local level, the Prairie Path intersects with Kane County's Fox River Trail four times, and the Great Western Trail—a parallel connector between the Main Stem at Lombard and the Elgin Branch. Future connections are planned to the West Branch DuPage River Trail, the East Branch DuPage River Trail, and the Salt Creek Trail.{{cite web |url=http://www.dupageco.org/emplibrary/trailplanfinal2003.pdf |title=Proposed Improvement Plan for the Existing DuPage County Trail System |author=DuPage County Department of Economic Development and Transportation Planning, Tylin International, Bascor |date=July 2003 |access-date=2005-12-28 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830192505/http://www.dupageco.org/emplibrary/trailplanfinal2003.pdf |archive-date=2005-08-30 }}

The DuPage County Department of Transportation maintains internal designations for the Illinois Prairie Path as a part of the county's highway system. County Highway 47 refers to the Main Stem and the Aurora Branch. County Highway 48 refers to the Elgin Branch. County Highway 49 refers to the Batavia Spur, while County Highway 57 refers to the Geneva Spur.{{cite web|url=http://www.dupageco.org/dot/generic.cfm?doc_id=99 |title=Listing of DuPage County Highways |access-date=2006-08-08 |date=2005-03-31 |author=DuPage County |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214002620/https://www.dupageco.org/dot/generic.cfm?doc_id=99 |archive-date=2007-12-14 }}

History

The concept of a regional trail in DuPage County was introduced in 1963 by May Theilgaard Watts, a leading figure at the Morton Arboretum. In a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune, she called for the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Electric Railroad right-of-way to be preserved for future generations instead of being given over to development. After eight years of contentious meetings between Watts and her representatives, and those of the towns of Wheaton and Glen Ellyn (who sought the right-of-way as valuable parking space), U.S. Secretary of the Interior Rogers C.B. Morton designated the Illinois Prairie Path as the second of 27 new National Trails. In the designation, Mrs. Watts was honored "for her outstanding efforts toward establishment of the Illinois Prairie Path." Although the IPP was the first Rail Trail proposed in the US, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin was completed and opened first.

On August 23, 2006, a new pedestrian bridge was lifted into place over the Des Plaines River between Maywood and Forest Park. The bridge and new approaches permit a direct crossing over the Des Plaines River, allowing the main stem of the Prairie Path to terminate further east, at the Forest Park station. The bridge and approaches opened in late October 2006, after lighting and emergency call boxes were installed.{{cite news |publisher=Chicago Tribune |author=Pierce, Victoria |date=2006-08-24 |access-date=2006-08-24 |title=Pedestrian bridge to fun and profit |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-0608240039aug24,1,5970551.story}}

In 2014, North Central College became the home to the Prairie Path's official archives.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/community/chi-ugc-article-north-central-college-becomes-new-home-to-ill-2014-02-17-story.html|title=North Central College becomes new home to Illinois Prairie Path archives|work=Naperville Sun|access-date=2018-09-02|language=en-US}}

References

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External links

{{commons category}}

  • {{official website}}
  • [https://ipp.org/trail-map/ Illinois Prairie Path Trail Map]
  • [https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2008/august/01/the-illinois-prairie-path/ The Illinois Prairie Path: Hall of Fame Trail]
  • [https://www.traillink.com/trail/illinois-prairie-path/ TraiLink.com: Illinois Prairie Path]
  • [https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=41.85575399999997%2C-87.96512600000001&spn=0.206619%2C0.445976&z=12&mid=1QY242wr9nLI94rbw-_7zGom3AbI Illinois Prairie Path – Main Stem map]
  • [https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=41.97684799999996%2C-88.205109&spn=0.508421%2C1.234589&z=10&mid=1VBs7GYedNoi5qh30Mp6BIKIQ6_A Fox River Trail, Illinois Prairie Path & Great Western Trail map]

{{Bicycling in Chicago}}

Category:Bike paths in the Chicago metropolitan area

Category:National Recreation Trails in Illinois

Category:Protected areas of DuPage County, Illinois

Category:Protected areas of Kane County, Illinois

Category:Rail trails in Illinois

Category:Transportation in DuPage County, Illinois

Category:Wheaton, Illinois