Grand Illinois Trail
The Grand Illinois Trail (occasionally abbreviated GIT) is a multipurpose recreational trail in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. At over 575 miles (925 km) in length, it is the longest trail in Illinois.
Confirmed as a highest priority for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources over the course of several state-wide Conservation Congresses, the Grand Illinois Trail is within easy reach to over eight million people. Those who complete a trail journal and confirm completion with the IDNR are granted the title of Trailblazer.
The Grand Illinois Trail began life when La Salle County residents Todd Volker, Bill Brown and Blouke Carus began exploring ways to connect the existing Hennepin and Illinois & Michigan Canal state trails. By completing a short 16-mile gap, a major span across the state---from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River---could be completed. This led to IDNR involvement and its decision to extend the trail across a much broader region of Illinois.
As a trail network, the Grand Illinois Trail offers much for riders. Since it routes through the prairie state, it contains flat and easy-to-ride portions through green farmlands and pastoral vistas. But surprisingly, the GIT gives touring cyclists special glimpses into much of the essence of Illinois: the hilly and picturesque geography of Jo Daviess County, Chicago streetscapes and Lake Michigan, the Mighty Mississippi Itself, Small Town America and medium-sized cities and suburbs.
Trail surfaces vary from asphalt trails to low-volume streets to limestone screened trails. Each trail section has its own special history and history of development: particularly noteworthy is the famous Prairie Path through the western suburbs of Chicago, which was the first long rail-trail development in America, along with the great Chicago Lakefront trail. The best long-section of the GIT is the southern section along the state canal trails, between Joliet and the Quad Cities.
Much credit for the development of the Grand Illinois Trail goes to planners Richard Westfall and George Bellovics, as well as trail advocates such as the League of Illinois Bicyclists and the Openlands Project.
See also
Comparable trails
Subsections of the Grand Illinois Trail
- Chicago Lakefront Path
- Burnham Greenway
- Thorn Creek Trail
- Old Plank Road Trail
- Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail — also see Illinois and Michigan Canal
- Kaskaskia Alliance Trail
- Hennepin Canal Trail — also see Hennepin Canal
- Great River Trail
- Thomson Sand Prairie Trail
- Jane Addams Trail
- Pecatonica Prairie Path
- Rock River Recreation Path
- Bauer Parkway Trail
- Willow Creek Trail
- Long Prairie Trail
- Prairie Trail
- Fox River Trail (Illinois)
- Illinois Prairie Path
- North Shore Channel Trail
References
- Volker, Todd. "The Complete Grand Illinois Trail Guide". Peoria, IL: FirstServePress, 2003.
- Volker, Todd. (2003). "Weekend Explorer: Grand Illinois Trail, Northern Illinois". Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Summer 2003. Retrieved December 29, 2005.
External links
- League of Illinois Bicyclists — Grand Illinois Trail guide
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources page on the Grand Illinois Trail
 | This Cook County, Illinois location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |