2011-9-17 ROCK RIVER RECREATION PATH

Wilma and I went walking on the bike path along the river. Normally I prefer the woods, but I have never walked this section of the bike path, so I figured we would give it a shot. The section of the path between Sportscore and Riverside is almost like being in the woods. It is tree lined and in the shade. Fairly quiet. Not a ton of traffic on it, although we were passed by maybe half a dozen bikes on our way back north.

We started at a parking lot just south of Elmwood. The little short stub you can see on the GPS plot is where we started. We went south and then took a detour off the main path, came back and followed the main path down to Riverside and then back. We walked up the road a bit past the parking lot to meet Fran as she was coming back to get us.

GPS said less then 3.5 miles. It seems about right given the time involved and it being a paved trail.

6-4-12 ETA: This was moved here and edited somewhat as part of a reorganization of some other pages.

It is not really a single path so much as a series of discontinuous sections, joined by streets. It starts at Davis Park downtown on the west side of the river and heads north for a few blocks thru the park, and maybe a block farther outside the park and just stops.

The next segment starts at the Whitman Street bridge about 3/4 of a mile to the north. There is a bike way across the river and on the east side of the river the bike path heads north thru Sinnissippi River Front Park, past Spring Creek Road and stops at Illinois Street Park.

It picks up again at Shorewood Park and stops at the north edge of the park.

There is a break until you get to Martin Park in Loves Park. It winds thru Martin Park and back across the river at Riverside Blvd. There is a bike/pedestrian bridge there but you have to go a block or two to the west to a stop light to get across Riverside Blvd, and then come back for the next chunk.

The last chunk is continuous from Riverside Blvd all the way past Sportscore One to Harlem Road (or maybe it is now Frank Bauer Pkwy) on the west side of the river.

The Forest Preserve District HQ trails connect directly to it at Harlem Road via a path that goes under the bridge there.  At Harlem Road it also connects to the Bauer Path that goes into Machesney Park.

The nicest sections are the Sinnissippi River Front Park section and the part north of Riverside Blvd up to Sportscore One.

ETA 6-3-12 We hiked the segments from Martin Park to the Whitman St Bridge and back 6/2/12. The post there includes lengthy commentary.

ETA 6-10-12 See Dec 2011 review at TrailLink.