Bauer Path Machesney Park 12-25-11

ETA 1-4-12 Moved this paragraph here from my path and trail page.
This 2 mile long path runs from Harlem Road at the Rock River where it connects to the Rock River Recreation Trail and goes east along Harlem Road to Victory Lane. It goes along Victory Lane as marked bike lanes on the street north to Machesney Road (Roosevelt Road) where it changes back to a paved bike path going east to Harlem Community Center. There is some kind of plan to connect it to the Willow Creek Bike Path eventually. It is best used as a connector between Machesney Park and the Rock River Recreation Trail. Wilma and I have walked the part between route 251 (N. Second St.) and HCC many times, as part of our daily walk. We have also walked the segment from route 251 to Victory Lane that goes along the south side of Machesney Park Mall several times.

This was sort of an experiment to see if I could create a track in the format used by Traillink (that I never did anything with). Wilma and I walked over to where the Bauer path starts not far from where we live and walked it to the other end. This is the route we followed along the path, going east and north to west and south. Base Camp says it is 2.0 miles long.

We have been on the part along Roosevelt Road many times, and the part along Machesney Road several times, but none of the rest, so it was something new for us.

Bauer path is named for Frank G. Bauer, a politician who helped create the village. They also named the village hall for him, and Harlem Road west of the bridge is called Frank G. Bauer Parkway. I guess no one else in the village has ever done anything meritorious enough to have anything named for them.

The path starts here at Harlem Community Center at 900 Roosevelt Road. It is a 10 foot wide concrete path with about a 2 feet concrete paver border between it and the curb. The street has a parking lane along the curb that is done in red pavers.

The community center parking lot might be a place you could park. They might even let you use the bathrooms inside, but it has irregular hours.

The path continues west along Roosevelt Road past the Harlem School District bus barn and the administration building next door (more parking there possibly) and then crosses N. Second Street (route 251), where the street changes names to Machesney Road. A Burger King is right on the corner. A good place for grub and bathrooms if needed.

Continuing west it goes past Machesney park Mall, and the village hall, which doubles as the police station. This crosswalk appears to go no where at first but a careful look will show there is a fenced area that leads off to the west and south away from the street.

The mall.

Village hall.

Just past village hall the path goes south along Victory Lane where it is bike lanes along the traffic lanes. There is a narrow sidewalk on both sides as well. The bike lane is both signed and marked.

An unusual house on Victory lane.

The path turns west at Harlem Road and goes across the bridge. I would not be surprised if it was also named the Bauer Bridge.

The path goes under the bridge on the east side.

There is a pedestrian/bike lane on the edge of the bridge.

On the west side of the bridge it meets up with the Rock River Recreation Path going south. There is a path under the bridge on the west side that goes up into the Forest Preserve District HQ going north. There are both pit toilets, a well, and parking at the FP HQ area. To the south is Sportscore and there are facilities there as well.

I ran out of light and my cell phone camera just would not take usable pictures, but this is the other end of the path anyway. There were a few things along the way that I tried to take pictures of but it was just too dark.

This is basically a connector trail from Machesney Park to the Rock River Recreation Path, and by itself is not all that interesting. But, it was worth walking at least once, since it is so close to where we live.

ETA 6-9-12 I submitted and reviewed this trail at TrailLink in Dec of 2011.