The Mel Anderson Path is a shortish (<3 miles) paved path that runs from Searls Park to Talcott-Page Park. Operated by the Rockford Park District. Mostly tree lined, but the mile or so nearest Talcott-Page park is urban commercial/industrial and the neighborhood is not the greatest. Not awful, but not the greatest. The path runs along Kent Creek from the NW Community Center to Talcott-Page Park. Immediately to the NW of Searls Park are Lockwood and Anna Page Parks. There are 15+ miles of horse trails there.
The Park District claims the path is 3 miles long. We walked it both directions with a couple slight additions and the GPS software called it 5.6 miles. It took us just under 3 hours. I traced it in BaseCamp and it came out to about 2.7 miles each way, which makes me believe the 5.6 mile number.
The Mel Anderson Path stretches from Searls Park to Page-Talcott Park. We started at Searls Park, walked to Page-Talcott and then back. It is not a bad hike. Most of the route is a tree lined path, although the final segment goes thru a somewhat seedy commercial and industrial area before ending at Talcott-Page Park. It passes by NW Community Center where it starts to follow along Kent Creek for the rest of the path, and another park called Bressler Park.
There are some picnic tables and benches in the parks, and several benches along the way, along with parking at both ends (and probably at the community center as well). There are bathrooms at both ends, predictably they were locked. The Rockford Park District seems to have a practice of mostly relying on Port-A-Potties that get collected when it gets cold, and they pretty much close everything up in the winter.
Personally, I would not be parking at the Page-Talcott end or the community center. They are not the worst neighborhoods, but why take chances.
We only ran across maybe half a dozen walkers, 3 dogs, 3 bikes, and two joggers the whole way there and back.
Wilma had a good time playing in and drinking from the creek.
One oddity, at the Searls end there was a mile marker that said 4.5. The last marker I saw said 2-3/8 before the Auburn Street bridge underpass. I have no idea what they refer to given the path is just 3 miles (or maybe a little less) long. I am going to email the park district and ask.
After we got back, we drove thru Searls Park and exited on the east side. There is a dog park there (you have to pay to use it). There were 4 or 5 cars there and I saw a number of people and dogs inside the fenced in area.
I could not find a map of it so made my own from Google.
The sign at the Safford Road entrance to Searls Park.
ETA 6-10-12 I submitted the Mel Anderson Path and a review to TrailLink in Feb 2012.
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