Long Prairie Trail Scouting Report 5-12-12

Wilma and I were coming back from Rush Creek along route 173, so I decided it would be a good chance to do a little scouting on the Long Prairie Trail. Wilma and I have hiked the far western section between Caledonia Road and Roland Olson Forest Preserve previously. It is a 14 mile long trail so doing it all in one chunk would be close to 30 miles round trip, so it is doubtful we would do that. But, we could do it in more manageable chunks. It is getting kind of warm for Wilma now, so probably we won't get to it until fall.

I just wanted to take a look. We come this way pretty regularly as Fran's relatives live to the east.

Capron - looking NE where the trail crosses East Street.

Capron - looking SW where the trail crosses East Street.

Capron - looking SW where the trail crosses Route 173. Note picnic shelter along trail. I don't know if you can park next to the shelter there or not. Being in town though, there is probably a lot of on street parking.

Caledonia - the trail head here has a nice map. It is located about 1/2 a block south of where the trail crosses route 173. The map does not show Brown Conservation Park which is at Caledonia Road. There is a relatively new trail head located there with bathrooms, parking, a well, and a picnic shelter.

This is the trail head viewed from the SW. The sign next to the picnic table has the map on it. No bathrooms here.

I did not investigate the trail heads in Poplar Grove or at County Line Road. Maybe some other time.