Illinois Prairie Path
Free Flyer with Map

The ILLINOIS PRAIRIE PATH (IPP) is a 61-mile hiking, biking, and nature trail in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. The PATH's route runs from Maywood to Wheaton, then branches to Elgin and Aurora (with side spurs to Batavia and Geneva).

Recommended Bicycle Rides

1. Wheaton (Volunteer Park) to Geneva round trip: 23 miles
2. Great Western Trail - IPP Main Stem - Elgin triangle: 25 miles
3. Wheaton (Volunteer Park) to Aurora round trip: 28 miles
4. Wheaton (Volunteer Park) to Batavia round trip: 29 miles
5. Wheaton (Volunteer Park) to Maywood (1st Ave.) round trip: 30 miles
6. Wheaton - Geneva - Batavia - Wheaton triangle: 30 miles
7. Wheaton (Volunteer Park) to Elgin round trip: 32 miles
8. Winfield - Elgin - Geneva - Winfield triangle: 32 miles
9. Wheaton - Batavia - Aurora - Wheaton triangle: 33 miles
10. Wheaton - Geneva - Aurora - Wheaton triangle: 37 miles
11. Wheaton - Elgin - Batavia - Wheaton triangle: 43 miles
12. Wheaton - Elgin - Aurora - Wheaton triangle: 48 miles
13. Fox River Trail (FRT) in Kane County and Prairie Trail South in McHenry County ride; Crystal Lake (Crystal Lake Ave.) to Aurora (New York St.) round trip: 76 miles
14. Start at the PATH's eastern trailhead in Maywood (1st Ave.), to Wheaton, to Elgin, then north on the FRT and the Prairie Trail to the current northern trailhead in Crystal Lake (Crystal Lake Ave.), then back south to the FRT's southern trailhead in Aurora (New York St.), then to Wheaton, and back to Maywood.: 113 miles

The map below shows the 61 miles of the PATH and the PATH's four intersections with the Fox River Trail (FRT): Elgin, Geneva, Batavia and Aurora. However, only the southern 20 miles of the 38-mile FRT and Prairie Trail are shown on this map. This map also shows the 11-mile Great Western Trail.

Trail Enhancements and Development

1. A bridge over Kirk Road was installed in December 1997 on the PATH's Batavia Spur. This 800 foot and $800,000 bridge, built by IDOT, was funded by: an ISTEA grant, Kane County FPD (the principal sponsor of the project), and an Illinois DNR bicycle grant.
2. The IPP's Cook County section will receive $660,000 of improvements by the Illinois DNR in the Summer of 1998.
3. DuPage County hired an engineering firm to design a bridge over Taylor Ave. in Glen Ellyn. The cost of the bridge will be over $500,000. DuPage DOT has applied for an IDOT Operation Greenlight grant and matching-funds are being raised by the Glen Ellyn Prairie Path Task Force.
4. The IPP's board approved in October 1997 up to $3,000 be spent to assist in the funding of an engineering study for the building of a bridge over the Des Palines River in Maywood. The project is being coordinated by the Village of Maywood and the bridge will extend the IPP eastward one mile to the CTA's Congress Line terminal in Forest Park. Funding has been requested from the IDOT Operation Greenlight Grant Program.

(Webmasters hint: The map is actually bigger than it appears here. Save it and use an external graphic viewer. Use this link if you need it in *.bmp format.)

Become a member of the Prairie Path

The Illinois Prairie Path Corporation is a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation which is financially funded solely by its 1,800 members. There are several reasons why you should also become a member:

1. You will receive the quarterly Illinois Prairie Path Newsletter. The newsletter contains articles and pictures on a wide range of trail-related topics including information on bike rides, hikes, bird walks, work days, etc.
2. You will also receive the large multi-colored PATH trail-map.
3. In addition, your tax-deductible contribution will be used by the PATH's all volunteer board of directors to:
   • Preserve, restore and re-establish prairies along the trail. In 1997 the IPP spent $4,600 for prairie work and will spend $3,600 in 1998.
   • Install display cases (which contain trail-maps and other trail information), mile markers and benches. Five new cases costing $3,700 were purchased in the Fall of 1997 to refurbish the IPP's cases. A $5,000 mile marker project was completed in DuPage County in 1997.
   • Provide this free trail-map to PATH users. Over 130,000 of these free maps have been distributed to trail users since 1994. In 1997 the cost of providing these maps was $1,900.
   • In April 1998 the IPP awarded $1,550 to Allied Archaeology to restore the Indian burial grounds in the Winfield Mounds Froest Preserve. Permits will be obtained from the DuPage County FPD and the State of Illinois.
   • Place and maintain trash barrels and comfort stations along the trail. Over $4,700 was spent on these two services in 1997.
   • In March 1998 the IPP board approved $10,000 be awarded to the Glen Ellyn Prairie Path Task Force for the Taylor Ave. bridge.
   • In October 1997 the IPP's board approved up to $3,000 to assist in the funding of a study for a bridge over the Des Plaines River in Maywood.
   • Coordinate cleanups including the PATH's annual Earth Day cleanup.
   • $1,000 donations were made to the Conservation Foundation of DuPage County Trails Project in 1997 and also in 1998.
   • Work with municipalities, counties and the State of Illinois to promote trail awareness and improvements.

To become a member mail the following application, and your check made payable to ILLINOIS PRAIRIE PATH, to the following address:

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Prairie Path Membership Application

__ Individual - $20                 __ Patron - $100
__ Family - $20                     __ Donor - $250
__ Supporting/Organization - $30    __ Lifetime - $500
__ Sustaining - $50                 __ PATH Society - $1,000


Name: __________________________________________________

Street Address: ________________________________________

City/state: ____________________________________________

Zip: _______________-_________

Phone: (______)______________________

Recruited via Internet.

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Please remember that litter along the 61-mile IPP is picked-up solely by volunteers. Your help is both needed and appreciated.