(click on any photo to enlarge)
Although the Fox River Trail (FRT) continues north from here into Algonquin, this is technically the northern end of the FRT and the start of the McHenry County Prairie Trail (MPT) (as you head north).
You can actually continue on the MPT north all the way to the Wisconsin border (which I have done quite a few times on various rides).
Once again, since this is the official start of the Fox River Trail at the northern end, I had to include a photo of the sign above so you can get an idea about the miles to some of the towns along the trail and how long this trail actually is!
So according to this sign the FRT is 38.4 miles total from Algonquin to Oswego. There are numerous connecting trails including the MPT that continues north from here so you can ride this network of trails for as many miles as you can handle.
The photo above shows where you start to come out of one of the wooded sections just before the new road bridge underpass (in the distance) and the parking lot just past the underpass.
This is the new traffic bridge that the trail now goes under. This has been under construction for quite some time and was also just opened in fall of 2020. As you can see there are still construction barrels here since it was just opened.
The road that you go under is not complete and they may still have some more work to do here so it is possible to have more trail work (or detours) here soon. I hope that what ever needs to be complete will have a minor impact on the trail.
Just after the underpass the trail goes through this wide parking lot. The actual trail is on the left of the parking lot but it is a nice opening and landmark for where you are on the trail.
Just past the parking lot you go back into some fairly wooded parts of the trail again and past another small parking lot before the trail goes past a wide part of the river with some nice views of the river and some benches.
This is a part of the FRT that goes by this wide opening in the Fox River. There are a couple of benches here and it can be a nice place for a break or to take some photos.
This photo is looking back north from the bench location. In the fall, when there was less daylight, I rode this section of the trail late in the day just before sunset. You can actually catch a good sunset view from here if your timing is good.
I am including one of the sunset photos at this location at the start of the next photo page...
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Here's the photo tour of the northern end of The Fox River Trail from Elgin to Algonquin with plenty of first hand riding details. This ride was from Fall of 2020..
FRT North Photos1 - Algonquin and Prairie Trail
FRT North Photos2 - Prairie Trail to Dundee < you are here
FRT North Photos3 - Dundee, Otto Engineering Park
FRT North Photos4 - Thru Downtown Dundee
FRT North Photos5 - I90 Underpass, Pratt's Castle, Elgin
Photos © Copyright Rob Chapman, about-bicycles.com.