About-Bicycles > Bike Trails > I&M Canal Bike Trail

I&M Canal Trail Photos
West of Stratton State Park

Photo Page 4
(From Channahon to Marseilles)

Steel and wooden bike trail bridge

As we continued our I&M Canal Trail ride west after our break at WG Stratton Park near Morris we came upon another bridge crossing the canal just west of town. This one actually looks like an old railroad bridge with the steel sides and top.

Bike trail bridge by canal

The photo above is one of the more modest wooden bridges that you cross on the I&M Canal trail. Although these photos are from a very old early digital camera, it was a bright sunny day when I took these and I still like the bright washed out look of the crushed stone trail in many of these photos.

I&M bike trail next to the canal

OK, here's the view of the canal trail as it runs right next to the canal once again with the canal on the right and a line of trees on the left.

Helpful sign on I&M canal trail

* Click on this one for a larger and more readable photo of the sign *
Here is a really helpful sign a mile west of Stratton State Park (and Morris). The I&M Canal Trail has these mileage signs at various locations along the trail and, since I am not from the area, I have found them very helpful.

Just to keep you oriented, this sign was on the left hand side of the trail (as we headed west so it was on the south side of the trail). So in my case the arrows pointing to the right in the photo above is where we are going and the arrows pointing to the left is where we have been.

bike rider on canal bike trail

A confused rider... He thinks he's running. OK, it's just my friend Dale being goofy on his hybrid (back when he rode a hybrid). I mention the hybrid since he converted to recumbents some time after this ride (I am updating the content on these pages as I am maintaining them). 

Since this ride, Dale has had two different recumbent bikes. His first bent was a Short Wheel Base (SWB) Bacchetta brand and his second (current) bent was a Long Wheel Base (LWB) Easy Rider. The pedals are above the front wheel on a SWB bent and are behind the front wheel on a LWB. I have ridden both and both are more comfortable than upright bikes (wedgies as the bent riders call them) but I prefer the LWB for the extra stability.

Wooded part of bike trail

Another plush green wooded area as we continue west towards Seneca.

The photo tour of the I&M Canal Trail, from Channahon (going west) to Marseilles (August 2003).

I&M Canal Trail Photos 1 - Starting in Channahon
I&M Canal Trail Photos 2 - Passing McKinley Woods
I&M Canal Trail Photos 3 - Stratton State Park near Morris
I&M Canal Trail Photos 4 - West of Stratton State Park < You are here
I&M Canal Trail Photos 5 - Wetlands and Seneca
I&M Canal Trail Photos 6 - Near Marseilles
I&M Canal Trail Photos 7 - Back to Morris

Here are the fall photos of our trip from Marseilles to Split Rock ~ Just before La Salle, Illinois on 10/15/2012.

I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 8 ~ Marseilles and Ottawa
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 9 ~ Locks 11 and 12
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 10 ~ East of Utica
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 11 ~ Into Utica
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 12 ~ Utica to Split Rock
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 13 ~ Ghost Bridge
I&M Canal Trail Fall Photos 14 ~ Back to Marsielles