About Bicycles Online > Bicycle Touring and Trails > Long Prairie Trail

The Long Prairie Bike Trail
in Northern Illinois

The Long Prairie Bike Trail (Northern Illinois 14.2m). If you are looking for an uncrowded paved trail that is fairly flat and goes through open prairie as well as shady tree tunnels, this might be just what you are looking for.

This article includes first hand descriptions and plenty of photos of the Long Prairie bike trail going from County Line Road (west of Harvard and east of Capron) to the connecting Stone Bridge trail and Roland Olson Forest Preserve (west of Caledonia) (August 2003). I am including some of the very basic standard bike trail information and stats but my intent is to capture the look and feel of the trail primarily from first hand descriptions and photos.

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Bike Trail Information

The Long Prairie Trail in northern Illinois is a flat bike trail through open prairie and trees (tree tunnels) that crosses Boone County and is built on an abandoned rail grade. The Long Prairie trail connects to the Stone Bridge trail on the western end.

Surface: Paved
Length: 14.2 miles

The connecting Stone Bridge Trail is 5.8 miles, is crushed stone and goes to McCurry road in Roscoe.

Directions (from the Northwest Chicago suburbs): Take Route 14 west (northwest) to Route 173 (west (and south) at Harvard) to County Line Road (north) and look out for the sign on the left.

Long Prairie Bike Trail Photos

Here's the photo tour of the Long Prairie Trail, from County Line Road (near Capron) to Roland Olson Forest Preserve. These pictures are from August (2003).

Long Prairie Trail Photos 1 - Starting at County Line Road
Long Prairie Trail Photos 2 - Through Poplar Grove
Long Prairie Trail Photos 3 - Into Roland Olson Forest Preserve

I hope you enjoy this virtual bike tour and hope it inspires you to take the trail(s) in the spring, summer or fall and/or provides a nice memory of your trips in the winter when you may not be able to get out there and enjoy it (as much anyway).