http://www.ipp.org/
The Illinois Prairie Path is a multi-use nature trail for non-motorized public use. It spans approximately 61 miles in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties in Northeasten Illinois. A former right-of-way for the old Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric railroad, it was the first U.S. rail-to-trail conversion in the nation in the 1960’s.
Users of the Path enjoy the scenic 61 miles, which includes many Illinois recreated prairie restorations. The Path is surfaced primarily with a crushed limestone surface, which is easy on feet and bike tires alike, and sheds water quickly following rainfall.
There are several variations possible:
3 main branches
The primary route variation recorded here is for the three main branches (Forest Park to Wheaton, Wheaton to Elgin, and Aurora to Wheaton), including drive time between trailheads to avoid repeating any sections, as first proposed by Matthew Gilbert. This is about 43.5 miles.
Forest Park - Aurora
This variation is a point-to-point run from Forest Park to Aurora (or reverse), totaling about 50k, or 31 miles.
3 main branches + 2 spurs
This variation includes all 61 miles of the Path: the 3 main branches plus 2 spurs (Batavia & Geneva, see http://www.ipp.org/ for a clear map), and allows for driving between trailheads to avoid repeating any sections.
IPP-GWT Triangle
This is a 24-mile loop created by the Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail. It was proposed by Peter Hubbard to be a more logistically manageable goal due to its looped nature. Public water fountains (though seasonal) abound on the IPP and eastern part of the GWT, and a barely sub-marathon distance make this an ideal training run or solo marathon challenge for the significant portion of the greater Chicago area population who live within running distance of the loop.
