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Prairie Path-Fox River Trail Triangle Details
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trip viewed 23 times
Story: It was an unusually warm Sunday morning in November. Starting at the windmill in Batavia at the Fabyan Forest Preserve, I followed the Fox River Trail south through Batavia before turning onto the Batavia Spur of the Illinois Prairie Path. The spur between IL25 and Raddant Rd is one of the most thoroughly uninteresting sections of trail in the area. At least I was riding instead of hiking this time. Farther east you at least have backyards and Fermilab to look at. Despite fast traffic at IL56, the crossing is pretty easy because the road is only two lanes wide. Just north of I-88 the Prairie Path utilizes a detour. The detour is actually a well-made trail of crushed stone leading northeast back to the curve in Bilter Rd. You then ride on Bilter Rd itself in a lane that is closed to traffic until you reach Eola Rd. The detour then follows the trial running alongside Eola until you rejoin the Prairie Path at the natural gas facility. I rode east and chose to head southwest into Aurora on the Aurora Branch of the Prairie Path. The first leg of the triangle was done.
The trails I used during today's trip were smooth. Some parts were asphalt, some were crushed stone. The west branch of the Fox River Trail was actually newly paved and glass smooth in places. But back to the Aurora Branch. The part between Church Rd and Indian Trail Rd looks like it would have been picturesque if I had been there two weeks ago when the leaves were still on the trees. The crossing at Indian Trail Rd was probably the most difficult one today. The four-lane road was busy. The trail abruptly ends at Hankes Ave. There was no signage about where to go. I then remembered where I was, and that this was the part of the trail that uses the street for about a block before resuming again on the other side of IL25.
I rode the Prairie Path to Illinois Ave and crossed the river to take up the Fox River Trail for the third leg of the triangle and the return trip to Batavia. Very few road crossings, as you pass underneath Indian Trail Rd, Sullivan Rd, I-88, and IL56. In Batavia I got confused and followed what looked like the trail branching off of Shumway Ave. I rode along the river behind some businesses before going under Wilson St and finding a very narrow staircase. I'm not sure if this is the correct route for the Fox River Trail. A staircase is also used on the other side of the river, but that one was clearly marked as being the trail. I'm not so sure about this staircase on the west side of the river. I found the trail again on Island Ave and followed the signage for the couple of turns in Downtown Batavia before continuing north to return to Fabyan Forest Preserve.
The trails I used during today's trip were smooth. Some parts were asphalt, some were crushed stone. The west branch of the Fox River Trail was actually newly paved and glass smooth in places. But back to the Aurora Branch. The part between Church Rd and Indian Trail Rd looks like it would have been picturesque if I had been there two weeks ago when the leaves were still on the trees. The crossing at Indian Trail Rd was probably the most difficult one today. The four-lane road was busy. The trail abruptly ends at Hankes Ave. There was no signage about where to go. I then remembered where I was, and that this was the part of the trail that uses the street for about a block before resuming again on the other side of IL25.
I rode the Prairie Path to Illinois Ave and crossed the river to take up the Fox River Trail for the third leg of the triangle and the return trip to Batavia. Very few road crossings, as you pass underneath Indian Trail Rd, Sullivan Rd, I-88, and IL56. In Batavia I got confused and followed what looked like the trail branching off of Shumway Ave. I rode along the river behind some businesses before going under Wilson St and finding a very narrow staircase. I'm not sure if this is the correct route for the Fox River Trail. A staircase is also used on the other side of the river, but that one was clearly marked as being the trail. I'm not so sure about this staircase on the west side of the river. I found the trail again on Island Ave and followed the signage for the couple of turns in Downtown Batavia before continuing north to return to Fabyan Forest Preserve.
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