Chuck's adventures afoot, afloat, and on fat tires -- featuring information on hundreds of trails for biking, hiking, and paddling, and featuring thousands of photos I took on those trails.
Did you know that Illinois has prickly pear cactus? We didn’t believe it either, so years ago my backpacking/hiking buddy Len and I went to Sand Ridge State Forest which is Illinois' largest state forest at 7280 acres just minutes southwest of Peoria. We asked the ranger where the cactus was and he took us out the front door of the ranger station, brushed aside some taller plants, and there it was!
I increasingly see and enjoy trail art as I've biked 276 trails across the country. The art mostly involves free-standing sculpture or paintings on underpass walls and flood water walls, so I recently began photographing and collecting the art.
These first three were along Grand Junction, Colorado's Riverfront Trail..
The "Blue Heron" section of the trail had these herons in flight...
Idaho's short Paradise Path (2.3 miles) is the link between the Bill Chipmand Palouse Trail and the Latah Trail, both of which are long trails found on opposite sides of the town of Moscow, Idaho. It is named for Paradise Creek which it follows. The trail passes through the western portion of the University of Idaho campus which gives the trail a lot of traffic by staff and students. The trail's eastern section passes through Berman Park (382 Styner Avenue) before it traverses farmland.
The Skunk Creek Trail (in red below) follows the creek of the same name for 8 miles through Peoria and Glendale, passing Peoria Sports Complex, the spring training home of the Padres and Mariners.
Signs along the way help you keep track of your location. An equestrian trail parallels the trail in Glendale.
Many road crossings are protected...
This multi-use trail connects multiple communities and provides cyclists with a short and easy route for riding. The urban pathway travels over fairly flat terrain with very little worry of traffic. The usually dry creek bed offers views of the wildlife that inhabit the area.
The Great Western Trail spans 16.5 miles from just outside of urban Des Moines southward to Martensdale. The trail follows the route of an abandoned line of the Chicago, St. Paul, and Kansas City Railroad constructed in 1899, but it is named after the Chicago Great Western Railway which operated trains over this segment from 1892 until 1668. The Great Western Trail opened in 1992.
You can begin your journey in the southern section of Water Works Park, just north of George Flagg Parkway, where you’ll find parking and restrooms.The route then becomes completely rural, with open fields quickly transitioning to shady woodlands that feel extremely remote—particularly during the work week. Highlights along this stretch include a historic railcar and panoramic views of the North River. The trail finishes at a large trailhead in Martensdale, where restrooms and parking are available.
