Explore the best rated trails in Jacksonville, IL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Benld-Gillespie Bike Trail and Leland Grove Trail . With more than 9 trails covering 40 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Tired of our local trail, we whimsically traveled the 1.5 hours to check out this trail which is the perfect length for us. My husband rides a float wheel and I have an ebike. We found the trail and bridges nicely maintained and there was very little traffic. It’s a beautiful mix of prairie, fields and forest. We can’t wait to come back and see it in the fall. Perfect!
Started at Chatham after I found end of trail. There are a few bumps especially around Chatham. There are a few areas that have been patched and are smooth. The trail is closed for now when you go under road near Scheels for construction. The bike manager at Scheels told me the trail was open farther on. Will come back and finish it another time.
We started the trail in Williamsville since it was so close to the I-55 exit. We parked at Williamsville High School and walked 2 blocks to the path. The town is adorable! The path was fabulous! Well maintained. Flat, no hills. Great asphalt! Part of the path is along farms and a rail road track. I-55 is on the other side of the rail road track. You can see and hear it but it is not bothersome. The other part of the path is wooded with a lake and amid some beautiful big homes. The trail head has ample parking and a clean out house. Path is half shaded and half sun.
Found this to be a beautiful trail for easy riding. Very nice parking lot at Sherman Trailhead. Scenic wooded areas open up to beautiful farmland views along the trail as one gets closer to Williamsville. While in Williamsville can ride a bit further into town and hop on another trail which starts at the high school and meanders along a residential areas to the lake. Can ride around the lake which is beautiful!
Gorgeous scenery. Like I’m not even in Illinois, my new favorite trail, it’s very smooth and wide. My only gripe (besides people not cleaning up their dog’s poop) is no water fountains. There’s plenty of neighborhoods & other areas that could get water to the trail. Not everyone bikes and can carry lots of water. I went for a 20 mile run and the water fountain@ Stuart Park was off. Ran out of water at 15 miles. Not one trail in this town has any access to water. I almost stopped at someone’s house to ask if they could refill my water bottles.
We started at the south end, from Centennial park. The first 1.5 miles are mostly in the open with a few road crossings and not much shade, but after that it is a beautiful shaded trail. Nice bridges along the way. Highly recommended.
The 1/4 mile section of Pedigo road that is part of the trail is in poor shape and needs asphalt paving.
This is a great connector from Chatham to Springfield, but some sections were poorly constructed and are poorly maintained. Also, at some locations the drainage ditch between the trail and active track is impeded, creating mosquito breeding grounds.
While only 5 miles in length the trail has a lot to offer. The trail is mostly covered with trees which is really nice on extremely hot days. Would ride again.
We started at halfway point and discovered awesome hiking trails. Saw lots of wildlife.
We cycled the 11.5 miles of the trail. There are two main trailheads in Springfield that we know about: Centennial Park at 5938 Bunker Hill Rd and Stuart Dog Park at 1800 Winch Rd. We parked at Stuart Park and began our ride there. The trail is 11.5 miles and the park is midway.
We cycled the entire path first heading south towards Centennial Park. Most of that section is shaded. About 1.5 miles from the end, there are a few road crossings. The road crossings were easy since that section has quite of few farms remaining and are low traffic areas. However, there are a few developments that are starting to encroach on what was farmland. We turned around at mile zero and headed back towards Stuart Park to continue north.
The section north of Stuart has a bit more of a rural feel. I don’t recall any road crossings on this section. The trail was mostly shaded except for one short section that was in full sun. There is a section with a fairly long bridge over the river which was a surprise.
The trail is very well maintained. There are a number of benches along that trail but only the trailheads had amenities. We cycled on a weekday and the trail wasn’t very busy. This is a great trail that I would recommend checking out.
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