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Well, I just talked to a friend about the latest condition of the Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) and it is not in very good condition at the moment. a lot of the crushed stone has been washed away and there are muddy sections and places that have been patched with loose gravel or sand.
As of yesterday (7/5/9) I’ve been told that this is the worst condition that the trail has been in for quite a few years.
Here’s a direct quote on the trail conditions from my email on 7/5/9:
“Did 34 mi on the dprt. The path was Ok most of the time. There were a few bad areas, like the 1st major bridge where you’re going downhill into an area that was patched with the larger stone gravel which could possibly be dangerous. Then near the underpass in Libertyville as you start to go downhill, there is a 6″ drop off from the trail into this new stuff which is mostly sand. If I wasn’t going downhill I wouldn’t have made it. I had to walk it on the way back. Lots of lines of erosion which had been filled with the large crappy gravel which you can’t ride on, or sand which you can’t ride on either”.
Here’s a Des Plaines River Trail update from 7/11/09.
We rode about 11 miles of the trail yesterday (from just north of Half Day (Lincolnshire) to Independence Grove. The trail is in much better condition than it was just a few days back since it has been a little dryer.
There were no detours, flooding or construction although there were a few places that looked like they had just dried out.
The trail could use some work but it is still a very nice trail and still very ridable right now (if you don’t mind crushed stone and dirt paths).
Here’s the latest update from my 9/3/9 ride.
I rode the DPRT yesterday from Half Day (Route 22) north to the Mile 0 marker just before the Wisconsin border. It’s approximately 28 miles each way but my total mileage from yesterday’s trip was 58 miles.
Anyway, the entire trail and all of the underpasses were open! There were no detours or problems.
This update should be just in time for any Labor Day rides that you might be considering. This is still an excellent trail but it is crushed stone so if you are looking for a paved bike path you’ll have to select another.
I think this may be the shadiest bike path that I am aware of in this area (considering the length of the trail).
One last note regarding the trail is that my main objective yesterday was to video tape this trail to add to the collection of Bike Trail Videos now on this site. Well, I succeeded at taping the entire north end of the trail (the 28 miles described above) and will be working on the editing and uploading asap.
Well, that’s the latest on the DPRT trail conditions. I hope you all get in some good riding on this Labor Day weekend!