When I was an undergraduate, one of my favorite rides took me along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. One of my favorite rides in Paris follows the Canal St. Martin, and one of the highlights, for me, of cycling in Montreal was the Lachine Canal path.
All over the world, as canals designed for barge traffic fall into disuse, paths alongside them--which were often trod by horses and mules that pulled the barges--turn into all-but-ideal cycling and walking lanes.
Some folks in northern Illinois have discovered as much: a trail alongside the Hennepin Canal has become a magnet for cyclists. It's so popular, in fact, that it will become part of the Great American Rail Trail.
The Hennepin Canal connects the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers through northern Illinois. Like the Delaware-Raritan, St. Martin and other canals, it once served as an important link for water transportation. Now it is a draw for all sorts of recreation, including fishing, boating and hiking as well as cycling.
For one thing, paths along canals are flat. But, perhaps most of all, canals are almost always scenic, whether because of the landscapes surrounding them or the industrial structures that line them.
All over the world, as canals designed for barge traffic fall into disuse, paths alongside them--which were often trod by horses and mules that pulled the barges--turn into all-but-ideal cycling and walking lanes.
Some folks in northern Illinois have discovered as much: a trail alongside the Hennepin Canal has become a magnet for cyclists. It's so popular, in fact, that it will become part of the Great American Rail Trail.
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The Hennepin Canal connects the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers through northern Illinois. Like the Delaware-Raritan, St. Martin and other canals, it once served as an important link for water transportation. Now it is a draw for all sorts of recreation, including fishing, boating and hiking as well as cycling.
For one thing, paths along canals are flat. But, perhaps most of all, canals are almost always scenic, whether because of the landscapes surrounding them or the industrial structures that line them.
The Hennepin trail is on my to-do list, but be advised that it is not particularly well-maintained along some stretches. i'd advise riders to check with the Illinois DNR about conditions and to have bypass routes mapped out around any closures. This is the current info page- there doesn't seem to be a date on this announcement, but there's a facebook link in the page:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/HennepinCanal.aspx
Mike--Thanks for the advisory. It's true maintenance is sporadic on many bike trails: The ones maintained by private nonprofits don't have the resources, and governments won't allocate them for bike trails. At least, that's how the situation looks to me.
ReplyDeletePerhaps build one then ignore it is the policy in the UK... I shall be going out with secateurs soon to prune off the thorny growths before they start their growth spurt.
ReplyDeleteColine--Building things and ignoring them is the MO for a lot of things in the US. But it's worse for bike lanes, I think!
ReplyDelete