John Husar l&M Canal Trail, Illinois, United States

4Previa1994 5:00 PM Jul 23, 2020

Great pedetstrian trail
The John Husar I&M Canal Trail is the northernmost trail in the long Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor system of trails. The paved trail runs through preserved forest on the southern bank of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. At State Route 83, trail users can connect directly to the Centennial Trail. A sign says there is also a connection to the Cal-Sag Trail, but the Route 83 bridge crossing is narrow and bikes need to be walked. The total length of John Husar Trail is about 10 miles with 7 miles running south (this section is called the Red trail) from Willow Springs road where the main trailhead is located and the other 3 miles running north (this section is called the Black trail). The south section is more popular than the north section. When I rode on a week day, the north section was completely deserted. The trail has shade most of the way from thick forest. The pavement appears dated and has frequent cracks and bumps. It is no problem for hiking/walking; this could be a premium trail for biking with resurfaced pavement. By the way, check out John Husar on Google. He was a champion of Des Plaines River and all things wild and wonderful, and wrote about conservation for The Chicago Tribune.

5CherE 5:00 PM Jul 9, 2017

Well-Maintained Trail
The Cook County Forest Preserve District does a fantastic job caring for this trail. Within 24 hours of a storm all debris is cleared from the path. Every season they cut back branches and grass making it clear and smooth. Professional bikers, families with young kids and liesure runners all use it safely, as long as you stick to the right. It connects to other car-free trails so you can go for a good 30 miles if you want. There is a great bike shop called Bici 2 in Willow Springs on Archer that will check your tire pressure and rent bikes too.