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Home2022 Bike the Des Plaines River Trail
Bile the Des Plaines River Trail - Sunday, May 22nd


Sunday, May 22nd, with weather in the mid-60s, was a perfect day for a bike ride.  The Des Plaines River Trail gave us the opportunity to enjoy a good springtime bike trip.  Out of 10 riders registered, 5 of us met up at Big Bend Lake in Des Plaines to begin our ride north.  

The trail surface in various sections consisted of crushed limestone, gravel, wood chips or bare dirt.  There was very little asphalt to bike on, but we found a good number of mud puddles left from heavy rains in the preceding days.  Moreover, as part of the Des Plaines River Trail is also used as a bridal path, we had to be on the alert for horses and what they leave behind.  We were biking through the deep woods with a great big tree canopy above us for most of this trail.

Our group headed up the trail for about 10 miles from Big Bend Lake to Potawatomi Woods just north of Dundee Road where we stopped for a break at a shelter.  While we were biking along the river, the Des Plaines River Canoe and Kayak Marathon was going on.  We enjoyed the sight of canoeists and kayakers traveling on the water as we biked the trail.  We returned to Big Bend Lake to end our trip and took a group photo before we separated to return home and give our legs a good rest. 

--Marty Monaghan
  Event Leader