On Your Left
Bicycles, Travel, and Photography
Rock River Trail
I went to the Green Fest in Chicago on May 23rd. Working Bikes Cooperative had a booth at the festival and I spent most of the day in the booth talking about Working Bikes to people who visited the booth. Fortunately I had some time to walk around and visit with many of the other organizations hosting tables at the festival.
I was pleased to visit the Rock River Times booth and learn about the new Rock River Trail under development.
The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River and is 287 miles long. It starts in southeast Wisconsin and terminates at the Mississippi at Rock Island, Illinois. In Wisconsin the river runs through 4 counties: Fond du Lac, Dodge, Jefferson, and Rock. In Illinois it runs through 6 counties: Winnebago, Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Henry, and Rock Island.
The advent of the trail following the river leads to hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and cycling adventures along the trail. As written in the Rock River Times : “Imagine traveling down from just under Lake Winnebago to the Mississippi River on or along the 287 miles of the Rock River, through 10 counties and 33 cities and villages. You could visit what was once the largest man-made sea in the country, the Horicon Marsh, camp in six state parks, float around three lakes and see two pyramids—not counting the one that’s supposed to be at the bottom of Lake Mills! By the way, there’s at least 48 creeks to explore off the river, too.”
Want to help me develop a cycling route along the river? Talk to me, my email address is on the “About” page.
I’ve been looking at sites worthy of visiting along the way. Here are just a few of the possibilities.
- Visit the Historic Octagon House in Fon du Lac;
- Stop for bird watching at the Horicon Marsh;
- spend some time at the beach at Rock Cut State Park;
- stop in Sterling and learn about the Chocolate Trail;
- or take one of the historic walking tours in Rock Island.
Once at Rock River, the potential exists for cyclists to take the Mississippi River Trail south to New Orleans or north to Minneapolis.
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I have traveled South on Route 2 along the Rock River in Oregon Illinois. I have deer and turkey hunted in the Sinissipi Forest and Lowden Miller State Park.
It’s spectacular. It does not look like the Illinois I am used to……