Things to do / Travel Guide
Biking in the Midwest mixes natural prairie land with big city living, and few urban places in the U.S. can match the views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago sky line, whether you're a mountain biker or a casual weekend peddler. There are numerous places from which to rent bikes throughout Chicago. There are rental facilities in most of the major parks, such as Millennium Park, Lincoln Park, and Grant Park.
Chicago
Today, Chicago happens to be one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States for commuters, and it bears a history of being one of America's greatest biking cities since the late 19th century. What with Chicago's big-city traffic, biking caught on as a quite popular means of transportation. A side benefit is that the urban recreational bike trails have developed alongside the commuter bike paths, which provide a terrific experience of leisurely pedaling amidst the high-rises and parks.
The Lakefront Trail, beginning in Millennium Park just north of Grant Park and right off Lake Michigan, and concluding at 71st Street south of Jackson Park and is about 20 miles long. To begin with, you'll see the John Hancock Center peek out from the distance, and view some of Chicago's hottest property on Astor Street. Then it's parks and Lake Michigan the whole way south, until the charming and lesser-known Jackson Park. The trail is paved, yet sometimes not well marked.
Many of the Chicago-area bike paths take advantage of the original prairie environment, so biking is one of the best ways to experience this unique ecosystem. Perhaps the best of these is the Illinois Prairie Path. This 45-mile trail utilizes an old rail bed, starting in Maywood, west of Chicago from I-290, and ending at the Fox River in St. Charles. The surface is of crushed limestone, so a mountain bike is required; however it is not a difficult ride. The trail branches off at a number of places to create smaller trails, from which you can explore the area in more depth.
Many of the preserves and parks in the Chicago area boast a trail or two. For that matter there's lots of urban biking opportunities in the three big Chicago parks: Lincoln Park, Grant Park, and Jackson Park. Farther out, however, the parks become more wooded, less tended - in a conscious effort to stem the permanent removal of prairies and forests from the Chicago area. Many of these parks contain bike trails of varying worth.
The largest of these parks or preserves is Busse Woods Forest Preserve. It combines a creeping lake, prairie, forest, and creeks, with numerous interconnecting trails. There are some nice bridges and isthmuses to cross, and it's also a good place to spot elk, in all their grandeur.
Southern Wisconsin
As you tour through Wisconsin, you'll see that the natives rarely take their bike racks off of their cars. Wisconsin, in fact, has been rated one of the top states for cyclists. There is a passion for biking in this state, and the tourists have caught on.
The Pike Bike Trail in Kenosha runs 14 miles one-way, but you can detour through 11 different off-road but paved trails. As you pass through Harbor Park you'll see views of the Pierhead Lighthouse, and Wolfenbuttel Park's floral arches. North of Harbor Park, the trail shows off Simmons Island Park and the yacht area. Beware though, some parts of the trail are also open to cars, in-line skaters, and pedestrians.
If you want some bike trails farther inland, head west on State Road 20 from Racine until you reach the tiny town of La Grange. From there reach Bluff Road, where there's entrance to forested areas.
The partially-paved Milwaukee Alpha Trail in Whitnall Park is about three miles from start to finish. The trail consists of two different terrains of single tracked narrow trail: First you ride flat-trail alongside Root River, with tight turns and views of the river; then you travel up the relatively steep Crystal Ridge Ski Slope for a fantastic naturistic view of Milwaukee and the surrounding area.
Another memorable Milwaukee trail is the Lakefront Oak Leaf Trail, which runs about 20 miles one-way starting from Kletzsch Park in northern Milwaukee bordering the Glendale area, and ends at Rawson Park in South Milwaukee. The paved trail takes you through Juneau Park, to the Kilbourntown House historic sight, near the Milwaukee Art Museum and the gothic water tower, and along Lake Michigan. The road is paved in certain areas. Bike rental in Milwaukee is easy to find in most of the parks along Lake Michigan.
In Madison, you can take the 13-mile paved bike loop around Lake Monona. You breeze past the downtown area, and along sandy beaches with curious ducks navigating the waters.
|
|
|