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Great Western Trail
Travel along the same paths as the historic Chicago Great Western Railway when you cycle down this 17-mile trail.
Guide Sections
Use Great Western Trail's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
Great Western Trail Details
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
N/A
Travel along the same paths as the historic Chicago Great Western Railway when you cycle down this 17-mile trail. This once flourishing rail system connected Chicago to Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City, although many of the tracks were abandoned in the late 1960s when the company merged with Chicago and North Western Railway. In the 1990s, the city converted the old railways into a bike path that takes you from Saint Charles all the way to the outskirts of Sycamore. You can stop by some of the smaller towns for a cup of coffee or light lunch, although the trail is so well maintained that you could easily cruise down the entire journey in just under an hour.