Central Illinois is as topographically featured as an ice rink, so mountain biking locations are few and far between. Bobbing and weaving through trees that have reclaimed the mine that used to operate on the land that is now a state park, Kickapoo's trail stands out as a surprisingly fun singletrack oasis in a desert of cornfields.

Trail Description

The trail is a twisty loop of fast singletrack. Having no long climbs and very few straightaways, the trail is ideal for singlespeeds. There are lots of quick up and downs, sharp turns, and tree dodging. The faster you go on this trail, the more it will remind you of the speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi. It's lots of fun, but you won't be exercising your climbing or rocky technical skills.

When you don't feel like simply going as fast as possible, there are jumps, log rides and teeter totters to occupy your time.

Getting There

From I-74 Going East:
Take exit 206 and go North. Take the first right at Glenburn Creek Road. Continue all the way through the park until there is a stop sign at County Road 32. Take a left, pass some houses and stables, and turn left into a gravel parking lot at the trail head.

From I-74 Going West:
Take exit 210 onto Main Street heading NE. Take a left on North street, and continue about a mile. Stop at the Dairy Barn and eat delicious ice cream. Take a left turn on Kickapoo Rd, taking this for roughly another mile to the trail head parking lot on the right.

From Champaign-Urbana by bike:
Leave E out of town on CR 1550N. Go N on CR 1800E. E on CR 1700N to Newtown Rd. Make a Left and then a right on Glenburn Creek Road. Follow driving directions above.

When to Bike

Whenever it's dry. This usually means the best times are in late summer through fall. It can be ridden year round though. In the winter you should wait for it to be cold enough for the water to be frozen. Avoid hunting seasons.

Website

Directions, trail conditions, and race updates can be found here:
http://kickapoombc.org