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Rollerski Trails Rollerski Trail Finder |
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Location & link to "official" web site | Description | Details | Roller Skiing Suitability | Ski Walking & Bounding Suitability |
Adrian |
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Rails to Trails |
Somewhere around Adrian, there's a new paved, rails-to-trails that's several miles long... There's also a huge controversy about extending the Greenways. |
Yes | ||
Ann Arbor |
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Hudson
Mills Metropark North of the village of Dexter, off North Territorial Rd. |
About 3 miles of paved bike trail, relatively easy hills. Some flat hiking trails. |
Trail Map | One of my favorite roller ski places in the fall. Can be crowded with walkers, bikers, and skaters in the summer months. | Some flat nature trails. |
Gallup Park Geddes and Huron River Road in Ann Arbor |
Rick says: Not sure how long this one is, but all told not a bad trail system if you don't mind a little bad pavement. Can link this with some road bike paths in Ann Arbor for a pretty good and hilly workout. | A little bumpy | None | |
Pinckney
Recreation Area (the Potawatomi). North of the village of Dexter, off North Territorial Rd. |
Another premier mountain bike area. Trails of 6 to 17 miles. |
None | After the summer mountain bike crowd thins, it's a great place to ski walk. | |
Stinchfield Woods North of the village of Dexter, off North Territorial Rd. |
Many hilly paths through the woods. |
None | Best in fall after the heavy poison ivy and brush has died back. | |
Battle Creek |
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Battle Creek Linear Trail | The BC Linear trail starts near Fort Custer, goes through downtown Battle Creek, but mostly passes through wooded areas near the Kalamazoo River. The total length is around 17 miles, but you can add 4-5 more by starting in Fort Custer on the paved access road through the park and connecting with the Linear trail along Dickman road. My favorite section of the trail is starting from Dickman Road, going down a hill to the river, and continuing along the river to the Leila Arboretum. There is a 1+ mile loop at the Arboretum that is good for hill workouts. - Matt Hester | Trail map | Yes | |
Big Rapids |
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White
Pine Trail State Park - Big Rapids to Reed City To Big Rapids trailhead: Take US-131 to Big Rapids, exit 139. Take M-20 east to Maple Street. Proceed straight for 1/10 mile to the depot staging area; turn south. |
7 miles of asphalt pavement from Belmont to just north of Rockford. |
None | ||
Brighton |
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Brighton Recreation Area |
Mountain bike trails of 3 to 5 miles in length |
None | Mountain bike trails can be used quite effectively for ski hiking. | |
Kensington
Metropark I-96 just, east of US-23 (Brighton) From I-96, take exit 151 (Kensington Road), go north a quarter mile, turn right. OR From I-96, take exit 153 (Kent Lake Road), go north a half mile straight into the park. |
Premier southeast Michigan training area: a hilly 8-mile well-paved bike path for roller skiing, hilly roads for road biking, hilly horse trails for running. (The bike path connects to the paved path at Island Lake State Park and to the new South Lyon/Wixom paved trail system.) |
Trail Map |
The hilly 8-mile bike path is outstanding. Note: By law, the park requires helmets on all "wheeled" individuals - that includes rollerskiers. |
Run/hike the ski trails in summer & fall - they're mowed every couple
of months. The horse trails also provide great ski walking / bounding. Try ski bounding up the toboggan run for intervals of 1 or 2 minutes. |
Island
Lake State Park I-96 just east of US-23 (Brighton) From I-96, take exit 151 (Kensington Road) and go south a half mile to the park entrance |
Across the highway from Kensington Metropark, Island lake has 5 miles of paved bike path (5 miles out & back), a roller-skiable & bikable road, and 12 miles of mountain bike trail that can be hiked. The paved path connects to Kensington Metropark and South Lyon/ Wixom paved trails. |
Very good on the paved trail & on the park roads. Be careful going downhill into the beach area (many people crossing path in the summer) and at the end where the path dead ends into the entrance to a park lot. The roads can be busy in the summer! | The mountain bike trails are some of the busiest in Michigan. In the fall, the traffic is less. Note that hunters are allowed to use the area as well, so don't be surprised to see orange vests and shotguns. | |
Charlevoix |
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Little Traverse Wheelway |
"This 9 mile, non-motorized trail segment from the heart
of the City of Charlevoix to Bayshore (Emmet-Charlevoix County Line) is situated along Lake
Michigan on the north side of US-31. Offering direct water access at several points along
the Lake Michigan shoreline and a unique boardwalk, this new recreation feature is sure to
become very popular for many County residents and visitors. Trail users may now bike, skate,
ski, walk, run, (pick your favorite sport for any season) from Charlevoix to Petoskey along
Little Traverse Bay." The trail actually extends past Bay Harbor, into Petoskey, and on to Harbor Springs. See Petoskey below. |
Trail map | Haven't tried it yet, but it's freshly paved (Fall 2002)! There is a long (half-mile plus) wooden bridge you must cross near Charlevoix - probably not much fun on rollerskis. | |
Cadillac |
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Musketawa
Trail (Marne to Muskegon) |
The Musketawa Trail is a 25 mile multi-use recreation trail between Marne (just west of Grand Rapids) and Muskegon, Michigan. It passes through farmlands and wetlands, over creeks, and through villages. The trail is a 4 season adventure for the outdoor enthusiast, living healthy and having fun. It provides a safe and natural environment for individual, family, and organizational use. This trail is enjoyed by bikers, snowmobilers, horseback riders, rollerbladers, cross-country skiers, wheelchair travelers, hikers, and nature lovers. |
Trail Map | Yes! Trail
has a 12 ft. wide paved surface. Trail has a 4 to 8 ft. wide gravel shoulder.
Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team's "Flatbeiner 50" Rollerski Tour uses this trail. |
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Flint |
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Holly Recreation Area Located just off Dixie Highway between Flint and the Clarkston/Waterford area. Go east on Grange Hall Road off Dixie, turn right onto McGinnis road, then three-quarters mile to park entrance. |
Rollerski the roads thru the park as well as
McGinnis Road. Some rough spots, but lots of hills, speed reducers advised on some
downhills. Not an area for novices. Auto traffic minimal and parts of park closed to autos
in Oct. Out and back, including some parking areas, over 8 miles, on south part of park. Less
hilly north park where camping is allowed, approximately 5 miles. |
Trail Map | Not an area for novices but great for more advanced skiers with speed reducers. | Yes, on hiking trails |
Gaylord |
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Boyne
Mountain (The Boyne Nordican Center) Boyne Falls |
Hilly XC ski trails, open in the summer for hiking and mountain biking. |
None | Many hilly trails for ski hiking bounding. | |
Grand Rapids |
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Musketawa
Trail (Marne to Muskegon) |
The Musketawa Trail is a 25 mile multi-use recreation trail between Marne (just west of Grand Rapids) and Muskegon, Michigan. It passes through farmlands and wetlands, over creeks, and through villages. The trail is a 4 season adventure for the outdoor enthusiast, living healthy and having fun. It provides a safe and natural environment for individual, family, and organizational use. This trail is enjoyed by bikers, snowmobilers, horseback riders, rollerbladers, cross-country skiers, wheelchair travelers, hikers, and nature lovers. |
Trail Map | Yes! Trail
has a 12 ft. wide paved surface. Trail has a 4 to 8 ft. wide gravel shoulder.
Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team's "Flatbeiner 50" Rollerski Tour uses this trail. |
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Paul
Henry - Thornapple Trail Grand Rapids to Vermontville, Michigan |
The Paul Henry - Thornapple Trail, when complete, will be a 42 mile multi-use recreation trail, from Grand Rapids to Vermontville, Michigan. The trail is being constructed on or near a former railroad corridor. Some sections of the trail are completed, some are in development and some are in the proposal or conceptual stage. The route of this trail passes through farmlands, woodlands and small towns, along and over rivers and creeks. The scenic highlight of the trail is its close proximity to the Thornapple River. The trail is a four season adventure for the outdoor enthusiast, living healthy and having fun. It passes through a safe and natural environment for individual, family, and organization use. This trail is enjoyed by bikers, joggers, rollerbladers, cross-country skiers, wheelchair travelers, hikers, and nature lovers. | Trail Map | Completed sections of the trail have a 10 ft. wide paved surface and a gravel shoulder. Not many paved sections are available at this time (Oct 2002) | |
White Pine Trail State Park |
The White Pine Trail is Michigan's longest rail-to-trail
Linear State Park, running 92 miles from Comstock Park, near Grand Rapids, to Cadillac.
As of October 2002, two sections were paved: 7.5 miles from Belmont to 13 Mile Road in Rockford, and 13 miles from Big Rapids to Reed City. November 19, 2002 Update from Dell Todd (GRNST): Also see the Friends of the White Pine Trail website. |
Trail Map | None | |
Homer |
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M-60: Homer to Tekonsha |
While not a 'trail', I have used M-60, from
Homer to Tekonsha as a rollerblade training route for quite some time. It is fairly
new pavement, with few cracks, and a very nice wide shoulder that allows you to roll along
without too much fear of traffic. It is rolling hills, usually clear of gravel, about
11 miles one way. From the factory on the west side of Homer to the stop light on old
27, just before I-69. |
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Kalamazoo |
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Kalhaven Rail-to-Trail | The Kalhaven Rail-to-Trail extends from Kalamazoo to South Haven (34 miles). It is not paved, but has a crushed limestone surface that is rollerskiable on V2 Aeros or Elpex Offroads (my choice). Trail conditions vary from day to day, depending on the weather and season. Long dry spells leave some sections with a slow sandy texture, while a lot of rain leaves sections with a clayey, slippery texture. There is often a lot of debris on the trail in early Fall. Having said that, the trail is an excellent rollerski venue. Although very flat, the non-paved surface is slower and good for speed workouts. Between the fist and second mile markers coming from Kzoo, there is a cross-street leading to a 3-4 minute uphill on a paved road. Overall, I prefer to classic ski on the Kalhaven, with lots of double poling, since the pole plants are outstanding in the crushed-lime surface. An added bonus for going the distance is meeting your family at Lake Michigan for a swim and/or an overnight at a bed and breakfast. - Matt Hester | It is not paved, but has a crushed limestone surface that is rollerskiable on V2 Aeros or Elpex Offroads | ||
Portage Creek Bicentennial Pathway |
The trail follows Portage Creek from Kilgore
Road to Centre Street, although after Celery Flats you have to cross a road with
considerable traffic. (Portage Creek is in Portage, south of Kalamazoo) The stretch from
Kilgore to Celery Flats is one stretch, 3.1 miles, asphalt, three wooden bridges, one road
crossing bridge (Milham), and lots of turns. It is fairly flat, with the only hill
being the bridge over Milham Road. There are parking lots at Kilgore, Milham, and
Celery Flats. Good surface, well drained, somewhat protected from wind, and it even passes
under I-94! |
Trail map (not very good quality - some someone send me a paper copy and I'll post a better one). | ||
Mackinac Island |
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Mackinac Island Bike Path |
8 mile paved, flat loop around the island. You cannot rollerski through town - that eliminates about a mile of pathway. You can also rollerski up into the island interior. Better walk down... |
Occasional rocks, some wind for the big lakes, but not bad. | ||
Midland |
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Chippewa Trail Chippewa Nature Center 400 S. Badour Rd. Midland, MI 48640 (989) 631-0830 |
Bart Heil says, "The
Chippewa Trail goes from downtown Midland to the Chippewa Nature Center,
a distance of 3.8 miles. We just built the trail this summer. It is
smooth blacktop 12 feet wide and we keep it as clean as possible, the
trail has lots of curves and rolling (for Midland County) terrain.
People say it is the best roller skiing around by far." The Chippewa Trail connects to the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail via the tridge in downtown Midland. The trail is open dawn to dusk as are all of our trails and ther is no charge to use it or any of our trails. |
Trail map | Lots of curves and rolling (for Midland County) terrain. | |
Pere
Marquette Rail-Trail (Midland to Clare Get on the path in downtown Midland at the Tridge, in Sanford, in Coleman, and at other places along the way. |
The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail of Mid-Michigan is a linear park that extends from downtown Midland to Clare, 30 miles one-way. There are eight bathrooms along the route, and several places to get food. |
Map |
Flat and straight but really nice pavement. Great place for a long slow distance workout or flat intervals: A few miles outside of Midland and you almost have the trail to yourself! | None |
Milford |
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Gilbert Willis North of I-96. Take Wixom Rd north to Loon Lake Rd. east. Behind the VFW on Loon Lake Rd. |
A local park with a gravel running path, tennis courts, and softball fields. |
None | The running path is short - it takes me about 12 minutes at an easy pace - but there's a ravine that's great for bounding. | |
Proud Lake State Park | A set of flat hiking and ski trails. | None | Flat hiking trails | |
Mt. Clemens |
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Metropolitan
Beach Metropark (810) 463-4581 |
Rick says: I went there quite by accident this summer and found a wonderful bike/rollerblade trail that is ideal for rollerskiing for flat terrain workouts. The path is actually a very long bike trail that as far as I can tell extends for miles. All of it has recently been blacktopped and is in good condition-totally flat though. | Trail Map | Rick says: Excellent for V2 workouts. | |
Muskegon |
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Musketawa
Trail (Marne to Muskegon) |
The Musketawa Trail is a 25 mile multi-use recreation trail between Marne (just west of Grand Rapids) and Muskegon, Michigan. It passes through farmlands and wetlands, over creeks, and through villages. The trail is a 4 season adventure for the outdoor enthusiast, living healthy and having fun. It provides a safe and natural environment for individual, family, and organizational use. This trail is enjoyed by bikers, snowmobilers, horseback riders, rollerbladers, cross-country skiers, wheelchair travelers, hikers, and nature lovers. |
Trail Map | Yes! Trail
has a 12 ft. wide paved surface. Trail has a 4 to 8 ft.
wide gravel shoulder.
Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team's "Flatbeiner 50" Rollerski Tour uses this trail. |
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Hart-Montague
Bicycle Trail State Park (Hart to Montague) |
This 21 mile paved, mostly flat trail was one of the first rails-to- trails projects in Michigan. The DNR is pursuing acquisition of an additional 10 miles south of Montague. |
A very nice trail for rollerskiing. | None | |
Petoskey |
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Bay Harbor Bike Trail | 3 mile paved bike path from Bay Shore to the Petoskey city limits. Nice pavement, many road crossings, a killer and dangerous downhill at the end of the trail near Petoskey. | The section closest to Bay Shore is best. | None | |
Little Traverse Wheelway |
Trail encompasses a paved path and local sidewalks, and runs from the west end of Petoskey city limits on U.S. 31 through Bay View. In Petoskey, the path winds through beautiful Bayfront Park. Some nice sections, others have many road crossing. |
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Parts are great. Watch for traffic, racks and sand. |
None |
Plymouth |
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Mayberry
State Park Off of 8 Mile Road, east of Beck Road |
Has a paved bike path and 4 miles of twisty, curvy mountain bike trails. | The last time I was there, the pavement was terrible, with a couple downhills that end with dangerous corners. | I have enjoyed ski hiking the mountain bike trails. Several hills are good for ski bounding. | |
Pontiac |
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Indian
Springs Metropark Off White Lake Road between Ormand & Tegerdinne Roads (north of M-59 and west of the Oakland Pontiac Airport) |
A very nice paved
bike path, 3 miles down to a two mile loop, then 3 miles back for a total of 8 miles. One
hill at the very beginning then pretty flat. |
Trail Map | My favorite bike path for early long, slow distance rolls when I'm not ready to tackle lots of hills. Much less crowded then the other Metropark bike paths. | Don't know how good it is - I've never been on the nature trails. |
Pontiac Lake State Park |
Another hugely popular mountain bike area. |
None | Hilly trails. Wait until the mountain bike crowds thin in the fall. | |
Stony
Creek Metropark 26 Mile & Van Dyke roads. 810-781-4242 800-477-7756 |
Rick says: Typical metropark with an excellent paved bike path that is about 10 km around. Terrain is not quite as hilly as Kensington but still a good workout. Weekends in summer have plenty of people but there are no real traffic problems. | Trail Map | Rick says: I rate it better than Kensington because there are fewer people hassles (I've had some run-ins with unsafe bikers at Kensington). | |
Romulus |
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Lower
Huron Metropark,
Willow
Metropark Oakwoods
Metropark complex |
Lower Huron: Over 4 miles of paved trail to enjoy the beauty of the park. New 3.2 mile paved trail connects Lower Huron to Willow. Willow: Oakwoods: |
Rick says: There are 3 Metroparks in close proximity here. The Willow park loop is a flat 3 mile loop. There is an interconnect (3 miles long) that links this to Huron River Metropark. This path is basically a path along the river (up and back about 4 miles). The south side of Willow connects to the Oakwoods Metropark trail that is again up and back about 6 miles. All of the terrain is pretty flat. This system is relatively new and really little used. Not a great deal of traffic even in summer. | ||
South Haven |
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Kalhaven Rail-to-Trail | The Kalhaven Rail-to-Trail extends from Kalamazoo to South Haven (34 miles). It is not paved, but has a crushed limestone surface that is rollerskiable on V2 Aeros or Elpex Offroads (my choice). Trail conditions vary from day to day, depending on the weather and season. Long dry spells leave some sections with a slow sandy texture, while a lot of rain leaves sections with a clayey, slippery texture. There is often a lot of debris on the trail in early Fall. Having said that, the trail is an excellent rollerski venue. Although very flat, the non-paved surface is slower and good for speed workouts. Between the fist and second mile markers coming from Kzoo, there is a cross-street leading to a 3-4 minute uphill on a paved road. Overall, I prefer to classic ski on the Kalhaven, with lots of double poling, since the pole plants are outstanding in the crushed-lime surface. An added bonus for going the distance is meeting your family at Lake Michigan for a swim and/or an overnight at a bed and breakfast. - Matt Hester | It is not paved, but has a crushed limestone surface that is rollerskiable on V2 Aeros or Elpex Offroads | ||
Toledo |
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University/Parks
Trail University of Toledo Toledo |
This one's just south of the border in Toledo, Ohio. It's a flat 6 1/2 mile trail that starts behind the University of Toledo and ends in Sylvania, Ohio. What else can I say? Oh yes. It closes at dark. Yes, you read this right. It closes at dark. Trail police have been known to ticket (~$70.00) people for being on the trail after hours. | Trail map | Rollerskiers - go for it. | |
Traverse City |
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Leelanau Trail | Updated Oct 22, 2003: This is an extension of the TART Trail in Traverse City and will eventually connect to the west end of the Tart Trail. Currently, you would take M-22 north from Traverse City and go left on Carter Road. From there, the trail is good blacktop for approx 7 miles up to Lakeview Road (the last two have a slight uphill grade to them) with 3 road crossings. Two short wooden brides are on the trail. The trail is flat and crosses through fields, woods, along creeks, etc. At the end of the blacktop on the north end of the trail, it continues as a hard dirt trail to Suttons Bay (appox. 8 miles), through woods and fields with some road crossings. It is perfect for Mtn Bikes. Eventually, the trail will be blacktopped to Suttons Bay, so you will be able to rollerski from Traverse City to Suttons Bay and back. Round trip approx 20 miles. -Steve Westphal | |||
TART |
This paved bike trail stretches from Bunker Hill Rd in
Acme through downtown Traverse City. Many wooden bridges and road crossings. The TART Trail is entirely paved and perfect for summer ski use. The trail takes users through beautiful downtown Traverse City and along Grand Traverse Bay. TART is maintained by TART Trails, Inc. a local nonprofit trail advocacy organization. Links can be found at www.traversetrails.org. |
Yes, but the wooden bridges are slippery when wet. Watch for gravel & sand at road crossings. Flat. Take a backpack and go shopping downtown! | None | |
Westland |
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Hines Park Runs between Plymouth (near 7 Mile) and Dearborn |
A freshly paved six
mile section of Hines Drive is
closed to traffic on Saturdays between 9:00am and 3:30pm from May 1 to September 25, between
Outer Drive and Ann Arbor Trail. Watch out for kids on bikes and wild inline skaters. |
The closed portion of the road is wonderful for roller skiing - mostly flat with one hill. The paved bike paths can be rocky and bumpy. |
Pretty flat. There are a good couple hills to practice ski bounding. | |
ILLINOIS |
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Darin | ||||
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve |
Saturdays and Sundays 8:00 or 8:30 am start time. Crushed limestone. The southwest corner of Interstate 55 and Cass Road. Go south on Cass ½ mile to Northgate Road turn right/west to parking lot. This is crushed limestone, a 9 mile loop with hills, fantastic unless it’s been raining a lot. - David Fyhrie |
Best for V2 Aero 150 rollerskis because of the crushed limestone. | ||
Naperville |
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Springbrook Forest Preserve | Crushed limestone. 9S400 Plainfield-Naperville Road between 87th and 75th streets; east of Route 59. Easy terrain about 6 miles. - David Fyhrie | Best for V2 Aero 150 rollerskis because of the crushed limestone. | ||
Oakbrook |
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Neighborhoods of Brook Forest and Ginger Creek |
Paved roads. Best place
to park car is at the tennis courts on Regent Drive near Brook Forest Grade School. No bathrooms but there is
often a construction Porta Pottie in this ritzy neighborhood with remodeling activities. - David Fyhrie From the intersection of Route 83 and 31st Street, take 31st street west for ½ mile to Regent Drive, turn right/north and go 1 mile to tennis courts. This is a cloistered beautiful subdivision with very little traffic, easy rolling hills, mature trees and winding roads. Total mileage around 10. - David Fyhrie |
Best for V2 Aero 150 rollerskis because of the crushed limestone. | ||
Plainfield |
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Lake Renwick Preserve, Turtle Lake Access |
Lake Renwick Turtle Lake Access in Plainfield is an awesome place to roller ski. We have been meeting every Sat
AM around 8:00 for a couple hours. This trail is nicely paved with no cross streets, mostly flat, 10K loop. A
great place for a training clinic or a race...hint, hint. In my opinion this path is way better than Poplar, Busse or even Oakbrook because of the lack of cross streets and heavy bike/pedestrian traffic. Directions: I-55 to Weber south to Airport Rd. west. 2 miles on the left. - David Fyhrie |
Trail map | The best! | |
Wheaton |
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Herrick Lake Forest Preserve |
Crushed limestone. Southwest corner of Butterfield Road and Herrick Road. Take Herrick south for ½ mile enter forest preserve on your left/east. Over 10 miles of crushed limestone going East and West of the parking lot. Connects to Danada Forest Preserve on the east and Blackwell Forest Preserve to the west. |
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OHIO |
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Toledo |
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University/Parks
Trail University of Toledo Toledo |
This one's just south of the border in Toledo, Ohio. It's a flat 6 1/2 mile trail that starts behind the University of Toledo and ends in Sylvania, Ohio. What else can I say? Oh yes. It closes at dark. Yes, you read this right. It closes at dark. Trail police have been known to ticket (~$70.00) people for being on the trail after hours. | Trail map | Rollerskiers - go for it. | |