Biking the Great River Trail (Illinois)
During the summer of 2020, I biked the 62 miles of bike path that runs along the Illinois side of the Mississippi River from Rock Island to Savanna known as the Great River Trail. I completed my journey over a series of trips beginning Memorial Day weekend and ending Fourth of July weekend.
Prior to starting this trail, I had never attempted more than 7 miles at a time. By the end of the 6 weeks, that figure would move to 30miles! I progressively increased my mileage each time I went out, building confidence and taking in my surroundings. I was amazed at all the flora and fauna I saw! It actually alarmed me to realize I had become so far removed from my natural surroundings. I sometimes wonder where I would be right now if Covid hadn’t shut everything down and sent me out on adventures like this.
Know Before You Go
You can find interactive maps on qctrails.org. They cover the 34 miles of the GRT that runs through the Quad Cities. Where possible, I've included links below.
I've embedded my AllTrails recordings from these trips. In the top right corner, you can click where it says Nikki Jones' recording. It will open the AllTrails website or app and from there you can click on the heart to save it to a list for later, or click on the 3 dots to get Google directions to the trailhead and download my route to use as your navigation.
Rock Island Section - 5.5 GRT Miles
Trip style: Out & Back (10miles)
On QC Trails here
Nervous and excited, I arrived at Sunset Marina and unloaded my bike. Faced with two parallel paths—one by the water and another from the parking lot—I chose the waterfront trail. Half a mile later, I was stumped again as the path dead ended at a pavilion. I backtracked and found a sign directing me across a road and up a ramp.
The next section held a marshy riverfront on one side and industrial area on the other. Already a little winded, I stopped at the Crescent Rail Bridge for a break. Most of the GRT follows the railroad tracks and/or Great River Road.
I cruised through a beachy area in downtown Rock Island, then past Modern Woodman and Schwiebert Park. After another wrong turn and short backtrack, I made it to my turnaround point of Sylvan Slough, a familiar spot to me.
The return was tougher, a little more uphill, but I enjoyed it more knowing my route. Before I even reached my car, I knew I was hooked and made the decision to bike the whole trail!
Sunset Marina - GRT Southern Terminus
Taking a break to look at the Crescent Rail Bridge.
Turning around at Sylvan Gateway Park
Moline Section - 4.2 GRT Miles
Trip style: Out & Back (8.5miles)
On QC Trails here
I set out to do the Moline section on another beautiful summer day. During the week I’d gone to Active Endeavors and picked up my first ‘real’ pack. A small 8L Osprey with a special tab to hang your helmet from.
Throughout my life I have hiked, biked, jogged, rollerbladed, fed the ducks, sandbagged against floods, played on playgrounds, watched fireworks, and even worked on this section. I’ve spent hundreds of hours here, but now I saw it through a new lens. Connected to something bigger.
(Ben Butterworth Parkway makes up 2.2 miles of this 4.2 mile section. Post about that parkway here.)
New pack! Old bench.
A view I've enjoyed many times on foot. One of my favorite QC spots for a walk or a jog because it does not follow a road.
A beautiful day on the Mississippi River.
East Moline Section Through Fisherman's Corner / Rapids City Section - 8.4 GRT Miles
Trip style: Point to Point
On QC Trails:
For this section, I joined the River Benders Cycling Group on one of their Wednesday night Taco Rides. I had never ridden with other people, and was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to keep up. I was typically at the back of the pack, but there was never a worry of getting left behind. They were meeting on Ben Butterworth parkway, so you'll notice my route repeats a bit of the Moline section. We ended at The Edge Eatery & Drinkatorium, with cheap tacos and cheaper beer.
Celebrating my longest ride so far.
Rapids City/Port Byron Section & Port Byron/Cordova Section - 7.4 GRT Miles
Trip style: Out & Back (15miles)
June 21, 2020
On QC Trails:
On this day I took a chance, hoping I could outrun some storms in the forecast. Spoiler alert - I didn’t!
I took off from Shulers Shady Grove Park, backtracking to the Edge first to make a true connection from where I left off last time. As I cruised into Port Byron, home of the Tugfest - another classic QC summer activity - and the clouds started to look very ominous. I texted my husband / weatherman who told me to make it quick. I could hear the thunder getting closer and by the time I rolled into Cordova, I was caught in a real gullywasher. I’d seen on the map there was a city park ahead and I desperately hoped there would be a pavilion to hide under. And then I heard shouting. It took a second to register, but I realized a woman was shouting at me. This kind soul was inviting me in to her garage while she watched the storm. We ended up talking about music and realizing we had mutual friends. It’s a small world out here!
Shulers Shady Grove Park
Made it to Cordova!
This was a beautiful spot to end one trip and begin the next.
Cordova/Rock Island County Line Section - 8.3 GRT Miles
Trip style: Out & Back (16.5 miles)
On QC Trails here
Solidly in the Covid remote work era, my co-workers had started doing a virtual happy hour on Friday afternoons. No drinks for me, I took the call from my car (yes, hands free) as I cruised back out to the Cordova boat ramp I left off at. I arrived right at 5pm ready to go. I was pinching myself to be able to do that. If we were still working in the office, I would have been in Muscatine, Iowa, over an hour away at this time!
I meandered around at first, taking photos of this beautiful river view, and then took off. At one point in this section, I accidentally took a detour from the GRT. Once I realized it, I decided to just keep rolling and meet back up with trail when I could. My detour took me through the nuclear power plant where I got some strange looks from employees. It also took me through a neighborhood with some beautiful houses and landscaping.
The highlight of this trip was seeing some deer and turkeys, helping a box turtle to safety, and eating raspberries off a vine hanging over the path. This was the first time I saw anything more than ducks and geese on the trail and I was so thrilled.
A popular wildlife spot
A sign of the times and some beautiful smoke bushes.
“Black caps” looking the part.
Remembering the instructions to always help turtles in the direction they are going or they’ll just turn back around and try again!
Realizing I love it here
Clouds, but no storm this time.
Rock Island County Line to Savanna - 30 GRT Miles
Trip style: Point to Point (30miles)
Not available on QC Trails
I decided to tackle the last half of the trail all in one go. It was supposed to be around 25 miles, which would have been a stretch for me, but without a QC Trails map to follow, I was winging it a bit and it ended up being a whopping 30!
Matt felt weird dropping me off on the side of the road, but I assured him I was alright. He went golfing on the Iowa side and I hoped to finish my ride as he finished his round.
The day started out with a jaunt away from the river, through Albany Mounds which features a lot of Native American history, then into Fulton, by the massive "De Immigrant" Dutch windmill, which is an authentic replica built in the Netherlands and assembled in Fulton.
The day was getting HOT. I could feel my arms frying in the sun and had to take turns tying my bandana around each one to minimize the damage. Then I was faced with a very large hill to get up and out of Fulton. OOF! I was exhausted after this, but had a long way to go so I kept chugging.
Next, after waiting for a train, I found myself in a landscape very different than anything I had ever seen in this area. Ahead of me, a shape caught my eye. A fox! In the years since this adventure, fox sightings have become common in my neighborhood in Moline, but at the time it felt like a first. Then something else caught my eye…a cactus?!?!! It turns out that prickly pear (Opuntia polyacantha - Great Plains Prickly Pear) can grow in Illinois. I was amazed. The signs told me I was in Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie, which was created when the glacier dumped sand as it retreated. Then the trail spit me out in a lovely little campground underneath some pines. The shade was a welcome respite.
Next I rode through a marshy area, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge / Spring Lake. I stopped to watch some turtles swimming and crossed a cool bridge. When I made it to the end point that was listed, I cruised around hoping to find some kind of marker or sign, but I found none. Sitting in a pavilion, waiting for Matt to pick me up, I felt so accomplished and was so in awe of everything I had seen. I felt like I had a new understanding of the this place that i’m from and a better awareness of how it all connects together.
Riding home felt like it took forever. I couldn’t believe that I had ridden all that way on just my bike.
Blue Heron were visible where I rode atop this flood levee.
Future Itineraries
Camping at Thomson Causeway
I would love to go back and poke around the two sand prairies in this area and kayak in the backwaters here. You can actually island camp here, which is pretty unique for the Mississippi River.
Overnight Bikepacking Trip & MRT Loop
Now that I know I can ride 30 miles in a day, I would love to do this trail again as a weekend bikepacking trip, starting in Savanna and ending closer to home in Rock Island. Or perhaps 2 days out to Savanna and 2 days back via the Iowa side, checking out the other half of the MRT through this region.
Mississippi River Trail / American Discover Trail / Grand Illinois Trail
The Great River Trail is also part of several larger trail systems.