Fishing boats have a horsepower limit "Any more would wash the bank away," DeRycke says , and canoes are easy to propel. People who hate to portage can choose the feeder south from Sterling. There are 10 ramps where you can launch a boat on that stretch, and no locks, according to DeRycke. Fishermen and "floaters" can use any of the 10 launches all along the canal itself, and lack of current means that going up or down is easy, even by paddle or oar.
DeRycke recommends the eastern leg of the canal for scenery, although boaters will encounter more locks in that direction. Five of the 33 locks have been restored, but none is in working order, which means portaging around waterfalls created by concrete walls.
The canal and banks are state-owned, and for feet on each side of the canal, visitors will see only trees, fields, birds and wildlife. There are bluebirds, flickers, woodpeckers, Great Blue heron. We even have bald eagles now.
And mink, muskrat, deer, beaver, mallards and Canada geese," she says. That's not counting the occasional horse or cow you might spot grazing on pasture land beyond the state's property.
Families and groups can picnic in the acres around the visitors' center if they want the convenience of grills, running water, toilets, picnic tables and electricity. Sun and shade coexist on the gentle slopes, and a waterfowl blind faces a manmade pond close by. The birds are to watch, not to shoot. The walls inside the center are lined with displays of wildlife, a model of a canal lock, a miniature boat and lock, old photos and building tools.
The locks and the lift bridge and the six aqueducts are almost all original. And there are five original canal houses along here, too, although you can't get inside most of them because they're rented or boarded up. The state recently surfaced 15 miles of the towpath along the feeder, from Sterling to Ill.
Highway 92, near Tampico, the birthplace of former president Ronald Reagan. Bikers note: Ordinary racing bikes are fine on this stretch, but Moser and DeRycke recommend mountain bikes on other paths. The men who planned the Hennepin years ago didn't want just a canal. They wanted a miracle. They wanted the Hennepin to make their towns rich, the way the Illinois and Michigan Canal had made Chicago rich. The supporters of the Hennepin proposed to shorten the way to the Mississippi by another miles by running their new canal straight west and linking it to markets all along the mighty river.
However, things went wrong from the start. Western Illinois farmers and shippers had been urging the federal government to dig a water route since , but political squabbles and disputes over money and land lasted for 56 years.
When construction started in , small canals were lying abandoned throughout the Midwest; by the time the first boat traveled the Hennepin in , the canals were as outmoded as the Pony Express. Canal engineers recommended that the Hennepin's locks be built to measure by 75 feet. Too expensive, Congress said, and crippled the canal forever by installing locks of by 35 feet. Ahead of its time, in one way, the Hennepin was the first canal to build locks with concrete.
Ten years later, the Panama Canal would follow suit and set the standard. Class "C" and Youth Group camping are allowed in park like settings located at Lock 6, 11, 21 and 22 as well as Bridge Those seeking Equestrian camping can find it at Lock 21 as well. Put the canoes in the water and spend a day making your way up and down the scenic waters of the Hennepin Canal. The calm waters make for a peaceful voyage for you and old alike, and make a weekend out of it by camping over a night or two.
For those looking for a Trek, the Hennepin Canal offers miles of trails to explore. Take off on foot and immerse yourself in the natural beauty and fresh air along the canals banks and landscape. Most trails are relatively level, making them perfect for hikers of all ages and experience levels, intertwined through the many locks, bridges and aqueducts that make for an interesting and scenic journey.
Since the completion of the Hennepin Canal Parkway, bike riders of all ages can happily follow the original tow path on 91 miles of level and surfaced bike paths.
Because we had seen the trail on this site we continued. Plenty of washouts from the Green River overflowing, I think.
Walked bike3 times then left the canal and went thru the countryside. The landscape was beautiful: the peaceful canal was lined with large trees with delicately colored leaves--though many had already fallen. The path surface, however, presented some problems. For example, there was a significant amount of clutter on the trail, especially fallen branches--at one point a fallen tree completely obscured the path.
The second problem was that for the most part, only one side of the trail was well traveled. Third, the farther south I rode, the more the canal encroached on the trail and significant erosion could be seen. In some places the erosion was so severe that a momentary lapse of concentration could easily take a rider down the bank and into the canal. There are occassional little parks along with trail with bathrooms, but no water is available.
And no camping either. I chose to do a little stealth camping on the grassy tow path that runs along the eastern side of the canal and it was beautiful. It rained the whole day of my return, and rather than get bogged down on the bike path, I chose to ride on highways back to Sterling. In so doing, passed through the only town close to the trail--Tampico, IL, the birth place of Ronald Reagan.
Tampico has seen better days. Although full of interesting history, many of the buildings on Main St. Nevertheless, if you have chance, Tampico is an interesting place to stop. The 1st was from Hickory grove Campground, just a few miles west of the visitors center, to the end heading east. I must say the trail conditions were excellent. A nice shady trail on this part. Camping areas looked very nice, and free! The next day I went from Genesco to the western end.
Again the trail was in great shape, except for where the bridge is out. I kept going anyways and found 1 bridge out, but a short detour hilly and back on the trail. The bike gets a little squirlly over these areas. But all in all I really like this path. I had it all to myself. Very nice. I've hiked, canoed, or biked the entire feeder canal, and most of the main canal. I have to agree, there is not much in the way of provisions and there are a few towns along the way close enough to be convenient.
The most frustrating part if you decide to camp or ride on a hot day especially in the summer , is the lack of places to get water. There are sporadic camping areas along the canal none along the feeder but most have no hydrants. I think there are only a couple locations that actually have a hydrant, one is the visitor's center and the other is a camping area forget which lock approximately 5 miles east of the visitor's center.
If you get it from that one you may still want to filter it. I've taken it from there and it looked like it came right from the canal. I would not recommend taking water from the canal even if you filter it. The most scenic area for the main canal is the eastern corridor.
During the Spring some spots get a little washed out and you will see maintenance crews from time to time working on it. There are signs near Bureau indicating the canal is closed in that area. Most locals just ignore them and continue to use it probably knowing the signs were put up and simply forgotten about.
Anyways, about the first miles, it's mostly forested on either side. I have seen lots of water fowl and birds of prey along the route. Snakes, turtles, coyotes, and deer. The early morning is the best time to see the wildlife moving about. In the evening you will likely hear coyotes howling only heard them near the east end. I've had one get within 30 feet of a campsite I was at one night, It was in the woodline, i first notices its eye glowing from my headlamp, I was able to scare it off.
From what I've seen of the western end west of the visitor's center , mostly cornfields and old farm homes. Still camping areas along the way, but the scenery does start to get interesting again on the approach to Geneseo, and if you like to fish, the smallmouth population is pretty good. My best trips on the canal have always been in the fall. I rode this trail from the Visitor's center east to Tiskilway.
Not a great trail by any means. On the day I rode It was extremely hot. There is absolutely no shade on the trail. If you don't bring supplies there are no towns along the trail unless you ride a couple of miles or more. One town is close but only the desparate would try to climb the hill to get to it. The only place I found the trail surfaced was for about feet each side of the access points. I saw absolutely no wildlife except for Canada Geese. It rained the day before I rode and the trail was soft and had numereous washouts.
Save this trail for the cooler weather in the fall. My title sums up this little article. It is a great trail, pretty and lightly traveled. But by no means is the trail "flat". According to this It then rises about feet to about feet above sea level going west and then decends to about feet above sea level at the western end. I have ridden the HCP twice in the last three years, which was a return to my late mother's homeland around Geneseo.
Stayed with family that still lives in the area about the canal, and one of my uncles' grandmothers even cooked meals for the construction crews when the trail was initially dug! I rode the trail in October and in May, in that order in two different years, and ' The first time alone and the second with an old college days friend.
The trail is crushed stone and a thinly bonded aggregate surface, but well maintained, in the main. Several of the old mechanical lift bridges have been restored and the locks still exist but they are no longer operative and have been converted into water falls, presumably to aereate the water for the aquatic life? Much in the way of wild life exists along the length of the trail.
In my second ride on the canal, I rode the entire main canal length of some 74 miles in two days. The primary complaint was the prevailing east wind that happened to be blowing an anomaly with respect to usual west-to-east flow. I stopped along the way to photoshoot and hydrate.
Many of the old iron bridges still exist over which, some 40 years ago, I would drive heavy farm machinery when staying for summers on my uncles farms.
I shudder to think of doing that today on them! The Visitor's Center is a jewel and has an education and information section second to none. The staff is helpful, warm and cheerful and provide willing service to all who visit. I have yet to ride the Feeder Canal, and that is a goal in the offing. It would be a good day's ride from Annawan, when my aunt and uncle live.
A nice side trip, given sufficient energy, would be a visit to the Ronald Regan Presidential birthplace at Tampico, Illinois. However, that awaits another familial visit with my newest MTB.
The first two bikes have traversed sections of the trail, the new one has yet to do it. Provisions along the trail are wanting. The rider is well advised to have panniers and bike bags sufficient to carry along water, power bars, banannas and the like since there is very little in the way of ammenties along the way. The HCP misses most communities, and one has to leave it to obtain such services, but one can. The ride is virtually flat, given that it is a canal way.
It falls away from the center both ways to the Illinois River to the east and the Mississippi to the west. The eastern ride is the so called, "Historic Section," and has more locks on it. Unfortunately, one can not go all the way to the Illinois River and Lock 1 because it is blocked by private property a gun club, so don't mess with it! The western end stops at the Rock River, but some segments, broken up by roads and development, are in place beyond it, but one "can't get there from here!
It's a great ride, but one that has little ammenities. Take your own and enjoy this long, long trail. We camped at the Lock 22 campground. On our first afternoon after setting up camp we rode north on the Feeder Canal from the Feeder Junction Basin to Bridge The next morning we took our bikes to Colona and rode east back to our campsite.
This was a great ride and very picturesque. The trail surface is in good shape and the day use and camping areas are well maintained. The locks and bridges, many have been restored, are very interesting and fun to explore.
Next year we will return to ride the eastern section of the Canal. It makes for smooth riding, although west of the Visitors Center, there is still a little loose chip that should've been swept away Go and enjoy!
I had my Camelback Mule strapped on, and I had my iPod rocking. I had no particular mileage in mind, although it was in the back of my mind to walk to Tiskilwa and back. For my age, condition, and shoes, this turned out to be a bit more than I should have bitten off as I had very stiff legs towards the end. I can only say that it was a wonderful experience, complete with shady portions, sunny stretches, and there is always that canal. I saw some water mammals at a distance so I cannot say if they were otters or beaver, either is possible in that region, I think.
They were too big for muskrats. Some great old trees quite near the path, probably survived the years because so close to the canal, otherwis they might have gotten chopped. So I made it to Tiskilway where I drank a real big bottle of Gatorade and went back to the car. It was maybe 18 miles of walking or so. I was wishing for my bike, but that was somewhere else. I grew up in the area, down in Chillicothe right along the mighty Illinois, and I never knew this canal existed, although in those days it was abandoned and the revitalization effort had not yet begun.
I rode the full length of the main canal the first weekend of August. It is now fully paved. Most of it is oil and chip with some sections crushed limestone. The surface is still a little slow because it is so new they told me in the trail office they have to wait a year to roll it smooth.
I rode it with a hybrid bike with touring tires. It's a great ride through lots of open farm country. It is a pretty sunny trail though there are places were it is shaded. From Bureau Junction to the Feeder pond is a long uphill.
There are 21 locks in this section and the canal climbs nearly feet. The western portion is a lot flatter. There is a lot of wildlife. I must have seen a hundred blue herons.
Lots of smaller birds. I camped at the Geneseo Campground right off the trail. Very clean and the owners were extremely helpful. There is food available in most of the towns along the way. There is a good diner just over the I bridge in Anawan.
Highly recommend this trail though don't try it with road tires yet. The surface will tear them up. It will probably be fine in a year or two for any kind of bike. The trail was open and freshly surfaced with chip and seal.
Work was in progress on aqueduct six which required a small detour. There were small parks at some of the locks with restrooms. A call to the DNR trail office revealed that the trail is nearly complete but not officially turned over to the state park system.
Yet it is open for riding. This portion of the trail was fantastic. We had to watch for loose gravel periodically but it was a very nice ride. The trail lacks markings so our source of information came from local fishermen. We took plenty of water becuase of the heat but next time will probably take food because this stretch of trail lacks places to stop for refreshments.
Hopfully there will be samll signs in the future to guide us to such facilities. We plan to make the one hour and twenty minute drive to ride this trail again soon. On mown grass one can bike When I last checked, the trail wasn't crushed stone, at least in the spots where I checked it on an auto trip. It was just a grass bank, suitable for mountain bikes as long as there weren't enough mountain bikes to wear out the grass. If you know of contrary information, please post it in a corrected review here, so visitors will get current info.
Log in Register. Search trails Close. Register Now. Hennepin Canal Parkway Facts. States: Illinois. Trail end points: West St. Kansas St. Trail surfaces: Asphalt, Grass, Gravel. Quick Links:. Submit Photo. Submit Review. Near Wyanet the canal widens to become a wetland complete with flat, muddy shores ringed with aquatic plants and full of plovers, turtles and great blue herons.
A red winged blackbird chases off a much larger raptor along the canal near Lock 29 in Colona, IL. Photo taken on May 23, by ME Hollars. A young turtle a few feet off the bike path near Lock 29 in Colona, IL.
Photo taken on June 23, by ME Hollars. Photo by M. Hennepin canal near lock Bridge near Princeton crossing Bureau Creek. Building just south of the trailhead at Rock Falls. View from a bridge. Often people put large rocks and other things in there to try to cause bikers to wipe out. June of I cleaned many of these out on the Feeder Canal but don't know how long they will stay cleared out.
Serious mud in spots. The Green River Bridge is a hidden gem on this trail. Interesting old bridge. When the canal was in use, this type of bridge could be raised up to allow the barges to slide underneath. Very peaceful trail. One of the many 'culvert' type tunnels. So many miles to ride. So little time. Hennepin Canal exit to the Rock River in Moline.
Campground at lock 22 mid September. A nice visit to get an overview of the canal. They have a short movie on canal history. View Classic Gallery Submit Photo. From Wyanet to Quad Cities August josephandrewcollins. November dra. A different kind of trail July bigdealer. Trail out starting at Bureua Junction parking lot June campbell Wyanet to Bureau Junction May elindst1.
A Nice Ride September mcaples Nice ride along Hennepin feeder canal September hilbertdr. Great Trail August iembrdr4u. Fun, easy 20 mile loop from Bureau to Tiskilwa September bretthousman. Dangerous and not maintained August JudgeKKelley. Quiet and lovely July mbw Oy, what a mess June juliklec. Very Nice Trail May smithc April kylejsaunders. August mcarey Hennepin Canal on a Saturday August gormanv. Not so bad. August brucewayneismyname. Beautiful but bad surface. August kwkrlk.
June danafellows. March ghosteyder. Did it on a '73 Sears for 10 miles September beowulfbrower. Rustic,Hidden,Peaceful, not perfect but beautiful multi trail system August davesoutdoorworld.
Awesome but in disrepair. July dczepiel. From Colona to Wyanet April armyballer. Great Trail September armyballer. September daniel East End Much Better! September hennepin Good in parts, but mostly bad August iskor NOT road bike worthy July brentandlynn. Washouts May yeamans. Feeder Canal Ride October aslaksan. A Winner August laidback. Great trail, but NOT flat. March mikeoshea Western Section October rcolvert. Fully Surfaced August barbara2. A nice walk February Anonymous.
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