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Permalink Reply by Jared on March 12, 2017 at 4:13pm

If you can find your way to Forest Park it looks like you can mostly use trails, mainly Prairie Path to Villa Park and then Great Western Trail. If you turn on the bike routes feature on Google maps it should show the trails.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on March 12, 2017 at 5:50pm

Thanks!  I certainly think you're on to something there.  I could stay a bit further south and jump on the Salt Creek trail or greenway or whatever and then make my way over to the main trail.  It looks like the majority of the trip would be on the trails and pretty much off the main roads.  Could be low-pressure and a lot of fun.  

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on March 12, 2017 at 5:54pm

Jared's route of taking the IPP to the Great Western and then back onto the Elgin spur of the IPP is probably the fastest and easiest route. But another option is to pick up the Salt Creek Trail from 26th and 1st Ave in North Riverside. That connects with the Great Western and IPP trails in Villa Park. It's the more scenic route but does add some mileage. 

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on March 13, 2017 at 4:41am

I like that idea a lot. I've been meaning to learn about the Salt Creek Trail, too.

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Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on April 19, 2017 at 4:19pm

Hey Jim, did you try this ride yet? I have also been eyeing the Salt-Creek-to-IPP as a way to ride out to Geneva from Pilsen. I'm curious about the transition up along York Road and 26th west of Harlem, especially... when I did this ride before I took 26th west to Oak Park-ish north, and went straight up to the IPP trailhead in Forest Park; that worked fine but Salt Creek looks like more fun. If you've given it a try it'd be fun to hear how it went!

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