Are you up for an adventure? Would you like to make it happen on a bike? That will be a possibility in the very near future as there's a bike trail that will cross all of America and it's coming straight through Illinois.

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Have you heard about the Great American Rail-Trail? It's a grand vision that spans over 3,700 miles featuring a bike path that begins in Washington, D.C. and ends in the northern area of Washington State. If you look at the map they shared, it shows the heart of the Great American Rail-Trail goes straight through both Illinois and Iowa.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy via YouTube
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy via YouTube
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They estimate this bike trail will put 50,000,000 within 50 miles of this adventure. Incredible. This effort began back in 2019 and appears to be 53% done according to the official website.

The Great American Rail-Trail will include new trails, but will take advantage of existing trails including the ones in Illinois and Iowa. The questions that come to my mind involve security and what kind of policing/upkeep will be set up if any. The founder envisions the trail will become "America's Main Street". We shall see how that works out. I certainly hope he's correct and this ends up being what the group envisions.

Since this is an ongoing effort, you can follow the progress of The Great American Rail-Trail on their official Instagram page and website.

Secluded Illinois Cabin on the Trail of Tears in Shawnee Forest