- Shabbona Trail
]
The Chief Shabbona Trail is a hiking, bicycling, or canoing trail located between
Joliet, Illinois andMorris, Illinois . The Shabbona Trail is a part of the convert|61|mi|km|sing=on long National Park ServiceIllinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor.Hiking, bicycling, and canoing are free. The trail is open year-round.
Trail Length
The Shabbona Trail offers access points allowing a variety of trail lengths:
* 1 Mile: Stratton State Park toGebhard Woods State Park
* 2 Miles: Stratton State Park toGebhard Woods State Park and back
* 3 Miles:Gebhard Woods State Park to Chief Shabbona grave and back
* 6 Miles: Aux Sable Aqueduct (nearMinooka, Illinois ) toGebhard Woods State Park
* 10 Miles: Dresden Lock toGebhard Woods State Park
* 12 Miles:Gebhard Woods State Park to Aux Sable Aqueduct and back
* 15 Miles:Channahon State Park toGebhard Woods State Park : Can also be canoed
* 20 Miles: :Interstate 55 frontage road access toGebhard Woods State Park :Gebhard Woods State Park to Dresden Lock and backTrail Options
The Shabbona Trail is compacted gravel and remarkably well protected from traffic and the elements. There is only one point where a rural 2 lane road is crossed. The remained of the trail is on National Park Service Trails maintained by the State of
Illinois . Trees line most of the trail. Much of the trail is near theIllinois River . You can:
* Hike or backpack
* Bicycle
* Canoe or kayak (up to convert|30|mi|km, round-trip)
* Cross-Country Ski
* Snow MobileCamping & Boating
Camping is available at:
*Channahon State Park
*Gebhard Woods State Park (30 acre site)Illinois River boating access is available Stratton State Park.Grave
Chief Shabbona's grave is in the center of Evergreen Cemetery in
Morris, Illinois . It is marked by a large granite boulder. A brass marker at the base includes this information:: Chief Shabbona: Born 1775: Died July 17, 1859There is a marker convert|10|ft|m south showing other family members who are buried here.
History
The Chief Shabbona Historical Trail was established in the 1950’s by Troop 25. The trail is Nationally Approved by the Boy Scouts of America and follows the paths that Shabbona was known to have walked. Along the way, you will see full-size replicas of canal boats, working stone locks, and fully restored stone aqueducts. These sites date back to the when the
Illinois and Michigan Canal was built in the mid-1800s.Wildlife & Vegetation
Habitat ranges from open prairie grasslands to dense woods. The nearby
Illinois River provides panoramic views in many areas.The trail is shaded in most areas by a variety of trees including walnut, oak, ash, maple, sycamore, hawthorn and cottonwood. Springtime wildflowers include trillium, bluebell, white trout lily, violets, wild ginger, phlox, and toothwort. Songbirds, mallards, wood ducks, green herons and great blue herons feed and nest all along the trail.
You can fish for bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish and bullhead. Beaver, muskrat, mink, raccoon and deer can often be seen.
Flier
is a printable trail Map.
External links
* [http://www.nps.gov/ilmi/pphtml/camping.html National Park Service Illinois & Michigan Canal]
* [http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/I&M/EAST/GEBHARD/Park.htm Gebhard Woods State Park]
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