I&M Canal State Trail: Rockdale to LaSalle by Bike

The I&M Canal State Trail is the long ride southwest of Chicago, a flat towpath that follows the old canal. It rewards a full day, a bike with real tires, and some interest in canal history. It is one of the longer Routes & Trails in the region.

The canal behind the trail

The canal gave the country its first complete water route from the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico, by joining Lake Michigan to the Mississippi through the Illinois River¹. It was finished in 1848, at a cost of $6.5 million¹. It begins at the south branch of the Chicago River at Bridgeport and runs 96 miles to the Illinois River at LaSalle¹.

The channel was originally 60 feet wide and 6 feet deep, with 15 locks to handle the changes in elevation¹. Barges were pulled by mules or horses walking on the towpaths¹. In 1933 the Illinois Waterway opened and the canal closed to navigation¹. The towpath you ride today was renovated for hiking and bicycling after that¹.

The route, in four sections

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources describes the trail as 61.5 miles from Rockdale along the old towpath to LaSalle¹. The Canal Corridor Association splits it into four legs².

Section	Length	Surface
Rockdale to Channahon	9 miles2	Crushed limestone, easy and flat2
Channahon to Morris	15 miles2	Crushed limestone2
Morris to Ottawa	22 miles2	Crushed limestone2
Ottawa to LaSalle	14 miles2	Part crushed limestone, part paved2

Access points on the Channahon-to-Morris leg include Channahon State Park, Four Rivers, McKinley Woods, Dresden, Aux Sable and Gebhard Woods State Park².

Stops on the towpath

Channahon State Park. The site of two canal locks and the restored locktender’s house¹. The park offers picnicking, tent camping, fishing and canoeing¹.

Gebhard Woods State Park. A 30-acre park of slightly rolling terrain with shade trees, and an access point on the Channahon-to-Morris leg^1,2.

Ottawa. The trail meets the short, paved Ottawa Riverwalk³. The Fox River Aqueduct in Ottawa is the largest on the canal¹.

Buffalo Rock State Park. Two American bison call it home¹. Nearby, five large earthen figures of native aquatic animals form effigies¹.

Gaylord Building. Visitors can tour the renovated building, constructed of native dolomite limestone¹.

The trail has educational markers at nearly every mile³. The state marks the route and posts wayside exhibits that explain the canal era¹.

What to ride

Bicyclists should use thicker tires, hybrids or larger³. The surface varies from crushed limestone to grass, asphalt and gravel, and in some sections the path runs on both sides of the canal³. The towpath is mainly compacted gravel and can hold water after heavy showers³. Horseback riding is not allowed on the trail¹. After at least four inches of snow, the 61.5 marked miles open to snowmobiles¹.

Before a long ride, call the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at (815) 942-9501 to ask about trail conditions or report a hazard². The state park office in Morris is reachable at (815) 942-0796¹. Rental bikes are available at stations in LaSalle, Utica, Morris, Channahon, Lockport and Lemont².

The east end

The state trail ends in Rockdale, just outside Joliet³. After a gap, the trail resumes at the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site³. The Gaylord Donnelley Trail covers the 11 miles from Lockport to Joliet, part paved and part crushed limestone². Farther on, the trail is part of a well-groomed park just off Front Street³.

See the Cal-Sag Trail guide for a neighboring ride, the Fox River Trail for a paved alternative, and the best bike rides in Chicago for the full list.