DuPage Forest Preserves To Open New Century Trail
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As part of its 100th anniversary, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District has put together a 100-mile biking and hiking trail linking existing trails.
The kickoff of the DuPage Forest Preserves Century Trail has been set for Saturday morning at the district's headquarters in the Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton.
"It goes through 33 forest preserves, out of our 60 that we have," said district fundraising coordinator Katie Michel.
A special committee came up with the route, but Michel admitted no one has yet tried all 100 miles.
"We have a couple committee members that have started riding on it, but no one's done the full 100 yet," she said.
Officials will cut the ribbon on the trail at 8 a.m. Saturday, but Michel said users shouldn't feel as if they have to tackle all 100 miles. The trail is designed for all skill levels.
"People are invited to do either 5-, 10-, or 15-mile looped bike rides. So if you're doing the 10-mile route, it's 5 miles there, and 5 back, and so you're kind of getting a little taste of the trail," she said.
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Designers tried to limit the number of streets the trail crosses, to make it the safest route possible.
"We tried to keep most everything with trails or sidewalks. There are a couple streets to cross throughout all DuPage County, just to try and connect everything," Michel said.
There are 11 commemorative historical markers throughout the trail, featuring fun facts, like the reason the county's second largest forest preserve is called Waterfall Glen, and the discovery of a 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton at Blackwell.
