Rock Island Trail State Park
Encyclopedia
The Rock Island Trail State Park is a 26 miles (41.8 km) long public rail trail
in the west-central region of the U.S. state of Illinois
. It was designated a National Recreation Trail
in 2003.
It passes through portions of Peoria
and Stark
counties. The southern end of the trail is currently located at Pioneer Parkway in north Peoria, Illinois
, and the northern end is in Toulon, Illinois
, the county seat of Stark County. The right-of-way served as a railroad line from 1871 to 1963, was unused in 1963-1989, and has been a public trail since 1989.
, commonly known as the Rock Island. The current Rock Island Trail is a fragment of what was once a predecessor railroad, the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad
built in 1869-1871, stretching southeastward from the Quad Cities
of Illinois and Iowa to Peoria. The Rock Island soon acquired the Peoria and Rock Island and added it to their extensive trackage throughout the North American Great Plains
; and this branch line once delivered large quantities of barley
, rye
, and other small grains to the distilleries of Peoria for the manufacture of American blended whiskey
. With the coming of Prohibition
in 1920, use of the railroad for this purpose declined, and the last train ran in 1963.
The Rock Island Trail became one of the first rail-trail conversions in downstate Illinois
. The right-of-way was acquired for public use in 1965 and was deeded to the State in 1969, but it was only after a twenty-four-year period, in 1989, that the line was opened for use as a public trail. The official dedication came in May 1990.
to U.S. Highway 150, from which a separate existing trail serves the center of Peoria.
Only 2.4 miles (4 km) of the Kellar Branch has been converted so far. The Kellar extension of the Rock Island Trail contains a 400-foot (120 m) tunnel under Illinois Route 6
, the ring road that serves as a commuter highway for northern Peoria.
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
in the west-central region of the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It was designated a National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,000 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs...
in 2003.
It passes through portions of Peoria
Peoria County, Illinois
Peoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 186,494, which is an increase of 1.7% from 183,433 in 2000. Its county seat is Peoria....
and Stark
Stark County, Illinois
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,994, which is a decrease of 5.3% from 6,332 in 2000...
counties. The southern end of the trail is currently located at Pioneer Parkway in north Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, and the northern end is in Toulon, Illinois
Toulon, Illinois
Toulon is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stark County. Toulon is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the northwestern terminus of the Rock Island Trail State Park.-Geography:Toulon...
, the county seat of Stark County. The right-of-way served as a railroad line from 1871 to 1963, was unused in 1963-1989, and has been a public trail since 1989.
History
The trail derives its name from the former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
, commonly known as the Rock Island. The current Rock Island Trail is a fragment of what was once a predecessor railroad, the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad
Peoria and Rock Island Railroad
The Peoria and Rock Island Railroad was a railroad of in length, located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It provided service between the two cities listed in its corporate name. Chartered on March 7, 1867, it was built between 1867 and 1871 and first provided passenger service between these two...
built in 1869-1871, stretching southeastward from the Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
of Illinois and Iowa to Peoria. The Rock Island soon acquired the Peoria and Rock Island and added it to their extensive trackage throughout the North American Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
; and this branch line once delivered large quantities of barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, and other small grains to the distilleries of Peoria for the manufacture of American blended whiskey
Blended whiskey
A blended whisky is the product of blending different types of whiskies and often also neutral and near-neutral spirits, coloring, and flavorings...
. With the coming of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in 1920, use of the railroad for this purpose declined, and the last train ran in 1963.
The Rock Island Trail became one of the first rail-trail conversions in downstate Illinois
Downstate Illinois
Downstate Illinois refers to all of Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. This term is flexible, but because it is generally meant to refer to everything outside the Chicago-area, some cities in Northern Illinois, such as Rockford and DeKalb, , are considered to be "downstate".The term...
. The right-of-way was acquired for public use in 1965 and was deeded to the State in 1969, but it was only after a twenty-four-year period, in 1989, that the line was opened for use as a public trail. The official dedication came in May 1990.
Future
Trail advocates hope to extend the Rock Island Trail by converting the entire right-of-way within the Kellar Branch, an 8.3-mile (13 km)-long section of the same former Rock Island railroad line, into an extension of the trail southward. Implementation of this conversion would lengthen the trail through Peoria HeightsPeoria Heights, Illinois
Peoria Heights is a village lying almost entirely in Peoria County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 6,635 at the 2000 census. Peoria Heights is a suburb of Peoria and is surrounded by the city except for its eastern boundary on Peoria Lake, a relatively wider section of the...
to U.S. Highway 150, from which a separate existing trail serves the center of Peoria.
Only 2.4 miles (4 km) of the Kellar Branch has been converted so far. The Kellar extension of the Rock Island Trail contains a 400-foot (120 m) tunnel under Illinois Route 6
Illinois Route 6
Illinois Route 6 is a 4-lane freeway in central Illinois. It begins as a northern extension of Interstate 474 at Interstate 74 west of Peoria, and ends at Illinois Route 29 in Mossville, south of Chillicothe...
, the ring road that serves as a commuter highway for northern Peoria.
Points of interest
From south (Peoria) to north (Toulon):- Pedestrian tunnelSubway (underpass)In England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and some Commonwealth countries , the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.The term is also used in the...
under Illinois Route 6 (Kellar Branch extension) - Kickapoo Creek Recreation Area, including a Class D camping area and 14 acres of restored tallgrass prairieTallgrass prairieThe tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance. In the past, tallgrass prairies covered a large portion of the American Midwest, just east of the Great Plains, and portions of the Canadian Prairies. They flourished in areas with...
(Fox Road, north of Alta) - Bridge over Kickapoo Creek (Cedar Hills Drive, south of Dunlap, IllinoisDunlap, IllinoisDunlap, located on Illinois 91, is a small village in Peoria County Illinois, United States. Its population was 926 people as of the 2000 census. Dunlap is part of the Peoria metropolitan area and growth in the city of Peoria is extending towards the village...
) - Class B tallgrass prairie remnant (County Line Road, north of Princeville, IllinoisPrinceville, IllinoisPrinceville is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,621 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Princeville is located at ....
) - Chicago, Burlington and Quincy DepotChicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Depot (Wyoming, Illinois)The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Depot, simply shortened to Wyoming Station was a Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad station in Wyoming, Illinois. Now the headquarters of the Rock Island Trail State Park, the building is on the National Register of Historical Places...
(east side of Wyoming, IllinoisWyoming, IllinoisWyoming is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2000 census. It is the headquarters of the Rock Island Trail State Park. Wyoming is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) - Bridge over the Spoon RiverSpoon RiverThe Spoon River is a tributary of the Illinois River in west-central Illinois in the United States. The river drains largely agricultural prairie country between Peoria and Galesburg...
(2 miles (3.2 km) west of Wyoming)