The I & M Canal Tow Path could only be made better if it had Culver's Frozen Yogurt Stands every ten miles or so. This is our outdoor adventure gym. We workout every Saturday as schedules allow by riding up and back. Our peak distances so far have been 10 and 14 miles. The wildlife is almost constant with great herons, egrets, woodpeckers, squirrels, rabbits and turtles. The green canopy that is shown in this photo from Saturday afternoon, 6/30/2007, is over many miles of the canal that reaches generally from around Joliet, Illinois to around LaSalle, Illinois, about 61 miles or so to the west. All though the total trail length is currently at 61 miles, some of it is more for hiking than bike riding.
A popular 11 mile stretch in the Joliet and Chicago section has become a favorite for after work biking as it is completely paved and is close to several housing neighborhoods. The Morris sections are not paved but are well tended with fine limestone sand and gravel. The overall path is almost perfectly level as it is the historic tow path that accompanies the canal, built in the mid 1800's and used up until 1933 when it was closed to commercial barge and passenger traffic due to lack of use, being replaced largely by freight rail.