Illinois Prairie Path -
Photos 6
Elgin Branch (from the Fox River Trail) to
the Geneva Spur and back to Geneva
(Click on any of the bike trail photos to enlarge)
OK, here's one of the places where the Illinois Prairie Path, Elgin Branch, splits off into a few different directions. This is just
before the Prince Crossing Road intersection. We talked to a
jogger here and ended up taking the left branch (above). I believe that leg connects to the Great
Western Trail too, but we took Prince Crossing Road south back to the Elgin Branch of the IPP once again.
You can also hang a hard right here... I really don't know where
that branch goes though. This intersection was actually confusing for us since this was our first time on this trail. I believe that the leg that we took (to the left in the first photo above) was actually the Great Western Trail. If the trail to the right was actually the IPP then we just took a short detour.
As you can see from the sign, this is where the IPP connects to
the Great Western Trail (east branch) at Prince Crossing Road. If you were to continue east on the Great Western Trail, I believe that this is where it passes through Timber Ridge Forest Preserve. I have not been on that part of the trail but would really like to give it a try soon.
We actually road south along Prince Crossing Road, on the sidewalk
as a little side trip, before we discovered that we lost the IPP, rode back and got back onto the
IPP trail once again.
Here's Wheaton Academy, along the Prince Crossing Road. This is actually too far south if you are following the IPP Elgin Branch, as we were. Hey, this was our first time on this trail and this was before I had my bike GPS computer (which can actually be helpful in situations like this).

OK, here's where we got back on to the Illinois Prairie Path
again on the other side of Prince Crossing Road. This is where the IPP runs through Timber Ridge Forest Preserve.