Cook County bike trails yesterday and today

The Forest Preserves of Cook County has touted a new Wellness Center at Caldwell Woods off the Northwest Side of Chicago, but it also talked about the new path it built to the stalwart North Branch Trail. The more gradual path replaced the steep ramp that was there for 50 years. That had me reminiscing of my childhood in the 1970s and early '80s. How the trail has grown. Read.​

I also scoured the forest preserve district's updated 5-year capital improvement plan to see what's in store for 2026. Making the list are:

• The Midlothian Meadows loop trail
• The Catalina Grove trail spur
• A Beaubien Woods-Carver Park trail connection
• The Major Taylor Trail in Whistler Woods
• Palos preserves trails

And mentioned for current and future projects: the Des Plaines River Trail.

But missing from the list, though we bicyclists up in the northwest have been eagerly awaiting big improvements: the Busse Woods Trail. See the details.​

Name these Cook trails — and ride 'em in a day

Do you recognize these four northwest Cook County bike trails? They're all not too far from each other, so you can ride them all in one round trip if you're up for a 52-mile ride. One reader put together the route through the suburbs.​

In Will County

Have you ridden the west end of the Old Plank Road Trail since 7 miles were repaved last summer and fall? It's amazing. Now the 14 miles in Will County are all a smooth, lovely ride — intersections notwithstanding. The Cook County side? Less good. Peek.​

Things heating up?

A reader got word, sort of, about when the Salt Creek Trail might reopen under I-294. In local news.

Next weekend is International Women’s Day Together We Ride, and it's the Wheeling Wheelmen St. Patrick's Day Ride after that. Check the ride list.

It's warmer out, right? But it's windy, too. Remember to play the wind! — Neil

THANK YOU TO THESE DONORS: Alan White, John Heer, Terry Witt, Mitchell C. Jones, T L Szensy, the Arlington Heights Bicycle Club, Douglas H. Hoffman, James Krause, Melynda Findlay Shamie, Eric Slagter, Jeffery Norman, Kathleen Hays, Andrew L. Campbell, Mark Rathe, Robert M. Yedinak, John S. Perry, David Waycie, David Michels, Cynthia DeVoss, Cheryl Zalenski, Richard H. Jordan, Mark Joseph Dugo, Richard Wadleigh, Colleen Stevenson, Randy Barich, Michael D. Staples, Michael Vander Weele and Hilliard B. Grossman. They've helped support this work provided for free.
You can, too. Buy me a cup of coffee, as they say?

At top, this section of the North Branch Trail didn't exist when I started riding it in the '70s!

For even more, read old newsletters. And please forward this to anyone interested.