Best Rail Trails Illinois is the complete guide to walking, jogging, biking, and cross-country skiing more than forty of the most popular rail trails in Illinois. Written by an author with expert knowledge of the Prairie State, this easy-to-use book provides mile-by-mile descriptions of the top rural and urban rail trails—from the Chicago area’s Prairie Path, one of America’s first rail trails, to trails in the St. Louis area and those set in the breathtaking beauty of the Shawnee National Forest, as well as numerous other urban, suburban, and rural rail trails statewide.

Look inside to find:
• Full trail profiles, including length, access points, difficulty rating, and surface type
• Detailed trail maps
• At-a-glance icons for easy identification of rail trails that best suit one’s interests
• Information on wheelchair accessibility, parking, restrooms, where to rent bikes, and places to eat along the trail
• Location of ranger stations, visitor centers, and depot museums

A passionate cyclist, hiker, and runner, Ted Villaire is a regular contributor to the Backpacker magazine website and has written freelance articles on outdoor recreation for various publications, including Windy City Sports magazine, Silent Sports magazine, Rails to Trails magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and the Des Moines Register. He served as the editor of a weekly Chicago neighborhood newspaper and he worked for a number of years as a publications editor for a large, Chicago-based nonprofit. He has served with Illinois Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a hiking leader for its Team in Training program. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.