12 Things I Learned While Biking the Great River Trail Along the Mississippi River

I recently spent 2-1/2 days biking the Great River Trail that follows the Mississippi River from Savanna, Illinois south to Rock Island, Illinois. I based myself out of Fulton, roughly midway on the trail, using a hotel there for my overnights. There are plenty of campgrounds all along the route if that is an option you would like to take advantage of. From nearby towns, or from Fulton itself, I did a series of three out and back rides for a total of 135 miles. Various short side trips here and there resulted in mileage totals that differ slightly from that illustrated on the following map:

These are the top 12 things I learned while riding my bike along this wonderful trail:

No. 1. My favorite ride of the three was the 57 miles from Albany to Savanna and back.

The route goes through many wooded areas, wildlife refuges, and bucolic settings with impressive views of open spaces and natural areas. Back water sloughs, pine scented trails, sand prairies, and large fields of sweet corn were some of my more pleasant discoveries.

No. 2. My next favorite ride was the 54 miles from Cordova, south to the trail’s southern terminus in Rock Island and then back to Cordova.

This route goes through numerous small villages all with their own unique charm as well as through the more urbanized Quad City communities with their riverfront parks, downtown buildings, and impressive bridges spanning the river.

No. 3. I experienced my least favorite stretch of trail during the 24-mile ride from Albany to Cordova and back.

Most of the trail along this stretch was adjacent to Highway 84 making for a noisy, dusty, and relatively unpleasant ride. However, this road is also a part of the Great River Road route, enjoyed by many motorcylists and auto tourists who can enjoy many of the sights that a bicyclist enjoys.

No. 4. The route is well-signed and is entirely paved. Well, almost anyway.

Finding your way is intuitive, especially along the dedicated paths. But, once in the towns and on their streets, you often have to rely on signs indicating which way is which and where to turn. On occasion, some of the signs are missing, so keep a map handy (I found one sign down in the weeds so propped it back up for others behind me to follow). And, other than a half-mile gravel stretch north of Albany, the entire route is paved. Road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, comfort bikes…..they will all do well on this route.

These guys were riding along the Grand Illinois Trail, a larger 500 mile trail that encircles northern Illinois, and which shares the route of the Great River Trail along the Mississippi River.

No. 5. Some stretches of the trail ride atop the various river levees.

The rides on them, though, were exposed to the strong headwinds making for slow going at times. Maybe I should have driven my Chevy.

No. 6. There are always reminders that the Mississippi is a working river.

Barges move freight up and down the river. Dredging equipment keeps the shipping lanes wide and deep. Adjacent industries rely on the river in various ways. Its waters are used to fuel their operations. The river is used as a means to cheaply transport raw materials needed as part of their manufacturing processes or to ship their finished products once completed.

When riding past this 3M plant, the air smelled like a freshly opened package of Post-it-Notes!

A John Deere yard strutting its stuff.

No. 7. Citizens are proud of their Dutch heritage….and have an active and whimsical spirit.

This is most evident in the town of Fulton where a windmill graces the riverfront. Make sure you take a detour off of the main trail and into this village where you will find this windmill. Elsewhere along the route, I had to stop frequently to photograph various interesting sites that made me pause and smile.

No. 8. Don't pause or slow down while passing the Thomson Federal Penitentiary.

The route lies adjacent to this prison. Although I stopped to take these pictures, I got back on the bike and pedaled away hard and fast, for I swear I started to hear banjos.

No. 9. Great weather means a great ride.

Ok, this one is obvious, regardless of where or when one rides his or her bike. Aside from the previously noted strong headwinds (which, of course, turned direction as I turned direction), the weather during my three days of riding was perfect. But there were reminders of what bad weather can bring. Along the trail there were trees snapped in two and debris still littering the pavement from earlier storms, which included an infamous derecho with its F3 hurricane level winds.

No. 10. If you are an architecture buff, you will not be disappointed.

There are big houses and not so big houses. Old, 19^th century buildings can still be found in the riverfront towns. Relics of past industries can also be found. Impressive are some of the trompe-l’oeil paintings found on downtown buildings

This is not a sculpture. It is a painting, using the trompe-l'oeil technique, that gives it its 3D effect.

No. 11. Take the time to rest and explore.

Don’t simply ride to put in the miles in as short amount of time as possible. Check out an interesting viewpoint or the nearby park. Allow for moments of serendipity. I did just that and came upon a drumming, chanting, and dancing heritage event put on by the Kickapoo Nation.