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The Jane Addams Trail runs for 18.9 miles between Orangeville and Freeport, following a rail line that the Illinois Central built in 1887 between Freeport, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin. The route, which crosses 22 bridges, is part of the 500-mile Grand Illinois Trail and passes by exposed rock embankments, wetlands, vistas of open prairie and farmland, and wooded areas.
About the Route
The trail’s northern endpoint sits just shy of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line. Heading south for 2.5 miles, the trail reaches the Richland Creek Trailhead before continuing out of Orangeville through a covered bridge. About 7 miles south of the bridge, the trail crosses County Road 5 and runs through the Jane Addams Cedarville Road Trailhead.
It’s less than 2 miles on a shoulder-less road to the childhood home and grave site of Jane Addams in Cedarville. Born here in 1860, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for her humanitarian deeds, which included the opening of a settlement house project (Hull House) in Chicago and activism in the social and political movements of her time.
The trail meanders through woods that support a wide variety of trees, birds, and other wildlife as the trail comes across the Wes Block Trailhead, about 3 miles after CR 5. During deer-hunting season, it’s recommended that trail users wear blaze orange. Bright-colored clothing is also advised for those traveling on foot or skis during winter, as snowmobiling is allowed when at least 4 inches of snow are on the trail. Heading south, the trail enters the historic town of Freeport.
The trail becomes an off-road paved bike path after the Wes Block Trailhead for 3.5 miles and eventually crosses the Pecatonica River through an original steel truss railroad bridge. After the bridge, the trail follows district sidewalks and bike paths through a historic district and a park on Douglas Street with life-size statues marking the site of the second Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858. After Douglass St, the trail quickly approaches Tutty’s Crossing Trailhead, which is only a short distance from the southern endpoint of the Jane Addams Trail.
Connections
At the trail’s northern endpoint in Orangeville, the Jane Addams Trail intersects with the Badger State Trail.
Note trail users will need a Wisconsin state trail pass if planning to ride the remaining 40 miles north to Madison on the Badger State Trail.
The Jane Addams Trails runs between Wuetrich Rd near Imobersteg Rd (Orangeville) and E Stephenson St near N Henderson Rd (Freeport), with parking available near the southern endpoint.
Parking is also available at:
Please see the TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Rode late September right before official hunting season. Not a lot of people on it. But to be safe, we carried blaze orange. parked at Wes Block trailhead as the long road out from Freeport is just bad trail riding next to an interstate. Trail is dirt, with some repairs and gravel. Rode up to the state line and the Badger Trail out and back. There were some beautiful spots, but also some lone wolves walking the trail looking sketchy and a hunter on an ATV at twilight. If you wanted to do an overnighter up to Madison and back the next day, you could park at the hotel right near the WB trailhead. Not sure I would do this trail again though as it was a long drive for a day ride from the suburbs.
Have ridden this trail multiple times over the past couple of years. Generally ride from the trailhead by Hwy 20 to Orangeville. Trail is well maintained and generally flat, and fairly empty of people, a few joggers on the South end. As with all the limestone trails, there's a few holes here and there from the local furry creatures. Pit toilets at Hwy 20 & Orangeville, a portolet at Red Oak. There's a BP gas station right across from the pavilion in Orangeville. Specific highlights are the old buildings from the railroad in Scioto Mills, and saw sand cranes inhabiting the wetlands south of Orangeville.
Rode our hybrids from Freeport Public Library to trail and followed it to the state line. Found it to be well maintained, flat and very little bike traffic. We biked on a Friday morning. FYI the library has paper maps of the trail.
I’ve ridden this trail several times. It’s beautiful, pretty well kept, and flat. In the summer, most of it is shady. This fall the colors have been beautiful!
On their site they said had a message from Aug.9 that the trail got beat up from a storm.So today I took a shot and gave it a try.Bad choice.I (silly me) would have thought they would have done some repairs,nope.Hang on to your handlebars.I went home after 7 miles one way,maybe next year after repairs.Other than that flat and straight,nice rural feel and quite.
Because I didn’t find this information anywhere on this or the JAT website be advised that there is a ton of washed out trail specifically north of Scioto Mills and the trail is actually closed north of mile marker 8 (Red Oak)
We started our journey just outside of Freeport, IL. Nice flat trail. The gravel/limestone is pretty non existent. Had to watch out for some gopher holes along the way. But was a nice ride to the Wisconsin border.
We started at Freeport, Rode the entire length of Jane Addams trail(stopping at the wildlife santuary right off the trial), continue on to Badger state trail in WI and then hop over to Sugar river trail to New Glarus, WI. We spent a night in New Glarus. Two hotels (and pizza restaurant) in New Glarus are right off the trail and are very bike friendly (Whole town is!) Cycle back the next day. slightly over 40+ miles one way. Jane Addams is definitely the nicest of the 3 trails(and it is FREE, WI charge $5/day to use their trail). Special shout out to the volunteers at Jane Addams(freeport) trailhead that help maintain the trial clean/safe and provide Free ICE COLD Water during HOT summer weekend. will most likely make this trip every year with the family. Bring a spare tire/tube or use gel tube. I hit a walnut seed and had a flat! (28mm wide tires). I would say entire trip is almost 70-80% shaded, we did that on a high 90s day and feel very comfortable.
Just hit the trail today from Tutty's Crossing in Freeport all the way to Wisconsin state line (35 miles round trip). It's been 3 years this month since my last ride there. It's in great shape and the weather was perfect. Great scenery for small towns and farmland. Plenty of food, drink and shopping in Freeport. (Definitely check out Union Dairy at Douglas and Adams!)
5 star trail for any serious biker.
Was on the trail up by Orangeville, a truck with a car trailer pulled off of 26 onto the trail . Not sure how he made the 2 bridge but wasn’t their when we made it back . Bring the bug spray sometimes Their terrible and sometimes their not ! Otherwise a nice trail to Freeport. Went to the pecatonica trail outside of Freeport over grown with grass. Not sure how far it was like that
We rode from Freeport to Orangeville and back. The trail was great and shaded almost the whole way. Scenery was beautiful and the trail was not crowded. Looking forward to going further north next time.
This time I started at the stateline trailhead and went south to Cedarville Road. It was a beautiful shady ride, I saw owls and birds and chipmunks and a few geese. Not much traffic, but about a quarter mile north of ORangeville, there was a huge tree broken over the whole trail, with just enough room to squeeze through. Then the following few miles between Brush Creek Road and Lane Road were really choppy: lots of shallow holes in the path and not a ride I would want to do on a road bike. It was scenic and private, and I loved that, but am glad for the shock absorbers on my hybrid. This would be a splendid trail if they paved it, but that seems unlikely. Still, a gorgeous ride, just one where you have to pay acute attention to the path in order to avoid some pitfalls....
We started in Orangeville and rode halfway to Freeport. Beautiful ride. We didn’t notice the hot weather because of the canopy of shade. The only negative is that there is no drinking water on the trail. Bring plenty of water.
Beer and cycling together for me. This trail is close to some excellent local breweries.Get out there and enjoy a ride and some beer.
Now that I have several to compare with, this trail is one of the finest. I generally only walk with my dog on it. The Orangeville BP Boco is a great place to stop for a snack, it has a sub/pizza counter and your can go back to the picnic shelter along the trail. Between O ville an Brush Creek Road, there is a butterfly nature preserve that was donated. I think its about 30 acres or more. The path is very well maintained. I generally do about 7 miles round trip per walk. Parking in O ville w/ porta potti, Buena Vista, Red Oak w/porta potti, Cedarville.
Biked the Jane Addams again today (7/22/19). Last time was August of 2018. Rode from the Tutty's Crossing trail head in Freeport all the way to the Wisconsin state line and beginning of the Badger State trail. 35 miles round trip. It was beautiful last August and even more so today. This has to be about the best maintained and overall most excellent trail in northern Illinois. Weather was perfect and the trail was in almost impeccable shape. Smoother in some parts than some roads around here. Whoever's in charge, keep up the good work. Gorgeous scenery as well. Added bonus when you get back to Freeport - stop in at Union Dairy, which is just a minute from the trail head, and enjoy the best ice cream. A perfect summer combination! Highly recommended. Only downside is that Badger State trail if you are thinking of continuing on past the state line. Not sure the Wisconsin DNR is keeping it up to Jane Addams standards.
My first ride on this path was with my son two years ago when he was in the 3rd grade. I'd just bought him a new bike which he was eager to ride. I'd also just bought a car bike rack, making road-trip rides possible. After doing some homework we headed northwest for an hour and a half to give this trail a whirl. We did not walk away unsatisfied. To shorten the ride we started at the parking lot near Hwy 20. This offers a straight shot north to the Wisconsin border. Away we went. We went on a summer weekday and probably saw no more than a few riders on our 22+ mile trip. Along the way, we enjoyed the sites and experience. My son loved seeing the open farms filled with cows and the occasional critter that wandered across our path. I really liked the rock formations and movement from small town to small town. We took our time biking and made the 22 miles an almost 3-hour journey that, at the time, was my sons longest bike trip. We rode to Orangeville and had a late lunch there before heading back. The trail itself was in great shape. I'd heavily recommend this path to any type of biker. Cheers.
We park near Rt. 20 at the stone part of the trail. Always surpasses every other trail around. Wide and very clear. Kept up perfectly. I would recommend this trail to at least the state line of Wicconsin, where it has not been well maintained lately.
Beautiful summer day for a ride. Started in Freeport at the trailhead using city streets to get to heart of trail north of town. Easy ride and not to far. Good parking facilities in town. Freeport's a great town. Path is fairly well maintained with a few bumps along the way. Nothing to slow me down. Quiet countryside for the most part, farms fields and the occasional county road/highway crossing. Foliage was in full bloom with all the rainy/hot weather recently. Highly recommend.
In September 2018 a friend and I biked the trail from Orangeville to Freeport and back. Signage on the trail is good. It appears to be lightly used, as we stopped frequently to clear away fallen trees and tree limbs blocking the trail. A pair of sandhill cranes was in a field just south of Orangeville. Walnuts on the trail were a challenge as hard to see in the leaves. The trail is wide enough to ride two abreast. Black flies at Tutty's Landing were a problem, so we hurried into Freeport for great coffee at 9 East. Recommend the BP convenience store in Orangeville for lunch or a snack. Bathrooms at the Orangeville parking area and Tutty's Landing.
Took my road bike to Tutty's trailhead in Freeport. Paved trail is well marked. Ramp out over railway tracks so you have to carry your bike over, but this seems to be in the process of being fixed. End of pavement leads to limestone trail (TURN RIGHT; signs very confusing). This is the best part of the trail. You can still see some railway tracks imbedded in the dirt at crossroads (which are mercifully few). Perfectly lovely trail, lots of trees for cooler ride, straight flat packed earth. Only one person passed by me in 16 miles; no walkers, runners, dogs or other bikes. Peaceful solitude and beautiful rural countryside. The trail was fine for my road bike, but I would not ride here if it were wet or muddy. Can't wait to do the whole thing.
First time rider and a lovely Fall Day with leaves falling and temps in the 70's. Rode to state line and returned. Stopped in Orangeville at the BP Convienence store for a rest and snack. Trail is in great shape for a non-paved path. A few gopher holes here and there but the path is hard packed.
You will get grit being picked up by your tires and thrown around a little. This is typical of a limestone path. Overall a very nice ride. There is a paved path from the trail head into Freeport about 4 miles. Runs right past the Hampton Inn so a person could stay at the Hampton and then ride the trail north into Wisconsin. I think Monroe is about 10 miles past the state line.
9-6-15 First trip to jane Adams trail. Perfect for 90+ day. Chose not to park at Tutty's Crossing and just followed 75 to 26 to trailhead past baymont hotel.
Trail feels like a well kept secret. very shady most of the way and slips by the edge of several small towns. two groups were buying passes to go into wis. when we got to the state line. Good food in Monroe they said. We turned back. Highly recomend this one.
We started out in Freeport and went past the Wisconsin line and returned. All in all, the trail was very nicely marked and even grade. After all of our miles, the bumps on the way back were more than my bottom could take, but I didn't notice it on the way there. There are just too many little critters digging holes in the surface. I loved the many bridges and benches along the way as well as the couple of shelters. It made it nice to know that you were never too far from civilization. Nice trail, we will do this one again and recommend it to all of our friends.
We started out at the south end of the trail. Parking is easy to get to from IL 26 southbound (1st right S of US 20). Good signage directing you to parking. They are currently working on the connection between the small asphalt section and the main section of the trail. We started from the main section parking lot. Population on the trail was light, especially early. We started northbound about 8:30 on Labor Day Sunday and we passed less then a dozen others the entire length, noticeably more on the way back. With some short exceptions, mostly around Orangeville, the entire path is shaded! Cool, scenic and peaceful. Many bridges along the way with well maintained, smooth transitions - including one newly constructed/repaired covered bridge. Several grade crossings, but with the exception of IL 26, the roads are not heavily traveled. Even crossing IL 26, your wait will probably less than a minute. There is a nice shelter and a gas station just off the trail at Orangeville. We biked the entire trail, to the Wisconsin line and returned. One important thing I have to mention. You need to keep your eyes open for holes and gullies. These will grab your tires and if not careful, put you on the ground. I imagine this will be an ongoing maintenance challenge judging by the number of prairie dogs sighted - they are everywhere. Other than that, the trail is VERY well maintained. If you keep moving you don't need bug spray, but if you stop, you're dinner. Many pros and not enough cons to take away one of the stars. A 5-star ride!!!!!
This trill would be perfect for a hot summer day as it is almost completely shaded.. dappled shade only this to watch for is chipmunk holes on the trail, a few miles from the Wes Bock trail head.
This was my first trip to the Jane Adams Trail. What a delight. Smooth crushed stone trail, easy to ride with my recumbent trike. My lab ran alongside my trike, tethered to me by a long leash. I am certain that she appreciated the surface that is much cooler than blacktop or concrete. We did not travel the whole path We went about six miles and then turned back to the West End parking lot The trip was shaded with old growth trees that provided refreshing shade. Although passing alongside of swamp areas and river overflow areas, my ride was free of pesky mosquitoes. The cool breeze that came down the wide trail and our good pace on the trike probably kept us bug free. We will be back.
This trail starts near Rt. 20 on the north side of Freeport, il. The trail is nice to do in partials or taking a few days ride. From the start you travel north to Orangeville, il. Then you can continue onto Monroe, wi.
Lots of places to eat and a brewery to tour here. Then onto Monticello, Wi. on the (permit required or day pass). Here you would enjoy spending a night in New Glarus using the Sugar River Trail. A great Swiss style village with many things to do and see. After that either double back or route the roads to get back to the Badger trail and onto Oregon, Wi. Here the trail is paved and you can get right up to Madison, Wi. and circle the lake or stop right up by the Capital. Lots to see and do for a day.
Then if you still want to disappear double back a little and head west on the military ridge trail to Dodgeville, Wi. This is good for sites and camping.
So for a few hours, or a few days, its a great trail system to enjoy. I have for years.
I ride this trail several times a year. A classic rail line trail: Flat, easy to ride, and very well maintained. It is crushed gravel the entire length. Pretty much shaded the entire length also which makes it a nice ride on a hot summer day. Plenty of benches along the way for rest stops. The mosquitos can get really bad at times (summer) as the trail runs through swampy areas, in which case just stop to rest in sunny spots. Orangeville has very nice facility for parking, bathrooms, and a shelter with picnic tables. This trail directly connects to the Badger Trail at the Wisconsin state line, but I have always turned around there. Overall, the quality of this trail is hard to beat!!!
This is the best trail I have seen in Northern Illinois. Well maintained, mostly tree covered, and rather remote. Only services are in Orangeville unless you go into monroe WI.
I've ridden this trail twice this summer and we've enjoyed both rides. We started at the trailhead north of Freeport (and as one of the other reviewers mentions access is now off of 26) and rode to Monroe, WI. Monroe is nice little town with several places to eat and a pretty nice chocolate and ice cream store. That ride is bit over 40 miles round trip. The trail is shady and pretty fast but you really do need to keep an eye out for gopher holes (some of which are pretty big). If you continue on into WI you should be aware that the trail is pretty steadily (although gently) uphill from the state line to Monroe. The first time we rode the trail it had rained heavily over night and I was impressed by how well drained it was. The scenery is forest and fields but we've seen a lot of deer and some herons.
I was on this trail in June of 2012. The trail is tree lined and covered with crushed limestone, which makes a pretty fast surface, although it can sometimes be bumpy and uneven. The trail crosses roads, but rarely runs alongside them, so that you are free of traffic sound and get to enjoy the beauty of the countryside unobstructed. The trail is generally level all the way to the Wisconsin state line and is well-marked with mileage posts and trailside maps. Orangeville, about ten miles from the starting point outside of Freeport, is a great place to stop. The BP station has a pretty good kitchen, selling subs, tacos, pizza and other fast food. The town of Orangeville also has places to eat, as well as a small grocery store. One thing to watch out for: gopher holes in the trail. If you hit one unexpectedly, they can be big enough to tip you over.
If you continue on this path into Wisconsin, remember that the Badger Trail charges a fee of 4.00 per bike per day.
I walked this trail this summer and I think it's as nice a trail as you are likely to find - I highly recommend it. However, a word of warning to those who want to park at the South trailhead near Freeport: you can no longer get to the parking lot by turning West off highway 26 onto Fairview Road North of the intersection of Highway 26 and Highway 20, as the intersection where Fairview Road used to cross Highway 20 has been completely removed due to a road construction project. To get to the lot you must now turn West off Highway 26 onto Riverside Drive South of the intersection of with Highway 20 and follow that road along South of Highway 20 until it eventually meets the West end of Fairview Road, and then proceed on to the parking lot.
I recently completed the northern leg of the Grand Illinois Trail from Galena to Elgin. I was on the Jane Addams Trail on August 4th, 2010 from Buena Vista to the southern end at Route 20. The trail is a well compacted fine gravel/limestone and was in excellent condition in spite of the recent heavy rains in the area. A crew from Stephenson County was on the trail repairing washouts and gopher holes. According to the crew, the trail is scheduled to connect with the Pecatonica Prarie Trail next year. Stephenson County will take over maintenance up to Winnebago County when the 2 trails are joined.
I did not venture into the nearby towns to check out the services though. The road connection between the south end of the JA and the Pecatonica Prarie Trail was a series of open and quiet roads.
Rode this trail today from the Badger State trail about half way to Freeport. It is a great place to ride. Plenty of places to eat and drink along the way. Oragneville has a nice trail access point with johns, picknick shelter etc. There is also a gas station minimart and town is right there. I got a good look at a bald eagle there circling around the prairie there very low and slow. I saw a deer also. The only thing is the chipmunks love to burrow in the trail. Worse than that some bigger rodents are also leaving large burrow openings along the way so watch out for them. All And all I would give this trail a solid A
"The trail now goes past Beleville Wis. which is around 45 miles past Freepoet Ill. It is suppose to go all the way to Madison Wis. which will be around 61 miles one way from Freeport. Trouble is these snowmobiles dig into the wood when they go over the bridges and the way it looks they will need replaced before long.
John"
We love the Jane Adams Trail! We have biked this trail three times this year alone. Our favorite time was around memorial day when all of the spring wildflowers were in bloom. Beautiful! This trail is always so quiet and peaceful. You don't pass many roads or people along the way. The biking surface has always been great as well. This trail is our favorite in Illinois.
"The Jane Addams Trail is now connected with the Badger Trail to the north. Orangeville is a great place to start from with a nice black top parking area and a shelter to eat your lunch in or the village has numerous places to choose from with anything from a meal, sandwitches or icecream"
"I rode on it last weekend and lked it. Someone at oneco told me they are suppose to build it to Monroe, WI. starting sometime soon and there will be more hills to ride when they get done.
John"
"i just returned from a quick trip back home to freeport and took my first series of walks along the now-finished JA trail. beautiful!!!!! all along the trail, i saw birdhouses, wood duck boxes in richland creek, nesting cranes and geese, ... absolutely beautiful! it's so nice to see people take a renewed interest in nature."
"We rode the trail again recently during spring break and discovered that the trail is now open another 2.5 miles north to the Wisconsin state line. For those of you with kids like us, restrooms are available only at the southern trailhead and Orangeville, 2.5 miles south of the state line (with more than 9 miles in between). If you go east onto the main street in Orangeville, Tammy Jo's restaurant offers generous servings of deliciouis, reasonably-priced ice cream. All days but Friday, though, they close at 2 PM. On Fridays, they close at 6:00.
Overall, the trail is nice and shaded, with the exception of a mile south and mile or so north of Orangeville. The scenery is nice, and we scared some frogs off the trails. The bridges had plywood sheets on them which we believe were to prevent damage from snowmobiles. Their spacing was perfect for maximum bumpiness, and we look forward to their removal for the summer! Overall, the trail was in good condition, but we found a few soft spots. The grade is slight to the north, making the southern journey barely easier, barring the strong wind we had this time. "
"The decision to drive to Freeport from the suburbs northwest of Chicago to ride this trail was a good one.
The southern trailhead is found by taking the Freeport Route 20 bypass and turning south onto Fairview Road, which is about one mile west of the Route 26 exit. When the road ends, turn right and travel west about one-fourth of a mile. The large, gravel parking lot has an attractive and interesting sign made with railroad timbers and steel rails.
The trail leaves the lot to the north, immediately passing beneath Route 20. White and purple flowers lined the trail, and within a couple of miles we passed a gently sloped area entirely covered with these beautiful plants. Some old rail structures stood on the east side to remind us all of the abandoned line that must have thrived at one time.
The surface is hard packed fine sand or gravel which was easily ridden by bicycles with road tires. A bit farther north bison or buffalo were seen in a field to the west.
Many old trestle bridges with brand new decking spanned a steam that seemed to follow the rail line. In a few sections, the trail cut through the layered rock, traveling for a short distance with rock walls to either side.
A couple of very small towns are present along the trail and then we found ourselves in Orangeville at the northern end of what has been developed thus far on this trail, which will eventually travel to Madison, repotedly to include a 1/4 mile long tunnel along the way.
Being Memorial Day, not much was open, but a BP gas station 100 yards off the north end of the trail had a section with seating, offering sandwiches, pizza, drinks, etc., at reasonable prices. A couple of signs were passed indicating foods available on Sundays, and we heard good things about a couple of places to eat in the town of Orangeville.
On the way back, we stopped at an old caboose set on rails and joined with a deck to a screened building, all overlooking a very inviting lake. We soon found out we were on private property and quickly left, feeling sorry that this very cute arrangement wasn't meant to be experienced by trail users.
The round trip was approximately 22 miles, with lots of rural roads to explore off the trail for those looking for more miles. We did this ride on a beautiful, sunny day, and although it wasn't humid or hot, the abundance of shade along the ride told us that this would be nice to cruise even during summer's nastier conditions.
The trail was not busy with riders, although a few dozen were encountered along the way, including a few families with young kids on their bikes. Don't miss the opportunity to ride this one! And, if you can, help or encourage the quick completion of the segment that will continue north into Wisconsin. "
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