Export to Trail Guide
Create Guidebook 
Download GPX 
Print Friendly MapThe Root River Pathway uses a combination of off-road trail and on-road route to form a crescent around the City of Racine. The trail closely follows the bends of the Root River, making it a great place to appreciate the waterway’s natural beauty. Signposts along the way educate trail users about the river’s significant role in the development of modern-day Racine.
The trail also links together a number of city parks, including Cedar Bend, Horlick, Lincoln, Colonial, Brose, Island and Belle City. At Layard Avenue, connect to the MRK Trail to travel north along an active rail line to the Village of Caledonia. At the Main Street bridge in downtown Racine, take the Lake Michigan Pathway to follow the city's scenic lakeshore.
Parking for the Root River Pathway can be found at most of the city parks along the trail’s route.
Biked this trail yesterday to complete a loop with the Lake Michigan pathway. The trail itself is enjoyable…getting out your phone to figure out where you are is not! The trail does have signs, but all signs are located in places where you don’t need help. I actually starting laughing every time I saw a sign with the arrow pointing forward on a straightaway. Almost every time I had to make a decision, there was no sign anywhere! Poor planning.
Be aware. Signage not good 1st part of south end (where we began).
Trail Link map + GPS very helpful. Since signs are more in keeping w/ biking, than nose on phone, a suggestion: At decision points pls post signs, rather than down the road when you’ve luckily made a correct turn. Once through that the South end chains thru parks, many charming bridges over The Root River. North end signage was elusive too. We park near Zoo, biked along shore line, cut West to pick up trail just west of Main Street bridge and enjoyed 90% of the ride back toward North/car. A leisurely and scenic ride except for the navigation guessing game at beginning and end.
Nice meandering ride through the different Racine parks. Only ran into gravel between Colonial Park and Lincoln Park, everything else was paved.
Nice easy ride. Only gravel part is from Colonial Park to Lincoln Park.
What a fun trail to ride it does have some street riding but the views are awesome. One more reason why I love my home town
The southernmost starting point for this trail is not accurate. There is a small sign and a hundred feet of trail at that point but the the trail is replace with a yacht club. A better place to start is down Ontario st just off hwy 38 head south and u can park on Ontario.the actual trail starts there
It's a great place to ride through for anyone biker, jogger, walker, with great scenery and nice old bridges to cross over. There's a park and benches around for resting and a restroom as well though it's not always open. It's a nice ride for the family to enjoy as well and good place for photography and some interesting wild life looms around Root River as well.
Just like the Lake Michigan route Root River can also take you to the Racine County trail which is crushed stone.
Root River is a very enjoyable, relaxing, memorable ride and worth checking out. It can get flooded at times, but it's not very often, but watch out for mud if you decide to go after some rain.
It's a great trail it's just a great place to be and ride through and see nature.
Happy riding everyone!
Very nice trail with some on-street sections. Views of great old bridges and some nice new ones for the path itself in Washington Park and Lincoln Park.
_198425_nb.jpg)
-_198435_nb.jpg)
_0_nb.jpg)
_0_nb.jpg)
_177836_nb.jpg)
_252658_nb.jpg)
_0_nb.jpg)
_193109_nb.jpg)
_166211_nb.jpg)
_133173_nb.jpg)
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!
_198433_sc.jpg)
_198432_sc.jpg)
_198430_sc.jpg)
_198429_sc.jpg)
_78788_sc.jpg)
_44839_sc.jpg)
_44818_sc.jpg)
