Explore the best rated trails in Charleston, IL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Greenbelt Bikeway and Brown Boulevard Trail. With more than 25 trails covering 91 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
The Wabashiki Trail sits on the traces the perimeter of the Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area, leaving travelers with the dual experience of nature and suburbia on either side. Great for wildlife...
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
The Hulman Street Trail follows its namesake roadway through residential and commercial areas of Terre Haute, passing Farrington Grove Elementary School along the way. At its western end, the trail...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historical downtown train depot. And...
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
Although less than 1 mile long, there are plenty of reasons to hit the Fairbanks Park Trail in western Indiana's Terre Haute. The tree-lined pathway winds along the banks of the Wabash River through...
The Rosedale South Trail offers a paved, tree-lined route along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the western Indiana community of Rosedale. It begins on the Central Street and travels southwest for...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
The unique Indiana Veterans Memorial Mile circles Indiana State University's football stadium in the shape of the state. Along the way, fitness stations add to your walking or biking routine. At...
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The Terre Haute segment of the National Road Heritage Trail runs for nearly 7 miles between the west end of Indiana State University campus downtown and Chamberlain Road behind Mewhinney Cemetery just...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
The first portion of the TREC (Trail Recreation Effingham County) system, totaling approximately 3 miles, is complete, although eventually 30 miles of county-wide bicycling and walking trails will be...
The Brown Boulevard Trail offers students from Terre Haute North Vigo High School a safe route to the Indiana State University Stadium to catch a game. The 2-mile trail also connects to the National...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail is a safe, paved route that connects all the major parts of the village. On the north, there are the various and popular facilities of the Lake of the Woods Forest...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
The Harold E. Ruppel sits in a perfect location to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and non-motorized transportation for residents of Savoy Village, in the Champaign-Urbana metro area. It...
While you’re in the land of Lincoln, visit the Lincoln Prairie Trail to make the trip complete. Starting at the trailhead in northwest Pana, leisurely stroll along a paved trail that is nicely...
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
The Rosedale South Trail offers a paved, tree-lined route along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the western Indiana community of Rosedale. It begins on the Central Street and travels southwest for...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historical downtown train depot. And...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
The first portion of the TREC (Trail Recreation Effingham County) system, totaling approximately 3 miles, is complete, although eventually 30 miles of county-wide bicycling and walking trails will be...
Although less than 1 mile long, the Dobbs Trail offers an important connection between two of Terre Haute's most popular parks, Deming and Dobbs. It follows Poplar Drive, a tree-lined residential...
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail is a safe, paved route that connects all the major parts of the village. On the north, there are the various and popular facilities of the Lake of the Woods Forest...
The Hulman Street Trail follows its namesake roadway through residential and commercial areas of Terre Haute, passing Farrington Grove Elementary School along the way. At its western end, the trail...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
The unique Indiana Veterans Memorial Mile circles Indiana State University's football stadium in the shape of the state. Along the way, fitness stations add to your walking or biking routine. At...
The Collett Park Pathway begins on the northern edge of the Indiana State University campus, where it connects to the National Road Heritage Trail, a proposed border-to-border route stretching between...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
The Brown Boulevard Trail offers students from Terre Haute North Vigo High School a safe route to the Indiana State University Stadium to catch a game. The 2-mile trail also connects to the National...
Although less than 1 mile long, there are plenty of reasons to hit the Fairbanks Park Trail in western Indiana's Terre Haute. The tree-lined pathway winds along the banks of the Wabash River through...
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
Although less than 1 mile long, there are plenty of reasons to hit the Fairbanks Park Trail in western Indiana's Terre Haute. The tree-lined pathway winds along the banks of the Wabash River through...
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historical downtown train depot. And...
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
The Terre Haute segment of the National Road Heritage Trail runs for nearly 7 miles between the west end of Indiana State University campus downtown and Chamberlain Road behind Mewhinney Cemetery just...
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
While you’re in the land of Lincoln, visit the Lincoln Prairie Trail to make the trip complete. Starting at the trailhead in northwest Pana, leisurely stroll along a paved trail that is nicely...
The Collett Park Pathway begins on the northern edge of the Indiana State University campus, where it connects to the National Road Heritage Trail, a proposed border-to-border route stretching between...
The Hulman Street Trail follows its namesake roadway through residential and commercial areas of Terre Haute, passing Farrington Grove Elementary School along the way. At its western end, the trail...
The Mahomet Village Bike Trail is a safe, paved route that connects all the major parts of the village. On the north, there are the various and popular facilities of the Lake of the Woods Forest...
The Rosedale South Trail offers a paved, tree-lined route along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the western Indiana community of Rosedale. It begins on the Central Street and travels southwest for...
The Brown Boulevard Trail offers students from Terre Haute North Vigo High School a safe route to the Indiana State University Stadium to catch a game. The 2-mile trail also connects to the National...
Although less than 1 mile long, the Dobbs Trail offers an important connection between two of Terre Haute's most popular parks, Deming and Dobbs. It follows Poplar Drive, a tree-lined residential...
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail...
The Wabashiki Trail sits on the traces the perimeter of the Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area, leaving travelers with the dual experience of nature and suburbia on either side. Great for wildlife...
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it...
The trail is great, but needs shade and wind barriers.
We started at the Jones Trailhead on Chamberlain Street, road about 3.8 miles toward the University then turned around. This section of the trail was mostly smooth and quite nice.
We parked at the Charleston Baseball Seaton Complex and rode towards Mattoon. The trail is a wonderful smooth asphalt surface which is sunny all the way to the Douglas-Hart Nature Center. It is a great trail!
Beautiful scenery! however this trail is no longer asphalt it has been converted to a gravel trail,Lack of signage also makes it hard and confusing to find, If you have the luck of finding it you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the lake and heavily wooded areas.
My partner and I decided to try this trail out because I used to run it frequently several years ago. We knew about the issue with the bridge, but we were hopeful it had been fixed. When we got to the Taylorville trailhead at Paw Paw Street and saw that the letters had been taken off the road sign warning trail users that the bridge was out. Alas, when we got a mile in, we were met with the closed bridge. I hope that they fix the bridge soon, or at the very least update the sign on the Taylorville end.
Other that that, trail was in pretty decent condition. Only saw one other person on the trail, but that's understandable considering that there wasn't much trail to use on that end.
Nice trail, fair amount of shade and open, could of used a little trimming little overgrown in spots overall good experience just wish they would get the bridge back open
I fully agree with other reviews great trail. Thanx to those responsible for getting it paved. All in sun however, might want cloudy day. Easy 20+ mile ride if you want, goes into 2 towns for food also.
This trail used to have some gravel but no longer..., it’s all asphalt now. It is a nice little jaunt to Mattoon and back. There is no shade except under I-57 near Mattoon. Wildflowers are beautiful. There are access points from the trail to the Charleston Country Club ( golf course) and Douglas/Hart Nature Center just outside of Mattoon. Port
This trail has been greatly improved and is now asphalt from Mattoon to Charleston.
Overall, trail was great! There are a few spots where some of the gravel was deeper and more difficult to navigate but our hybrid bikes handled this okay. The area around the trail was very well maintained and is in a very beautiful area along lake Shelbyville. We grabbed breakfast in town before our ride but would recommend parking at the visitors center (near the dam) to begin your ride. The trail is not marked in town.
We rode east from Fruitridge and Locust street. It is an easy ride. We are 70 and had no issues. Lots of shady areas. About 7.47 mile round trip.
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