Biking
A man is riding a bike down a trail in the woods.

Biking at Our Preserves


Biking, is one of the ways people enjoy nature. In addition to enjoying nature, riding can relieve stress, help keep you fit and provide a mechanism for a healthy lifestyle. We have some of the best biking trails around at Dorrance Park, Illiniwek Forest Preserve and Loud Thunder Forest Preserve. If you enjoy the flat paved smooth surface of a trail for your road bike, then access the Mississippi River Trail/Great River Trail from Illiniwek Forest Preserve. Depending on the weather and ground conditions the trails may be closed from time to time. Additional trail information for the District and Quad City Region can be found at QC Trail and QCFORC

Biking at Illiniwek Forest Preserve

A man is riding a bike down a trail in the woods.

Illiniwek offers the ultimate off-road and paved-road biking experience, perfect for all levels. 


Off-road adventures

Illiniwek offers five-miles of single-track forest trails for athletes of all levels, featuring log overs, wooden berms and scenic views. Multiuse trails are open all year long but occasionally close for inclement weather and trail conditions. Check out Illiniwek's Facebook page for trail status updates. Click here for trail map. Want to meet up with other off-road cyclers, enter a race, or just help keep our trails the best around, contact QCFORC on how to get involved.


Great River Road and Great River Trail

At Illiniwek, the nearly 174-acre preserve straddles Highway 84 and the Illinois’ Great River Road, a designated National Scenic Byway spanning 550-mile route on Illinois western border. The Great River Road runs through Illiniwek Forest Preserve and the Great River Trail runs right next to it. The Great River Trail spans 62-miles through the Quad Cities region offering a flat concrete surface through neighborhoods, commercial districts, recreational areas and historical landmarks. Illiniwek is the perfect place to gain biking access to these trail systems.

Biking at Loud Thunder Forest Preserve

Two people are riding bicycles in a park on a sunny day.

The Illinois Great River Road National Scenic Byway winds through the picturesque landscapes of Loud Thunder Forest Preserve. The Sac-Fox Trail is an approximately 12-mile, continuous loop, moderate level mountain biking trail. It winds its way throughout the preserve and the adjacent Loud Thunder Boy Scout Camp. There are other shared-use trails located throughout the preserve for mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hikers.  Trails are never closed to hikers but bikers check Loud Thunder Forest Preserve Facebook page for trail status updates as the trails do get closed to bikers and equestrians users during unfavorable weather and trail conditions. Click here for a trail map.

Biking at Dorrance Park

A tree in the middle of a forest with leaves on the ground.

All phases of trail construction have been completed offering 3.5 miles of trail at Dorrance Park thanks to the Quad City Friends of Off-Road Cycling club. Trails range in difficulty from beginner to intermediate to advanced. Dorrance offers three and a half miles of single-track forest trails for athletes of all levels, featuring log overs, wooden berms and scenic views.  All trails are adequately marked to notify riders/hikers of difficulty level.  Occasionally the trails are closed due to inclement weather and trail conditions, check Illiniwek Forest Preserve's Facebook page for trail status updates.
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