Trail Information Welcome to the many miles of trails in the Dixon Park District! We are blessed with diverse trails and recreational opportunities. Our trails consist of grass, paved, and packed aggregate (gravel) surfaces with adequate parking facilities. Mile markers are placed on all trails. Our trails provide recreational opportunities for: Exercising ~ Horseback Riding ~ Hiking ~ Bicycling ~ Jogging ~ Wildlife Watching ~ Fitness/Leisure ~ Cross-Country Skiing ~ Snowmobiling ~ Handicapped-Accessible Trails. Please take a few moments to become familiar with the maps on our web site. Dogs are welcome on all trails but must be on a leash at all times. Dog owners MUST remove dog droppings from trails and park areas. The paved Lowell Parkway Trail (3.5 miles) begins at the paved Washington Avenue parking lot. A paved parking lot on Murphy Street provides additional parking. Hikers, bicyclists, walkers, joggers, wildlife watchers, persons in wheelchairs and babies in strollers are welcome to use the paved Lowell Parkway Trail. There are rest benches placed along the pathway and a permanent outhouse is located at the junction of the Lowell Parkway and the gravel Meadows Trail (3.5 miles). There is a covered picnic bench at this site. Seasonal port-a-potties may be located at the soccer fields, the roller hockey courts and at Wooden Wonderland play area. There is a water fountain on the Lowell Parkway between the Washington Avenue parking lot and the junction with Meadows Trail. You may see a wide variety of wildlife on this trail including wild turkeys, songbirds, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, thirteen-lined groundsquirrels and rabbits. The Lowell Parkway Trail leads to the beautiful 240-acre Lowell Park where former President Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard for seven summers. A paved spur leads directly into the park. At the park you will find over 5 miles of paved roadways available for bicycling plus many hiking trails. Sorry, but to maintain tranquility, bicyclists are not allowed on non-paved hiking trails in Lowell Park. Snowmobiles and horses are not allowed in Lowell Park for the same reason. The Lowell Park Nature Center, play equipment, picnic shelters, ADA boat docks and more are found in historic Lowell Park which was established in 1907. The gravel and grass trails of the 567-acre Meadows Park offer great opportunities for horseback riding, cross-country skiing, walking your dog and wildlife watching. Snowmobiles are restricted to the marked gravel trails in the Meadows. A grass parking area for horse and snowmobile trailers is located off Brinton Avenue. Please follow the grass/gravel trail past the roller hockey and soccer fields. Please respect farm fields during the growing season; do not ride or walk through any planted fields. There are horse hitching posts at convenient locations. Please do not tie horses to trees for extended periods of time. Future plans include a water source for horses and possibly overnight horse camping. If interested, give us a call! A portion of the gravel Meadows Trail meanders along Rock River. Try your luck fishing while enjoying the view! Whitetail deer are a common site as are turkey vultures floating overhead among the clouds. Redtail hawks, bluebirds... the list of native wildlife including butterflies is endless! Named in memory of the late Joe Stengel, the Stengel Trail begins at Lowell Park Road, then travels a short stretch to Penrose Prairie. Joe was an ardent trail enthusiast, and he would be pleased to know that you are enjoying the trails of the Dixon Park District. The Stengel Trail is a mixture of packed gravel, grass and railroad ballast. The trail surface is comfortable for all but very narrow-tired bicyclists. Rest benches are placed along the trail. Please respect both Penrose and Gee's Grove prairie areas. Do not travel off the trail in these locations. Both sites contain rare and unusual native prairie flowers and grasses. The Dixon Park District is in the process of creating a grass parking area on the north edge of Woosung where the Stengel Trail begins once again. It is hoped that eventually the trail will be linked from Penrose Prairie to Woosung. Another grass lot is located on Judson Road on the south edge of Polo. Both lots are available for horse and snowmobile trailers plus cars and trucks. The city of Polo provides a trail that passes through the center of town. Take a moment and enjoy an ice cream cone in Polo! It is approximately 9 miles between Polo & Woosung. On the north edge of Polo, a short stretch of the Stengel Trail ends at Fairmount Road. It is hoped to eventually link with the Jane Adams Trail in the city of Freeport since this trail leads on to Wisconsin! If you would like to volunteer for trail extension opportunities, please contact the Dixon Park District office at 284-3306. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Give us a call! The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provides funding for many of our trails. Thanks to the many volunteers who assist in trail maintenance!

 

© 1999-2007 DIXONIL.COM - All rights reserved.