Trail Section 17 — I&M Canal State Trail to Old Plank Road Trail

Point-of-Interest

Major canal town for both the I&M Canal and today’s Illinois Waterway designed for the multi-barge packets pushed by tugboats. A good place to watch the water way action is at Bicentennial Park on the west bank of the Des Plaines River just north of Jefferson St. Downtown Joliet on the east bank offers a pictorial history of the city in a multitude of murals and steel silhouettes of its famous citizens. Stop at the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitor's Bureau 81 N. Chicago St. for tour brochures. Ask for "Joliet – A Midwestern Mosaic" and the "I&M Canal Passage" or contact www.canalcor.org.

Take a short side trip on the Hickory Creek junction trail, a pleasant 1 1/2 miles round trip from the GIT/Old Plank Road Trail to Hickory Creek. The site is not fully researched and interpreted yet, but this general area on Hickory Creek has a history that is related to native Americans especially the Iroquois and Midwestern tribes, the French Canadian explorers, the first settlers in the Chicagoland region, and the later local evolution of the 19th century farming towns of New Lenox and Mokena. This is a site that you may be learning much more about in the future.

This is the county’s largest grass land prairie restoration project. Tour information: 30239 South State Route 53, Wilmington, IL 60481, 815-423-6370

R&R Motel, U.S 6 on the east side of the I-55 interchange (1 mile south of the I&M Canal Trail, immediately east of the I-55 bridge take the Thomas Dillon frontage road from the trail south alongside I-55 to the motel)

Walona Motel, Rte. 30 and Walona St. From OPRT/GIT 1/4 mile east of Cedar Rd. take Joliet Highway left/east 1/2 mile to Williams St., left 1/2 mile to Rte. 30, right 1/4 mile to Walona St. 815-485-8232.

The Abe Lincoln Motel, 10841 and Rte. 30/Lincoln Hwy, (0.3 miles north of the GIT), turn north off trail at 108th Ave. 108th Ave is 1/2 mile east of Wolf Road. 815-469-5114

P.O. Box 54, Channahon, IL 60410, imcanal@uti.com
Primitive tent camping only: gear must be walked to campsite, no vehicular access. Fire rings, picnic tables, and grills are located in the camping area. A drinking fountain and pit toilets are located within a short distance from the camping area. A camping permit must be obtained from the information center.

More information: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/I&M/EAST/CHANNAHO/Park.htm#Camping