A key segment of the Kickapoo Rail Trail has opened in Vermilion County. It includes the portion where the trail crosses over an abandoned railroad trestle near the Vermilion County fairgrounds. Improvements have been made along the trestle, including the installation of a wooden walkway and railings.
It was announced in December of 2019 that the first segment of the trail in Vermilion County had been completed. Much of the trail in Champaign County had been completed earlier.
The first portion of the trail in Vermilion County involved a 1.8 mile segment from Oakwood to just east of Gray Siding Road. When that segment opened, Vermilion County Conservation District Executive Director, Jamie Pasquale, noted the trail can be used for such recreational purposes as walking, running, biking and even skateboarding. And he added it can also be used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter months.
The new segment can be accessed near the Vermilion County fairgrounds, west of Danville.
The Kickapoo Rail Trail runs along a former CSX and Conrail Railroad line. Eventual plans call for the 24.5 mile trail to run from Urbana to Kickapoo State Park. It runs through several communities, including Oakwood, Fithian, Ogden, St. Joseph and Mayview.
