Dozens of bicyclists will be participating on Saturday (September 13, 2025) in this year’s River To Rail Ride, hosted by the Vermilion County Conservation District. It is to benefit the continued development of the Kickapoo Rail Trail.
The riders will have four routes from which to choose. Three of the routes take cyclists to the section of the Vermilion County Rail Trail’s quarter-mile Trestle Bridge 90 feet above the Middle Fork River. The fourth route says within Kennekuk County Park. It is seen as a perfect route for beginning cyclists or families with young children.
The event includes routes that are 63, 50, 30 and 7.5 miles long. Proceeds go to benefit the continued development of the Kickapoo Rail Trail.
Thus far 3.1 miles of the trail have been completed in Vermilion County with an additional 8.7 miles planned. In Champaign County 8.2 miles of the Kickapoo Rail Trail have been completed with an additional 4.5 miles planned.
Once construction is completed in both counties, the Kickapoo Rail Trail will run 11.8 miles in Vermilion County and 12.7 miles in Champaign County.
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District is the lead agency on matters pertaining to the Kickapoo Rail Trail. The Forest Preserve District holds weekly meetings with representatives of the Vermilion County Conservation District and the Urbana Park District to make sure everyone is kept abreast of developments on the project. It will be up to the Champaign County Forest Preserve District to award the construction bid for the remaining work. The majority of the remaining construction is expected to be completed next year (in 2026), with the entire project likely not being completed until 2027.
