Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Bloomington area

Recreational trails for walking & cycling in Bloomington & Normal, Illinois

Bloomington and Normal are located in McClean County about 25 miles southeast of Peoria in Central Illinois. These cities are home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University.

The cities have a number of lengthy recreational trails for walking, bike riding and running. Some of these trails are rail trails that were constructed along abandoned railroad right-of-ways. There are also many parks with large numbers of walking paths.

Constitution Trail

The recreational trail system in Bloomington and Normal is known as the Constitution Trail and has over 37-miles of paved pathways. There are several separate sections of trail within the system.

Southtown

The Southtown section of the Constitution Trail consists of three separate sections of trail on the south side of the city. The west end of the Southtown section is located at the north end of the Route 66 section at Fox Creek Road, just west of Interstate 74. This section stretches east to S. Main Street at the southwest corner of State Farm Park. Another short stretch of the wider trail is located along Hamilton Road on the south side of the park.

The eastern section of the Southtown section starts at Hamilton Road and Commerce Parkway. The trail follows alongside Hamilton Road to the east. At the east side of State Farm Plaza, the trail heads to the north going past Brookridge Park. The trail turns back east at E. Lincoln Street. The west end of the Southtown section is located at Streid Drive and White Eagle Drive.

Interurban

The Interurban section is a 4.8-mile paved trail located on the west side of town. The west end is located at E 1400 North Road, just west of the intersection with County Road 1100 E. The trail heads to the southeast from this point. There is a jog in the trail where it goes under Interstate 74. The trail follows alongside W. Washington Street for one mile then it takes another jog to go over the railroad tracks on a bridge.

The Interurban section skirts the south side of the Downtown Bloomington area and ends at E. Lincoln Street and S. Clayton Street.

Northtown

The Northtown section is a 1.5-mile paved path located in the community of Normal on the north side of Bloomington. The trail follows alongside Northtown Road then cuts through a residential neighborhood to Pipeline Road. The north end is located at N. Bridge Drive.

Illinois Central

The Illinois Central section of the Constitution Trail is a 6.5-mile long paved path that crosses through the north part of Bloomington and across all of Normal. The south end of the Illinois Central section is located at Croxton Avenue, just east of Bunn Street.

The Illinois Central section then heads to the north going near the Illinois Wesleyan University campus. South of E. Vernon Avenue the Bloomer Line section heads off to the east. The Illinois Central section takes a couple of jogs near Normal City Hall and goes around Uptown Circle. This location is just east of Illinois State University. The Collegiate section of the Constitution Trail heads off toward the campus at this location as well.

The Illinois Central section goes under Interstate 55 and stops at W. Ziebarth Road to the east of Main Street.

Bloomer Line

The Bloomer Line section is a 4.5-mile long paved section that is located on the southeast side of Normal. The west end of the trail is at the intersection with the Illinois Central section. This point is located south of E. Vernon Avenue near Underwood Park. The trail goes past Colene Hoose Elementary School. The trail goes under Veterans Parkway to the north of General Electric Road. The trail goes past General Electric Park and connects to the trails at Tipton Park.

The east end of the Bloomer Line section is located at County road 1500 N and County Road 1900 E.

Route 66

The Route 66 section of the Constitution Trail is a 3.7-mile long paved pathway located on the south side of Bloomington. The trail follows alongside the Historic Route 66 road. The south end of the Route 66 section is located in the community of Shirley, south of the intersection with E. 850 North Road. The north end of the trail is located at Fox Creek Road.

Collegiate

The Collegiate section is located near the Illinois State University campus in Normal. The trail zig zags through the campus then heads north past Fairview Park. The northwest end of the Colligiate section is located on County Road 1700 N near Heartland Community College.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in Bloomington in Illinois.