Sangamon County is the proud owner of a new stretch of land, thanks to the Illinois General Assembly. Former Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill Jan. 9 transferring ownership of the Sangamon Valley Trail from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to Sangamon County for the princely sum of a single dollar. The 5.5-mile trail opened in 2011 and is mostly shaded. It runs from Centennial Park in southwest Springfield to Stuart Park on the northwest side of town, following the abandoned right-of-way of the former St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway. If the stars align, the trail has potential to expand in the future to a much longer trail when funding becomes available. If that expansion happens, the trail could link Athens north of Springfield to Girard in the south, for a stretch of roughly 40 miles.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2015.
