On May 30, bicyclists can ride and learn about the 500-mile Grand Illinois Trail and McHenry County’s links in it during Pedalpalooza, a family-friendly cycling event.

Hosted by Family Health Partnership Clinic, in Crystal Lake, Pedalpalooza is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout Crystal Lake and McHenry County.

The drive behind the event is to raise money for the clinic - which provides health care services to the uninsured adults of McHenry County - while teaching people about the trail and its significance, organizers said.

People can start at any location along the trail, although most likely will start from one of these three locations:

• Pedalpalooza tent at Crystal Lake Brewing, 150 N. Main St. in Crystal Lake
• The Prairie Trail Main Street parking lots and trailhead at 7502 Eastgate Road in Crystal Lake
• Prairie Trail Route 31 parking lot-trailhead off Mitchard Way in Algonquin

Participants can bike the county’s trail system at their own pace while stopping at local businesses and community booths, said Sarah Rummel, senior project manager and landscape architect at the McHenry County Conservation District.

The McHenry County portion of the pathway is part of almost 500 miles of trails and designated roads for hiking and biking in northern Illinois.

First conceived in the mid-1990s, the trail today is a network of locally managed trails creating a route for long-distance recreation, according to Openlands.org.

In recent months, according to the organization, more than 50 local public entities, trail advocates, cycling communities, regional agencies, and tourism leaders have joined with the renewed purpose of completing the 500-mile route of the Grand Illinois Trail.

The Grand Illinois Trail Alliance was formed in September and is seen as a “powerful voice committed to completing the trail,” according to Openlands.org.

Planners say the trail goes from Lake Michigan to the banks of the Mississippi and back again, “offering an intimate way to experience the natural landscapes and local communities of the Prairie State,” according to the organization.

The trail encompasses the I&M Canal State Trail, the Old Plank Road Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path, which was the nation’s first rails-to-trails conversion, planners say.

Booths representing the conservation district and Openlands will be set up at the event, providing information about regional trail connections and the long-term vision.

The trail, funded through a combination of local tax dollars and state and federal grants, often referred to as the GIT, is “roughly a 500-mile, multi-use trail network that loops through northern Illinois and connects communities, natural areas and regional trail systems,” Rummel said. “The GIT has been in development for nearly 30 years and is now more than 90% complete — a significant milestone for a long-distance Midwest trail system."

Supporters say the trail’s importance goes far beyond recreation.

“The GIT connects people to parks, downtowns, conservation areas and rural landscapes while promoting outdoor tourism, healthier lifestyles and economic activity for local communities,” Rummel said.

Two trails in McHenry County serve as key segments of the GIT:

• The 26.5-mile Prairie Trail, stretching from Algonquin to Richmond.
• The 6.3-mile Hebron Trail, connecting Richmond to Hebron.

Together, those corridors form an important northern link in the statewide GIT vision.

Additional public GIT-themed events planned this summer include:

• Free-Aqua-Na Cycle: June 6 in Freeport.
• Spin the Driftless: June 13 in Galena.
• Debate Days: Aug. 22 in Ottawa.

Planners said there is no official timeline for the trail’s completion. However, the trail “continues to move forward through cooperation among park districts, conservation agencies, municipalities, and state partners.”

Rummel said it’s a “long-term collaborative effort involving numerous agencies and communities working together to create a connected statewide recreational asset. The long-term goal is to create a world-class regional trail network that residents and tourists alike can use to experience Illinois’ communities and natural landscapes.”

Event details and registration information are available through Pedalpalooza online at pedalpalooza4fhpc.org. A map of the trail can be found at Openlands maps. The yellow sections depict areas that need improvement.