This month’s Friends of the Hennepin Canal hike is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, and will travel from Lock 3 to Lock 1 on the Illinois River.

This hike is about 3.8 miles and is called “Walk on the Wild Side.” Meet at 1:30 p.m. at Lock 3, where the hike will begin.

This hike is not part of the biennial “Hike the Hennepin” rotation, due to the lack of a maintained path. Hikers should expect rough conditions with uneven ground, so please dress to get dirty.

If there is snow cover, it’s raining or there is too much mud, a substitute walk, the Great Blue Heron hike (4.5 miles) from Lock 6 to Lock 3, will be used.

Lock 3 is located on the northwest side of Routes 26 and 29 in Bureau. To get to Bureau, take Route 26 south out of Princeton or take I-80 to I-180, then exit onto Route 26 and go east into Bureau. If arriving from the south, take Route 29 (west shore of Illinois River) north to Route 26. Continue straight on Route 26 to the Lock 3 parking lot on the left.

Friends of the Hennepin Canal and nonmembers can participate, and there is no fee for the hike. Come and join in the fun and bring a friend. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather.

For information, email the Friends of the Hennepin Canal at hikes@friends-hennepin-canal.org.