The Paul Douglas Trail Photos
to Grassy Ridge Meadow

(Click on any image to enlarge)

This is where the trail turns to the right (heading west on this trip) and runs parallel to Central Road (which is also parallel to Interstate 90). This part of the trail (where it makes the turn) is very wooded and pretty far from I90.

Central Road is not that busy of a road and can be seen on the left here. The photo above is heading west on the Paul Douglas Trail. The Highland Woods Golf Course is on the right and there are some office buildings to the left on the other side of Central.

This is the Paul Douglas Trail crossing at Ela Road. It's usually pretty easy to cross here and many times I don't even need to stop but there is some traffic here that you'll need to watch out for.

This is one of the nicer parts of this bike trail with a heavily wooded part of Paul Douglas Forest Preserve on the right. Just past Ela (heading west) there is a pretty steep hill followed by a winding part of the trail with a few more hills.

If you don't look to the side you might miss the views of the deep woods in this section. OK, the photo above may not be that exciting but I liked the look of this tree near the top of the hill that I just mentioned and I took a few photos that I stitched together for a wider view (the photo above).

The photo above is still on the part of the trail that winds along between Central Road on the left and Paul Douglas forest preserve on the right.

The tollway (Route 90) can be seen in the distance on the left on the other side of Central Road (which is between the trail and the expressway). Although this is a nice part of the trail, the I90 traffic in the distance can be heard and breaks the serenity of being out in the woods. This is why the part of the trail that runs north and south next to Huntington, Freeman Roads is my favorite part of this bike trail (there are more deer hangin out in that area too).

There are a few crossings in this section (an abandoned road and a rarely used driveway). They actually have a yield sign here for this road or drive into the woods that is almost never used.

This is coming down the steep hill just before the Grassy Ridge Meadow parking and entrance into the forest preserve from Central Road.

You cross a small cement bridge here before passing through a grassy field area just before the forest preserve entrance.