Bucket List Entry: Biking the Hennepin Canal Day 1

I tried to come up with the right way to present this, and I think that this is probably the best way to do it. I wanted to present the pictures and where they fall on the map. Unfortunately, Google doesn't really have a great way to show you everything and still allow it to be a casual experience. So, if you are easily entertained, this is for you.

Ever since I passed over the Hennepin Canal on one of our rides, I have been drawn towards it. Perhaps because it is relatively available, abandoned and hosts a bike trail. That combination is intriguing to me.

So, let's get on the trail.

This is Lock 29. It is not the farthest lock on the canal, as there are some more along the Rock River but aren't as accessible, and aren't on this path. My journey is along the bike path, not necessarily the length of the canal. Which is a good thing, because you can't get to the last locks on either end.

This is Lock 28. We are still along the well maintained part of the trail. The camera is already fogged by my sweat and the phone being in my pocket.


After passing a small sign with the notice, "Trail Closed", and passing under a waterlogged tunnel under I-80, we made our way further to the next lock. This is Lock 27 with the ends sealed off and the Green River now cutting across the canal path. The bridge was fairly nice. I had told Hayden that I was going to be taking pictures, and I got off my bike and dashed to the edge of the lock. The mosquitos were thick and instead of just ignoring them and getting on the bike, Hayden panicked and struggled to get out the bug spray from his backpack. The atomizer broke and I could smell it all the way to the bridge. I guess that is one advantage I have with growing up with a lot of bugs; not freaking out with their presence.

Along the line we had a few washouts and some were quite extreme. Then we met the above. We looked at it and along the right side, there was a gap in the limbs where if we laid our bikes flat we could slide them under the tree. So we did. I started to think that the sign announcing the trail was closed was somewhat accurate.

With Lock 26, we came out of the closed section of the trail and back to civilization, or close to it. Mowed grass at least. Notice the bridge. Because of the lay of the land, or lack of desire to build a bridge high enough, they chose a drawbridge that the barges had to operate as they went through. Only a few locks had this feature.

Lock 25.

Lock 24 and its environs and mechanisms that are still in place. At the end of the ride in Rock River, it describes what the mechanisms do.

Lock 23 with some fishermen hanging out. The Hennepin Canal holds the records for largest fish in Illinois. It is so boggy there are probably many new branches of evolution happening there without being studied because, the boggy.

A few shots at the end of the day's ride. We had to pack up and head home for an appointment. 1/3 of the way done.