The Great River Trail from Savanna to Thomson
by Dianne Koch
Looking for a lovely paved trail with a wide range of scenery, a trail that crosses various ecosystems, and a trail that is sheltered enough to protect riders on a windy day? The Great River Trail, originating in Savanna, Illinois, is a serious contender. A spacious parking lot at the trailhead is shared with the Savanna Train Car Museum at the corner of Main Street and Broderick Drive. If you have a few minutes before heading out on the trail, the Train Car Museum, open on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is worth your time. Sitting at a junction, Savanna was, and still is, a thriving railroad city, receiving easterly train traffic from Sabula, Iowa, and other north-south traffic from the Quad Cities to Dubuque. The city’s history is steeped in railroad lore, as noted on the city’s webpage. After crossing the railroad tracks, bikers and hikers ascend the quarter-mile-long bridge that rises over the numerous train tracks. While this wood-planked bridge is noisy, it creates an efficient and safe way to traverse the multiple rail lines below.
After the rail overpass bridge, the Great River Trail meanders through Mississippi River backwaters that lie on both sides of the trail. The woods create a shady tunnel for three miles. At different times of the year, the backwater levels can vary. These backwaters are often populated with Canada geese, ducks, herons, and egrets, depending on available forage. Seldom is the trail flooded, which shows the genius of the 1880s rail designers, knowing exactly how high to build the railbed above extreme flood events. About two miles from Savanna, a bench and bicycle rack mark a short path to an overlook of beautiful Spring Lake, managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Back on the Great River Trail, cutting through the forested backwaters, the trail passes the Seven Eagles Resort and Camp, a modern RV campground, a reminder that humanity is still close by. Another quarter mile down the Great River Trail opens to a parking lot and a seven-mile-long hiking trail around Spring Lake that includes some top-of-the-dike trails. In other words, water is all around the hiker.
Returning to the Great River Trail, the forest-covered tunnel continues for a mile but eventually emerges onto a prairie. The eye is drawn to the right as the prairie shows off its colors in every season. This protected land area leads down to another segment of Spring Lake and, beyond that, the main channel of the Mississippi. Next, the Spring Lake Campground appears and is a pleasant diversion. We see campers enjoying the summer weather and a boat dock. The trail then proceeds through more prairie, and we arrive at the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center, operated by the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Always a pleasant stop, this area has several paved bike trails through the prairie. The Learning Center has rangers available to answer questions on fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, boating, and birding. Sloan Marsh is directly across from the Learning Center and is a pleasant spot to catch your breath and nice views.
The Great River Trail switches to a road ride for the next five miles. The river is often in view on the right, and several cabins, campgrounds, and boat docks line the low-traffic Riverview Road. As the river eventually stretches away from the road, small neighborhoods and a couple of subdivisions pop up. The road then passes some irrigated, sandy fields that raise a variety of crops, from melons to pumpkins, that change yearly. A few trees line the road here too, creating beautiful scenery. The flat road turns east, and cyclists pass the Thomson Prison. Upon reaching the northwest edge of Thomson, bike straight into the Thomson Causeway Recreation Area. A nice bathroom is open during camping season at the junction. The lane to the River Birch campground, immediately on the right, provides pleasant, cozy camping on the Mississippi shore. Only 20 campsites exist here. Back out on the main road, riders cycle through a small pine forest that smells lovely, reminiscent of the Wisconsin Northwoods. Upon entering the main campground, riders travel the causeway and need to watch for turtles crossing the road. The causeway leads to a large island with three separate camp areas, a picnic area, a Native American mound, and a hiking trail, all operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Many of the 131 campsites are literally on the shoreline while all the other campsites have water views. This fun bike ride is shady and provides great backwater or main Mississippi River channel scenery. On exiting the park, a two-mile prairie trail runs south to Railroad Lane. This sand prairie has prickly pear cacti, coneflowers, hoary vervain, and brown-eyed suzies. Habitat also exists for box turtles. We turn around here to retrace our way back to Savanna. Food stops in Thomson could occur at Bears Drive Inn or the Casey’s General Store. A total round trip is close to 30 flat miles. The numerous trees give shelter, breaking any harsh winds. The ever-changing scenery keeps the route interesting, and the number of ecosystems in a fifteen-mile route is unbelievable: forest, main channel river, backwaters, marsh, prairie, sand prairie, fruit and vegetable fields, neighborhoods, and campgrounds. There is a little bit of something for everyone on the Great River Trail from Savanna to Thomson.