Hinkle's Woods Recreation Foundation, Inc.

Access to Stone Bridge Trail

Hinkle's Wooded Acres Access Path to Stone Bridge Trail

Stone Bridge Trail is an approximate 4.5 -mile stretch of abandoned railway right-of-way, extending from Roland Olson Forest Preserve to McCurry Rd. The Trail is a portion of the State’s Grand Illinois Trail System linking a total of 450 miles of recreational paths. The Stone Bridge Trail is owned by Roscoe Township under a “rail banking” agreement and is currently protected by a conservation easement granted to the Natural Land Institute (NLI). The conservation easement provides a certain level of protection from development for all of the nature trail right-of-way, excluding the 20 ft wide center of the property used as a recreational trail.

Acquisition

The acquisition of the recreational trail by Roscoe Township was aided by bicycle and snowmobile grants from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Both activities will be permitted on the developed trail. The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) works closely with the IDNR and NLI as stewards of the natural areas.The NLI is also responsible for the restoration of open space corridors, protection of prairie remnants and threatened and endangered species within the Stone Bridge Trail.

Controlling Access

The residential area of Hinkle’s Wooded Acres (Hinkle’s) is located adjacent to the Stone Bridge Trail in Harlem Township, Winnebago County. Recreational users from Hinkle’s started gaining uncontrolled access to the Stone Bridge Trail in about 1995, from Tybow Trail via a 20 ft wide, 274 ft long path. There was never a formal or legal easement to the Stone Bridge Trail planned as part of the Hinkle’s residential area. In the summer of 2000, the uncontrolled access point to the Stone Bridge Trail was blocked off. The uncontrolled access point, although not a legal easement, was always assumed to be available for residents who use the Trail. Blocking the Trail resulted in frustrated families within Hinkle’s with no way to gain access to the path system. Access from the nearest alternative legal access point at Roland Olson Forest Preserve, along busy Atwood Road, was unrealistic for users, particularly children. Creating another uncontrolled illegal access point simply creates another issue and most likely simply delays a final solution.
In September 2000, a group of Hinkle’s residents inquired as to the options to create a legal controlled means to regain access to the Trail. To that end, the Hinkle’s Family, the developers and contractors in Hinkle’s, real estate agents, residents and concerned citizens have conducted a series of meetings with the Harlem and Roscoe Township officials and attorneys, the Natural Land Institute, the Nature Preserve’s Commission, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and have worked together as partners to solve the issues and create a legal access point. The process has required personal donations and expenditures from many individuals. The land surveys, legal work, engineering and site development plans have been prepared, and agreements completed. The construction work began in the summer of 2001 with Harlem Township dedicating services to install about 250 linear ft of the path. The remaining 300 Linear ft of path is currently being constructed during the late summer 2002.

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