A project of the Village of Machesney Park. Opened in 1997, this path begins at Harlem High School on North Alpine Road in Machesney Park and extends east along the creek 5.2 miles into Loves Park and on to Rock Cut State Park. Features along the path include the Harlem Community Center's Project Playworks and the Dennis Johnson Park (just west of Forest Hills Road) with playground and tennis courts. Plans call for a marked lane through residential areas between the high school and Machesney Park Mall, where the Willow Creek path will link to the Bauer Path. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has added a 1.25 mile paved path through Rock Cut State Park to the Pierce Lake Dam. Path users can continue east on a 2.3 mile bike lane to Olson Beach. Parking is available at Harlem High School and Rock Cut State Park. Click here for a map.
