AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The MCT Nature Trail is a 15-mile paved rail-trail threading through Madison County, Illinois, from the wooded bluffs above Edwardsville down into the fertile floodplain of the American Bottom, ending at the beautiful Wilson Park in Granite City. Part of the interconnected Madison County Transit trail system, it offers a traffic-free corridor for walking, cycling, and in-line skating that passes through remarkably varied landscapes — open farmland, wetlands, tree-lined creeks, university grounds, and older neighborhoods.↗↗
What makes this trail special is its sheer diversity within a single route. Riders can experience a gentle downhill glide from the bluffs down to the Mississippi floodplain, spot deer, wild turkeys, and rabbits along wooded stretches, and connect seamlessly to other MCT trails for rides spanning 35 miles or more.↗↗
The Route and Its Landscapes
The trail runs roughly east to west, beginning in the old Leclaire neighborhood of Edwardsville near Longfellow Avenue and Nelson Avenue, climbing gradually from the Mississippi River floodplain to the wooded bluffs bordering Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and University Park. From there it descends back into the flat American Bottom — one of the most fertile agricultural landscapes in the Midwest — passing alongside and over Chain of Rocks Road, once part of the legendary Route 66. The western end winds through older Granite City neighborhoods, offering a safe off-street path and a slow way to appreciate this historic river-and-railroad town.
