Gaylord Donnelly Canal Trai

This canal was built in the 1830s and 1840s along the portage between Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, which had long been used as an American Indian trade route. The canal rapidly transformed Chicago from an isolated crossroads into a critical transportation hub between the East and the developing Midwest. A 61-mile recreational trail follows the canal towpath. After years of economic decline, the newly revitalized Canal Corridor is now becoming a splendid living history museum of American enterprise, technological invention, ethnic diversity, and cultural creativity - a terrific visitor destination for recreation and heritage tourism. The Canal Corridor Association aims to helps Illinoisans and their guests understand that they too are parts of an exciting historical tradition.