Matteson: Bike Trail, Prairie, and Local Culture

Matteson combines a distinctive rail-trail bike path with the landscape of the Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve, train watching, local history, and the Taste of Matteson/Blues Fest. This makes it possible to plan a stay in many different ways: with active days on the bike, nature observation, historical insights into Matteson's early life, or shared discoveries centered around music and food.

Cycling Through Matteson

The Old Plank Road Trail is a 22-mile paved rail-trail bike path. It connects Matteson with Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, Richton Park, Park Forest, and Chicago Heights. For trip planning, this length is an important point of reference: Anyone who wants to use the trail should take the route and the desired scope of the day into account when choosing activities. Families or travel groups with different interests can make the bike path a central focus, while other days can be shorter and more focused on nature, history, or food.

Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve

The Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve is located 0.5 miles south of IL Route 30 on Central Avenue in Matteson. Public access to the preserve is limited to the Plank Road Trail, a publicly operated, regional, paved bike path. Anyone including the preserve in their plans should take this access restriction into account and combine the nature experience with use of the trail.

The historical significance of the landscape also makes the preserve interesting. During the original Illinois Natural Areas Inventory in the late 1970s, the Old Plank Road Prairie was one of the best examples of black-soil prairie in all of Illinois. In addition, 62 native species were identified in the Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve. The Friends of the Old Plank Road Prairies work as volunteers in Matteson and Rich Township, Illinois, to restore and protect biodiversity in the Old Plank Road Prairies.

Trains, History, and Local Insights

Dozens of north-south trains cross the Old Plank Road Trail in Matteson. The platform at the Matteson METRA station is a suitable place for watching trains. This offers a completely different facet from an excursion into the prairie and can be particularly interesting when technology, transportation, or photography opportunities are shared travel interests.

The collection of the Matteson Historical Society & Museum focuses on early life in Matteson and on German immigrant families. This complements the nature and cycling themes with a historical perspective.

Food, Music, and Choosing Accommodation

The Taste of Matteson/Blues Fest was an event featuring food vendors, live music, and family-friendly entertainment. Local restaurants and food trucks presented a wide range of cuisines there. For families and groups, this is a vivid complement to the nature and museum themes: Depending on their personal pace, visitors can make their stay more active, more history-focused, or more oriented toward culinary enjoyment.

That is why a simple planning question can help when searching for a vacation rental in Matteson: Should the focus be on the 22-mile Old Plank Road Trail, the prairie preserve with restricted access, train watching, local history, or the culinary experience?

For further trip planning, you can also visit the pages about Glenview, Inverness, Elk Grove Village, Park Ridge, Berwyn, Melrose Park, South Holland and Schiller Park.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cook.