The Rock River Trail 320-Mile Award
The Rock River Trail Inititative has established a 320-Mile Award for those individuals who reach the goal of doing the whole 320 miles of the Rock River Trail, whether it’s hiking, biking, paddling or driving.
Those who finish the trail will be recognized on our 320-Mile Wall of Fame and awarded the Rock River Trail patch and 320-Mile Award rocker patch.
The Rock River Trail is a 320 mile National Water Trail that goes through 11 counties in Wisconsin and Illinois. From it’s headwaters in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, all the way to to the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois, the Rock River provides a multitude of recreational opportunities, scenic beauty and historic and cultural assets. Paddling, driving and biking trails have been established, and hiking trails in the Rock River corridor have been identified and mapped.
Choose How You’ll Do the Trail
Driving Route – Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route
Paddling Route – Rock River National Water Trail
Biking Route – Rock River Trail Bike Route
Hiking Route – Hike on the trails within the river corridor listed under Rock River Trail Hiking Route
(You may make your journey by one mode, or in any combination of above.)
Document Your Journey & Submit to RRTI
Submit photographic evidence of the travel accomplishment (photos of the beginning and end at one of the three trail heads, with a photo or two en route), and with your name, mode(s) of travel (drive, hike, bike, kayak, canoe), date of completion, hometown, age and comments regarding the trip. Your journey does not have to be finished all at one time.
Get Recognized
320-Mile Wall Of Fame
PADDLING
Nels Akerlund, Rockford, IL
Date: Fall 1994
Dan Akerlund, Rockford, IL
Date: Fall 1994
John Sullivan, La Crosse, WI
Date: August 1999
Jon Gress, Pekin, IL
Date: May 2014
Garrett Feik, Aledo, IL
Date: May 2014
Jake Boucher, Aledo, IL
Date: May 2014
Perry Folts, Beloit, WI
Date: July 13, 2018
Gary Meier, Beloit, WI
Date: July 13, 2018
Terry Meyers, Beloit, WI
Date: July 13, 2018
Chris Luedke, Oconomowoc, WI
Date: June 29, 2019
Chris set the benchmark time for fastest descent of the Rock River with a time of 4 days and 12 hours or 108 hours.
Tim Gunderson, Rockford, IL
Date: May 10, 2020
Jeff Bahls, Beaver Dam, WI
Dates: July 27, 2018- July 24, 2020
William and Mary Turner, Muscatine, IA
Dates: May 22, 2023 – May 30, 2024
Tim Cushman, Morton, IL
Dates: Started July 27, 2023 and Finished June 9, 2024
BICYCLE
Carl Nelson, Dekalb, IL
Date: June 14, 2018
Dan Libman, Dekalb, IL
Date: June 14, 2018
Kurt and Kristy Handrich, Beloit, WI | Tandem
Datse: June 23–28, 2020
Stanley and Laurie Frey – Palatine, Il | Tandem
Dates: August 10-15, 2020
Dave Kuntzelman – Chicago, IL
Dates: May 5-9, 2021
Michael Smith – Rockford, IL
Dates: May 5-9, 2021
Jason Schneider – Sterling, IL
Dates: September 19-22, 2022
Chris Kowalski – Rockford, IL
Dates: 05/19/2023-05/23/2023
Tommy Schade – Rockford, IL
Dates: 05/19/2023-05/23/2023
HIKING
Lyle Lidholm
Date: Sept-Oct 2019
AUTOMOBILE OR MOTORCYCLE
Greg Farnham, Juneau, WI
June 2013 | Method: Automobile
Kovas and Aleks Palubinskas, Downers Grove, IL
May 28-29, 2017 | Method: Automobile
Joseph McDade, Rockford, IL
June 6-8, 2017 | Method: Motorcycle
Dale Kallenbach
September 30-October 10, 2017 | Method: Automobile – (GeoCaching)
Lucy Kallenbach
September 30-October 10, 2017 | Method: Automobile – (GeoCaching)
David Bushaw, Rockford, IL
September 3 – 9, 2018 | Method: Automobile
Marc VanderPal, Beloit, WI
Aug 1, 2019 – May 1, 2020 | Method: Motorcycle
Steve, Sandy and Marissa Osgood – Campbellsport, WI
August 26-27, 2020
Gary & Sharon Vaughan, Kimberly, WI
Dates: Aug 8 2020 – Sept 4 2020
John and Dawn Krebs, Adams, WI
October 17, 2021 – July 30, 2022
Dan & Jane Meyer, Hartford, WI
Oct 6, 2020 – Oct 17, 2020
Tom and Dawn Conaty, Le Roy, IL
September 2024
AIRPLANE
Emmons Patzer
Date: July 2, 2018
Alex Leites – Bettendorf, IA
Alex Bond – Davenport, IA
Date: June 18, 2022