Kayaker Jake Boucher adjusts his sunglasses as his friends, Garrett Feik and Jon Gress, paddle ahead of him Tuesday on the Rock River. They were nearing the end of a 300-mile journey from the headwaters of the river to Sunset Marina, Rock Island. Photo by  John Schultz Great articles by the Quad City Times on the... Read More

Rock River kayakers complete 320-mile journey down Rock River By Jim HagertyStaff Writer The first kayak trip from the headwaters of the Rock River to the mighty Mississippi since the Rock River Trail was added to the National Water Trails System is in the books. Maranatha Baptist University students Jake Boucher and Jon Gress, along... Read More

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Jake Gress, Jake Boucher and Garrett Feik are nearing the end of their start-to-finish kayak trip of the Rock River. Paddling from Oregon, Ill., Friday, May 23,  the team made it to Crow Valley Campground in Sterling, Ill.–a 35-mile trip. “Dan and Shelly Long assisted us in maneuvering around the... Read More

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Garrett Feik is an avid outdoorsman. If there’s an empty deer or turkey tag within reach, it’s a safe bet he’ll fill it or spend the rest of the season trying. Catching fish is old hat for the 19-year-old. So is kayaking the entire length of the Rock River, a... Read More

By Susan Johnson Copy Editor Wisconsin Dane County: Brodhead — Ten Eyck Orchard, on Hwy. 11/81, 3 miles west of Brodhead, open daily from late August to mid-November; 608-897-4014. Cottage Grove — Door Creek Orchard, 3252 Vilas Road, Cottage Grove. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) 608-838-4762. Cross Plains — Appleberry Farm, 8079 Maurer Road, Cross Plains.... Read More

Rock River Trail News By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Kayakers Jon Gress, Jake Boucher and Garrett Feik paddled through Rockford Wednesday, May 21, making stops at several downtown locations, including Nicholas Conservatory, Prairie Street Brewhouse and Blackhawk Park, before continuing their push to Rock Island, Ill., where the Rock River empties into the Mississippi. The... Read More

Kayak for Sabercats: Day 6 By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer The three college students on the Rock River paddling trip known as “Kayak for Sabercats” are approaching the Rockford area. After a relaxing Friday, May 16, Jake Boucher, Garrett Feik and Jon Gress  set up camp on private Wisconsin farmland before a laborious Saturday paddle, one against... Read More

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Jake Boucher, Jon Gress and Garrett Feik were 117 miles into their 320-mile kayak trip of the entire Rock River Monday, May 19, as they approached Janesville, Wis., on their way to the Quad Cities. The men battled a choppy Lake Koshkonong over the weekend, and should remain a half day... Read More

Another great paddling event coming up Saturday June 28th on the Rock River National Water Trail – this time a wonderful excursion through the wilderness of the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Seven miles on the river with interpreters along the route and a shuttle service to transport you back to Greenhead Landing!

Kayak for Sabercats: Day 8 By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer A night at Hononegah Forest Preserve is all that stands between Jake Boucher, Jon Gress and Garrett Feik and their arrival in Rockford Wednesday, May 21. When they paddle into Rockford, the men will be 134 miles from their ultimate destination: Rock Island, Ill., where... Read More

The kayakers paddling the entire Rock River will be in Rockford at 2 p.m., at the Prairie Street Brewhouse. They will not arrive at 12:30 p.m., as initially planned. The community is welcome to meet Jon, Jake, and Garrett as they paddle through Rockford this afternoon.

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer The start-to-finish Rock River kayak trip continued Friday, May 23, as three college students from Illinois paddled toward Dixon, Ill., on their way to the mighty Mississippi. Jon Gress, Jake Boucher and Garrett Feik stopped in Rockford Wednesday, May 21. The team met Frank Schier, founder of the Rock River... Read More

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer The three university students headed for the Quad Cities by kayak down the Rock River began the third of their 18-day trip slightly later than planned Thursday, May 15. However, Jon Gress, Jake Boucher and Garrett Feik didn’t allow morning rain and unseasonably brisk temperatures to delay the trip long enough... Read More

Rock River Journey: Day 4 By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Maranatha Baptist University students and faculty, along with the Watertown, Wis., community, welcomed Jake Boucher, Garrett Feik and Jon Gress as they paddled through the city Friday, May, 16. “We decided to go all the way to Watertown last night,” Boucher said. A plan to set up... Read More

Follow Jon Gress, Jake Boucher, and Garrett Feik as they kayak the Rock River from the Horicon Marsh to its end at the Mississippi—320 mile trip beginningTuesday, May 13. The end of a school year is always bittersweet. It is difficult to say “goodbye”, and yet the opportunity to go home, start new employment, summer... Read More

By Jim Hagerty Staff Writer Jon Gress, Jake Boucher and Garret Feik arrived at the southern tip of Lake Sinissippi, in Dodge County, Wis., a bit chilly, yet on schedule Tuesday, May 13. The three college students are now in their second day of an almost three-week kayak trip down the entire 320-mile stretch of the Rock River.... Read More

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The Rock River Trail Initiative was honored at the Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference held in Chicago, Ill., on October 29th.   Receiving awards for leadership in establishing and developing the Rock River Trail in Illinois and Wisconsin were co-coordinators Frank Schier and Greg Farnham.

With the cooperation of the Illinois DNR, City of Milan, Rock Island Parks and Recreation District, and the Quad Cities’ River Action Network, this warning sign was posted above the Milan Steel Dam (special thanks to Dan McNeil). The Rock River Trail Initiative is working to post warning signs on all 23 dams on the... Read More

The original road sign prototype developed by the Wisconsin and Illinois departments of transportation for marking the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route along the river.  The road marker was signed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on July 5th and by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on December 3rd.  The signed marker will be displayed... Read More

September 16, 2013 was the official opening of the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route in Beloit, Wis. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at Riverside Park on the Rock River near Celebration Monument. Signs have been installed on the streets that comprise the road route through the city. Participating in the opening ceremony were from... Read More

Governor Walker signs the first road sign produced by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the road route.

On July 5th Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed legislation designating the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route along the river in Wisconsin. The signing ceremony took place in the Governor’s Office in the Capitol. Present for the signing with the Governor were Greg Farnham of the Rock River Trail Initiative (holding the new road... Read More

• In Illinois, Stadelman and Jefferson advocate for Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route, complete with free fishing Staff Report The Wisconsin and Illinois legislatures have passed bills designating the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route on roads adjacent to the 320-mile-long river in both states. This road route was presented by the Rock... Read More

Frank Schier RRTI Founder & Coordinator at Green Festival Chicago, Navy Pier May 18th & 19th 2013

Good news! Early this afternoon the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly were in session and each passed unanimously its companion bill (SB 41 or AB 55) to designate the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route in Wisconsin. The bill now goes to Governor Walker for his signature, at which time the bill will become... Read More

Good news! Early this afternoon the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly were in session and each passed unanimously its companion bill (SB 41 or AB 55) to designate the Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route in Wisconsin. The bill now goes to Governor Walker for his signature, at which time the bill will become... Read More

The Rock River Water Trail has been designated into the National Water Trails System by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, according to an announcement by the National Park Service in Washington, DC. The National Water Trails System is a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails of local and regional significance that are cooperatively... Read More

Public Hearing Before The Assembly Committee on Transportation to Designate The Rock River Trail Scenic and Historic Route in Wisconsin. State Capitol in Madison March 12, 2013 Greg Farnham (L) and David Schreiber (R) of the Rock River Trail Initiative Council with Wisconsin State Representative Debra Kolste

Back row from left: William McNary, WisDOT State Traffic Engineer; Kyle Armstrong IDOT Engineering & Standards Unit Chief; and Matt Rauch, WisDOT State Signing Engineer. Front row from left: Kyle Lorenz, IDOT Traffic Operations Engineer-Region 2; Stan Milam, district director of Wisconsin State Senator Tim Cullen; and Frank Schier of Rock River Trail Initiative

Tom Lindblade is an experienced paddler and also an amateur videographer.  He has just completed a short video of the Rock River Water Trail.  If you’d like to take a look, please click on the link below or visit the photo gallery.  Tom has done a great job to capture the essence of the water trail in eight... Read More

Rockford passes resolution supporting Rock River Trail Initiative Rockford City Council passed a resolution of support for the Rock River Trail Initiative (RRTI) at its Nov. 21 meeting at the request of the trail’s founder, The Rock River Times’ Editor & Publisher Frank Schier. City Administrator Jim Ryan facilitated the resolution, which was brought to the floor... Read More

Rock River Trail Initiative: November 2011 update By Greg Farnham RRTI Coordinator We are pleased to report good progress during November toward the objectives of establishing a recreational Rock River Water Trail and a scenic and historic Rock River Route. The Rock River Trail Initiative (RTTI) Council was established and held its first meeting Nov.... Read More

Dixon section of Rock River trail dedicated October 12, 2012 The Rock River Trail Initiave was featured in an article at saukvalley.com Debbie Thompson, Lee County member of the Rock River Trail Initiative Council, makes a few remarks Friday afternoon prior to the ribbon cutting of the Dixon section of the Rock River Water Trail. A... Read More

Paddle and Trail is celebrating its second anniversary by hosting a free open house at the Regional Activity Center in Loves Park 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1. The public will have the opportunity to try out kayaks and stand-up paddleboards and fish for free. Sunday, Sept. 2, they continue the celebration... Read More

Rock County Parks, Rockton volunteers, Rock River Enterprises and Homeowners Association, WTVO-17/WQRF-FOX 39, and The Rock River Times are coordinating sections of a greater Rock River clean-up Saturday, Sept. 8. The Third Annual Great Rock River Sweep is a clean-up conducted simultaneously in each and every community along the river for its entire 285 miles, reaching from Horicon,... Read More

Photos: Floatzilla & cleanup in the Quad Cities From The Rock River Times Aug. 22-28, 2012, issue

Photos: Wisconsin sections of Rock River Trail declared open The course of the Rock River as it flows through the Wisconsin cities of Horicon, Hustisford, Mayville, Theresa, Watertown and Janesville now has signs denoting those sections of the river as part of the Rock River Trail. Representatives from the National Park Service and the Wisconsin... Read More

17th Annual ‘Honor the Mounds’ to feature RRTI Native Americans are preparing once again for the 17th Annual “Honor the Mounds” gathering, to be held Saturday, Aug. 11, at Beattie Park, downtown Rockford. As always, the community is invited to this free, family-friendly day-long event. Mac “Spotted Horse” MacVenn, of the Native American Awareness Committee,... Read More

Photos: Rock River Trail signs distributed

Rock River Trail Initiative distributes free oak trees April 25-27 April 25, 2012 Media Contact: Frank Schier, Rock River Trail Initiative founder and chairman, (815) 670-6440 Editors: See attached press releases for more about tree distribution in respective counties. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rock River Trail Initiative distributes free oak trees April 25-27 ROCKFORD, Ill. — April... Read More

Note from Rock River Trail Coordinator Greg Farnham: This appears to be very relevant and welcome news for our efforts to establish a recreation water trail on the Rock River.  Please read the release carefully as it describes a modification that has been made, presumably by the department secretary and not Congress, to the National Trails System... Read More

Sauk Valley News: Rock River Trail Initiative picks up speed Note from Rock River Trail Coordinator Greg Farnham: Rock River Trail Initiative Council Members: Attached is an article in last Thursday’s (March 8) Sauk Valley News about the Rock River Trail Initiative, a proposed River Action Group in the cities of Dixon, Rock Falls and Sterling, and... Read More

By Greg Farnham RRTI Coordinator Two of the important events for the trail initiative during January included a presentation to the Illinois Greenways and Trails Council in Springfield, Ill., and a public information meeting at Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island, Ill. Trail Founder Frank Schier and I traveled to Springfield for a meeting... Read More

Rock River Trail Initiative: An update for December 2011 By Greg Farnham RRTI Coordinator Progress continued at the end of 2011 to establish a recreation Rock River Water Trail and a scenic and historic Rock River Route. We had a wonderful opportunity Dec. 9 to present the Rock River Trail Initiative (RRTI) to key civic... Read More

Rock River Trail Initiative names council members and advisers A trail initiative council has been established by the Rock River Trail Initiative, a public-private partnership in Illinois and Wisconsin whose mission is to develop along the river a multi-use trail of recreational, scenic and historic interest. Frank Schier, editor and publisher of The Rock River Times,... Read More