Sangamon Valley Trail
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| Sangamon Valley Trail | |
|---|---|
 Sangamon Valley Trail near Lewis Park | |
| Length | 13.5[1] mi (21.7 km) |
| Location | Sangamon County, Illinois, United States; Menard County, Illinois |
| Established | July 26, 2011 |
| Began construction | 2010 |
| Completed | 2025[1] |
| Trailheads | |
| Trail map | |
 | |
The Sangamon Valley Trail is an 13.5-mile (21.7 km) rail trail on the west side of Sangamon County and the southeastern corner of Menard County in the U.S. state of Illinois.[1] Skirting Springfield, Illinois, it extends from Centennial Park, on Springfield's southwest side (39°45′23.4″N 89°45′37.6″W / 39.756500°N 89.760444°W), to a location within Menard County near the municipality of Athens.[1] It was constructed by a Sangamon County team in three stages; the 5.5-mile-long first or southern stage was completed in 2010–2011 at a cost of $3.8 million, and opened to the public on July 26, 2011.[2] The 6-mile-long second section of the trail was completed in 2016-2017 at a cost of $4.4 million, and opened to the public on November 16, 2017.[3] The 2-mile-long third section, and northernmost extension, of the trail was completed in 2025 and opened to the public on October 6, 2025.[1] The trail is operated by the Springfield Park District.[4]