This is where the Palatine Trail goes under Hicks Road just after you turn left from the sidewalk section (also on Hicks Road) as we travel from south east (Maple Park) to north west (Dundee Road). There is a steep hill going down to the underpass/tunnel on each side so it's good to keep an eye out for pedestrians and bikes coming from the other direction.
The photo above is what it looks like as you pass through the
Hicks Road Underpass/Tunnel. The tunnel is pretty dark although there are some overhead lights that help a little.
After you go through the underpass you come up the hill on the other side and into a wooded area just before the Palatine Library.
Since I am from Palatine, not only have I ridden this trail many times but I have also been to the library quite a bit. When you are in the library on the second floor there is a nice reading area with huge windows on the north side of the library that faces the lake and the trail. In the winter you can see the trail but it's pretty wooded and you don't see much of it in the summer but it's a really nice view (and a great place to read or do research).
The building in the photo above is the Palatine Library and the cars are in the outdoor lot to the east of the library.This is the small open area before you go through the woods and lake that are behind the library.
Just past
the library is a nice fairly heavily wooded part of the trail.
One of many
bridges on the Palatine Trail. This is the wooden bridge that crosses a stream just past the library. There is a fairly steep hill (for a short distance) just before you get to the bridge coming from this direction so you need to watch you speed a little here.
The Palatine bike trail photo tour, from Maple Park to Deer Grove (May, 2003).
Palatine Trail Photos 1 - Maple Park to Hicks Road Underpass - East
Palatine Trail Photos 2 - Hicks Road to Library < You are here
Palatine Trail Photos 3 - Smith Road to Golf Course - West
Palatine Trail Photos 4 - Steep Hill to Deere Grove - West