Ben Butterworth Parkway: 54th/55th Street parking to the 34th Street area and back
Illinois · Other separated ride
This riverfront outing uses an eastern park section of the Great River Trail. The City of Moline describes the trail as flat, with asphalt and concrete surfaces. The longer Moline route continues through downtown streets and sidewalks; this outing turns back within the park instead.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Moline · Illinois
- Ride length
- About 2.6-mile main-path return plus unmeasured parking walk
- Ride format
- Out and back
- Surface
- Asphalt and concrete main path; bridge decking and wet surfaces need care.
- Road crossings
- Walk the 54th/55th Street lot connection, ride the riverfront main path and turn before the 34th Street parking approach. Downtown streets, I-74 and other park loops are excluded; parking and service vehicles remain.
- Elevation
- Moline describes a flat trail. This supports a gentle prospect, not a measured maximum slope or a current accessibility certificate.
- Starting location
- Ben Butterworth Parkway, Moline; named public park lot rather than private business parking
About 2.6 miles on the main path and back, estimated from regional mapped paths. The parking walk is extra and unmeasured; an earlier clear turn shortens the ride.
Regional visitor-map parking-area reference for the selected Moline outing; not a surveyed space or an actual walking route.
Ben Butterworth Parkway: 54th/55th Street parking to the 34th Street area and back — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-17. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Moline, Illinois · About 2.6 miles on the main path, plus a short unmeasured parking walk · Out and back
This riverfront outing uses an eastern park section of the Great River Trail. The City of Moline describes the trail as flat, with asphalt and concrete surfaces. The longer Moline route continues through downtown streets and sidewalks; this outing turns back within the park instead.
Start at the large public parking area between 54th and 55th streets on Old River Drive, identified by the regional trail profile. The city’s park page confirms off-street parking, and its visitor map shows the parking beside the shared path. Walk through the signed public parking connection to the main path, watching for vehicles. The actual walking distance has not been measured; the mapped parking marker is not a surveyed stall or a turn-by-turn walking route. Do not cross River Drive or use an adjacent private business lot to reach the start.
Head southwest and then west along the designated riverfront shared-use path. Keep the river on your right on the outward leg. Stay on the main path through the park, yield to people walking, and take care around playground, shelter, fishing and parking connections. A regional photograph shows a timber-deck footbridge within the park; its capture date and precise position within this outing are unconfirmed. Paved-trail descriptions do not guarantee asphalt at every bridge or that wet decking will be grippy.
Turn back in a clear place before entering the 34th Street parking/restroom approach or any vehicle lane. Let others pass before turning; turn earlier if the area is busy or obstructed. Return along the same main path, then walk through the parking area to your car. This does not select the downtown street connections, an I-74 bridge crossing, the East Moline extension or every side path in the park. Maintenance vehicles and driveways still require attention.
The approximately 2.6-mile return comes from an internal review of three connected shared-use-path pieces in the regional map files. The estimate is about 2.63 miles with an inferred main-path join and a turn slightly before the mapped 34th-area junction. Actual signs, the walking connection and a clear stopping place may shorten the outing. This is a planning estimate, not a surveyed distance, maximum-grade profile or downloadable navigation track.
The park page lists 6 a.m.–11 p.m. daily. Choose daylight for this ride and follow any more restrictive local signs or closures. The regional profile marks no trail-use fee; ordinary parking charges, posted time limits and current service availability have not been independently confirmed. Shelter reservations and after-hours fishing permits are separate from an ordinary daytime bicycle visit. Restrooms and drinking fountains are listed, but their October operation is not guaranteed. This draft concerns ordinary pedal bicycles; current e-bike eligibility is unconfirmed.
Reviewed October 17, 2026: the city park and trail pages, complete linked visitor map, regional trail description and map files, two regional photographs, and city Alert Center. The Alert Center displayed no active alerts. That is a review of published information, not an inspection of flooding, barriers or present tread. The map’s older I-74 layout lies west of this selected course. Riverfront flooding can change access: obey barriers and do not ride through standing or moving water.
Editorial draft complete; fresh prepublication access checks and USA website integration remain. Recheck the actual parking connection and signs, clear before-junction turn, local flood/work notices, bridge surfaces and services before publishing.
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