State: IL Length: 11.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Busse Woods Trail system is located within Ned Brown Forest Preserve, a 3,700-acre property in the western suburbs of Chicago. There are 11.2 miles of paved trails for cyclists, equestrians and pedestrians. The main loop is nearly 8 miles, ...
Rail-Trail
State: IL Length: 3.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Chain O' Lakes Bike Path is a paved trail that runs between E. Grand Avenue in Fox Lake and Grant Woods Forest Preserve to the east. The trail parallels the railroad track and Rollins Road/CR 31, passing by the Ingleside Metra station before ...
State: IL Length: 2.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
North of the Sangamon River crossing, the Conservation District Trail closely follows Stevens Creek through a flat and dense wetlands forest on the west end of Decatur. South of the river, the trail ascends two steep grades to end at the Rock ...
State: IL Length: 22.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Constitution Trail is so named because it was dedicated on the 200th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, September 17, 1987. The asphalt trail is a system of as-yet (summer 2011) disconnected segements covering 20 miles or so between Normal ...
State: IL Length: 3.40 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Delyte W. Morris Trail is a paved, two-lane route on the campus of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, winding past Tower Lake. The trail is named for the university's president at the Carbondale campus in the 1960s who helped create ...
State: IL Length: 56.30 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway traverses north–south along the route of its namesake river along its course through both Lake and Cook counties. The corridor protects 85% of the riverine habitat in the county. The 56+-mile trail ...
State: IL Length: 1 miles Surface: Asphalt
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historic downtown Train Depot. And it has a large and very active Railway Museum ...
State: IL Length: 3 miles Surface: Concrete
This is the first portion of the TREC (Trail Recreation Effingham County) system that has plans for 30 miles of county-wide bicycling and walking trails. The trail is a wide and well-maintained ribbon of concrete that looks and feels new and ...
State: IL Length: 2.80 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The El Paso Walking Trail runs along part of an old railroad right-of-way through the town of El Paso, beginning at the city park on the south side of town and ending at a creek north of town among cultivated fields. The trail offers a pleasant ...
State: IL Length: 1.70 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions, tennis courts, ball fields, skate park, and ...
State: IL Length: 43.40 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The Fox River Trail features 32 miles of spectacular biking, hiking and cross-country skiing along the scenic Fox River. The paved path can be challenging at times, but the extra pedal pushing is rewarded with some impressive scenery along the ...
State: IL Length: 2.50 miles Surface:
The Galena River Trail will extend from the current terminus South along the rail corridor to River Road. This will ad about 2.5 miles to the current trail, the town of Galens hopes to be in construction in 2012.
State: IL Length: 4 miles Surface: Asphalt
The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the town of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is oil and chip throughout. The two northernmost ...
State: IL Length: 11 miles Surface: Asphalt, Gravel
The Glen Carbon Heritage Bike Trail forms part of more than 85 miles of rail-trails managed by Madison County Transit (MCT), which also runs busses equipped with bike racks for passenger convenience. The feel of the trail is a mix of suburban ...
State: IL Length: 60 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Great River Trail is a breathtaking journey along 60 miles of the Mississippi River. The route is a mixture of paved rail-trail, small-town sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes on the street and a stretch of road shoulder along the Great River ...
State: IL Length: 12 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
The eastern segment of the Great Western Trail in Illinois follows 12 miles of an abandoned railway corridor through DuPage County, between Villa Park and West Chicago. There are plans to extend the eastern segment of the Great Western Trail ...
State: IL Length: 17 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The western segment of the Great Western Trail in Illinois follows 17 miles of an abandoned railway corridor through DeKalb and Kane counties, between Leroy Oaks County Forest Preserve and the town of Sycamore. The Chicago Great Western Railway ...
State: IL Length: 8.90 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The 9-mile Green Bay Trail runs parallel to Chicago's Metra commuter rail line north of the Chicago city limits. Stretching through North Shore towns such as Kenilworth, Winnetka, Highland Park and Lake Bluff, the corridor is flanked by restaurants, ...
Dedicated on August 5, 2000, the Green Diamond Trail, the first bicycling/pedestrian trail in Montgomery County, is an easy, flat ride. At 4-miles long, the trail is paved and free from motorized traffic, making it an enjoyable path for bicylists, ...
State: IL Length: 3.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The H.U.M. Trail (a.k.a. the Huntley–Union–Morengo Trail) runs for 3.5 miles, arrow-straight, next to the old railroad tracks between Morengo and Union. This pleasant corridor passes among cultivated fields between to the two towns, ...
State: IL Length: 105 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Hennepin Canal Parkway follows an old towpath that was actually never used, although the locks and aqueducts are in still in place. It was originally built to link the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. The 105-mile path is level and easy; ...
State: IL Length: 68.50 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Illinois & Michigan Canal provided the first complete water route from the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico by connecting Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River. Today, the I&M Canal trail has preserved 80 of the original ...
State: IL Length: 14.80 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Stretching north from Freeport, Illinois, to the Wisconsin state line, the Jane Addams Trail is a natural wonder. Expect to see birds and wild animals-from exotic aerial hunters, such as owls and hawks, to run-of-the-mill squirrels and deer. ...
State: IL Length: 7.90 miles Surface: Ballast, Grass, Gravel
The Joe Stengel Trail follows an old railroad corridor for 7 miles between the town of Polo and the much smaller community of Woosung. The trail corridor traces farm country along a route scattered with trees. The natural surface can be rough ...
State: IL Length: 2.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Kishwaukee River Front Path runs for 2.5 miles in Cherry Valley on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. The well-maintained, asphalt trail connects the Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve with Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. The ...
State: IL Length: 4.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Kishwaukee-Kiwanis Trail winds through the northern Illinois town of DeKalb, coursing along a river, through woodlands, among open spaces through parks and through suburban back yards. The trail passes along the east side of Northern Illinois ...
State: IL Length: 1.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of this trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can access the Conservation District Trail and, from there, the other scenic ...
State: IL Length: 0.90 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods (with brick streets), and the old sections ...
State: IL Length: 12.90 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an additional 1-mile loop takes you around the ball ...
State: IL Length: 14.80 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Lincoln Prairie Trail runs between County Road 12 at State Route 29 west of Pana and Paw Paw Street in Taylorville. The trail parallels SR 29 for nearly the entire route. Built upon an abandoned rail bed, the trail includes four original ...
State: IL Length: 14.43 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Long Prairie Trail began life as a section of the Kenosha Division Rail Line in the 1850s, when most small communities in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin were serviced by the crisscrossing tracks of the "KD" Line as it traveled ...
State: IL Length: 5.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Lost Bridge Trail, jointly managed by the Springfield Park District and the village of Rochester, is one of the area's earliest and most popular multiuse trails-even for locals taking a weekday break on their lunch hour. Well-maintained, ...
The Lowell Parkway Trail runs through the charming town of Dixon, Illinois, boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. The trail occupies the rail bed of the old Illinois Central Railroad, between Lowell Park and John C. Roe Park, on the northwest side ...
State: IL Length: 18.70 miles Surface: Asphalt
Bring your camera to the MCT Confluence Trail. Part of Illinois' Madison County Transit (MCT) bikeways network, this trail is a photographic patchwork of rivers, bridges, waterfront wildlife and industrial cityscape. The trail starts at Russell ...
State: IL Length: 8.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Madison County Transit (MCT) Goshen Trail (formerly known as the Schoolhouse Connector) runs between Interstate 70/US 40 in Troy and the MCT Watershed Trail in northwest Edwardsville. The trail features two bridges and 10 tunnels, as well ...
State: IL Length: 14.40 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Madison County Transit Nature Trail stretches 14.4 miles between Edwardsville (adjacent to the Lewis & Clark Community College, N.O. Nelson campus) and Horseshoe Lake. The asphalt trail is one of several linked trails in the region and is ...
State: IL Length: 21.60 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Madison Count Transit (MCT) Nickel Plate Trail runs for 21.6 miles between Main Street in Alhambra and Old Edwardsville Road at State Route 162 in Pontoon Beach. The trail follows a greenway corridor through Glen Carbon and Edwardsville, ...
State: IL Length: 18.40 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Madison Count Transit (MCT) Quercus Grove Trail runs for 18.4 miles between 6th Street in Staunton and Schwarz Street at Springer Avenue in Edwardsville. The trail is mostly paved except for the sections between Jerusalem Road and Hazel ...
State: IL Length: 15.90 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Madison County Transit (MCT) Schoolhouse Trail is part of the Transit District's premier, 85-mile system of urban and suburban trails—many of which are former railroad corridors, all of which are linked with public transit. The trail ...
State: IL Length: 5 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Madison Count Transit (MCT) Watershed Trail runs between Wanda Road in South Roxana and High Street in northwest Edwardsville. The trail follows an abandoned rail corridor and is named for the Watershed Nature Conservatory that it borders. ...
State: IL Length: 14.20 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The planned 35 miles of the Millennium Trail will eventually connect communities and forest preserves in Lake County's central, western and northern sections. The first segment of the trail opened in 2002 at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. ...
State: IL Length: 20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The beautiful North Branch Trail is named for the North Branch of the Chicago River, along which it winds. At its northern end, the trail begins at the south end of the Chicago Botanic Garden and continues south to circle the Skokie Lagoons ...
State: IL Length: 7.70 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The North Shore Bike Path runs for nearly 8 miles between Lake Bluff and Mundelein, paralleling State Route 176 for the path's entire length. The trail is one of dozens in the Chicagoland area, all of which link to one another for cross-city ...
State: IL Length: 1.10 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Northbrook Village Bike Path is a one-mile route through a mix of retail and residential areas along S. Waukegan Road. At its south end, the trail offers access to Northbrook Junior High School and Meadowhill Park, which offers ballfields, ...
State: IL Length: 0.50 miles Surface: Concrete
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on the sidewalk along the roadway to reach Centennial ...
State: IL Length: 15 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Palatine Trail is sinuous system of trails that run between Deer Grove Forest Preserve and Paul Douglas Forest Preserve in the city of Palatine. The trail links neighborhoods, parks and golf courses, as well as the campus of Harper College ...
State: IL Length: 18 miles Surface: Ballast
The Pecatonica Prairie Path is an 18-mile long biking, hiking and nature trail extending from Illinois route 75 and River Road, east of Freeport, to the Village of Winnebago. It passes through the villages of Ridott in Stephenson County and ...
State: IL Length: 4.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Pekin Park Bike Trail traverses more than 4 miles between Allentown Road and the Illinois River at Pekin bridge. The trail does a loop in Coal Miners' Park and passes through Mineral Springs Park, making for a nice family outing. The trail ...
State: IL Length: 28 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Prairie Trail—not to be confused with the Illinois Prairie Path—is a 28-mile route starting just 0.8 mile from the Wisconsin–Illinois boarder in Genoa City, Wisconsin, and ending in Algonquin, Illinois. The trail is a beautiful ...
State: IL Length: 4.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
Prospect Heights Bike Path runs between Woodland Trails Park and Country Garden Park, paralleling the commuter rail tracks on its north–south leg. The trail provides a nice off-road route through the Chicago suburb of the same name, linking ...
State: IL Length: 7.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
Running from East Peoria to Morton, The River Trail of Illinois was resurfaced in summer 2011. From East Peoria, the hiking and biking trail travels southeast along the old Illinois Terminal Railway line. Trail users can experience a bit of ...
State: IL Length: 26.50 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Robert McClory Bike Trail (formerly the North Shore Bike Path) is notorious for its conglomeration of names over the years. At any given time-and depending on whom you ask-it has been called the Green Bay Trail, the North Shore Trail, and ...
State: IL Length: 30.60 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Rock Island Trail has two distinct section components. The southern section goes from W. Northmoor Road in Peoria to the community of Alta. Managed by the Peoria Park District, this newer and rapidly expanding section is currently 4.25 miles ...
State: IL Length: 10 miles Surface: Asphalt
The paved Rock River Recreation Trail winds throughout downtown Rockford and environs, following the east bank of the Rock River through Shorewood Park and Martin Memorial Park. Officially, the trail begins at Davis Park on the west bank of ...
State: IL Length: 10.40 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Rock Run Greenway Trail courses for nearly 10.5 miles between Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill and the I&M Canal NHC Trail near the Des Plaines River. At various places along the trail you'll find picnicking and playgrounds, as well as other ...
State: IL Length: 0.60 miles Surface: Ballast
For a half-mile, western Monticello's Sangamon River Trail follows the former route of the Illinois Central Railroad, which carried passengers from Chicago to New Orleans. Its surface is still the railroad ballast from those bygone days and ...
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central Illinois. The pathway is relatively flat and trail-goers ...
State: IL Length: 5.80 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
Built on a former rail bed dating back to the 1850s, the Stone Bridge Trail provides a crushed limestone pathway through rural countryside. A highlight of the trail is passage on Stone Bridge over the scenic South Kinnikinnick Creek. Built in ...
The Stone Mill Trail runs between Lawrence Road just west of Harvard and Maxon Road. The 1.5-mile, paved trail mostly parallels County Highway 17 (Ramer Road) and will eventually be extended along the railroad right-of-way to meet the Long Prairie ...
State: IL Length: 4.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Thorn Creek Trail is currently in two segments. This northern section is in the Glenwood area and traverses the south, west and portions of the east border of Wampum Lake Woods Forest Preserve. Along the heavily wooded trail you're bound ...
State: IL Length: 3.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Tinley Creek Trail is currently in two segments. This southern segment is within the South Green Belt Forest Preserve between Flossmor and Matteson, just west of I-57. The trail traverses wooded areas and open green space interspersed with ...
State: IL Length: 47.50 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
Southern Illinois' Tunnel Hill State Trail is a gem of a route, with 23 trestle bridges (including one that is 450 feet long), several ghost towns, a beautiful park, a comfortable trailhead in Vienna Station and, of course, its namesake tunnel—an ...
Just 1 mile long, the Valley Line Trail (a.k.a. the Skokie Line) extends between the 4400 block of Bryn Mawr Avenue and the 4400 block of Devon Avenue. The trail runs through the Sauganash community, skirting the eastern border of Sauganash ...
State: IL Length: 11.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Virgil Gilman Trail travels through forest and prairie, from a quiet, rural community college campus all the way into suburban Chicago. The trail's namesake, Virgil Gilman,was director of the Fox Valley Park District for 30 years and successfully ...
State: IL Length: 10 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Grass
The Waterfall Glen Trail through the forest preserve of the same name makes a loop around the entire park. The preserve is geologically significant, featuring glacier-carved rock ridges, ravines and wetland potholes, which are not found anywhere ...
State: IL Length: 22.30 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Traveling along the Wauponsee Glacial Trail, you'll be surprised just how quickly you can move from an urban environment into the rolling fields of the Midwest. Starting in Joliet, within shouting distance of Interstate 80 overhead ramps, you ...