Explore the best rated trails in North Chicago, IL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail and Tall Grass Greenway Trail. With more than 106 trails covering 1121 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Trail is in great condition, hardly any bumps and just a small hill climb east of the trout farm.
It can get congested on weekends/holidays.
Very scenic views with forested and open areas.
It is about a 5-mile round trip from Royce Road to Indian Boundary Park.
There is a 2 mile connecting loop from the trout farm that goes around Whalon Lake.
Is what my cycling companions noted about this trail when we rode it to its end and back. The scenery is varied, there isn’t that much traffic (no Lycra Brigades) and the surface is nice and smooth. Yes, there are two places where you will cross busy highways, but there are stoplights in both places. We parked in the Lake Forest train station parking lot and took the Robert McClory to the trailhead in Lake Bluff. Another bonus: there’s a Culver’s and a Dairy Queen-type place along the trail. It also connects to other bike trails.
Looked this up spontaneously and it was just a beautiful ride! Perfect date for my husband and I!
Perfect if you’re looking for a leisurely ride. Paved trails. Great for beginners. Several bridges to cross in the woods. You have to cross a few busy streets but nothing to bad. We did about a 10 mile loop on the red trail starting by Arrowhead Lake.
Today, we rode from Dean Nature Sanctuary to the 7-11 just south of Busse Woods and back. About 34 miles, from the parking lot of the Sanctuary. Good option during the 294 construction that has the path closed at that location. Some parts of the Salt Creek path are very bumpy.
Rode from hammel woods (on black road) north to trailhead at sunset park in plainfield then south back through woods to trailhead at jefferson street in shorewood, about 10 miles roundtrip.
North of black road the asphalt pavement is flat and in excellent shape. Trail goes from the woods parking lot then north under black road and through a wide prairie along the river with no shade. South of black road the trail winds through the woods with very little slope and asphalt pavement is in good shape. Easy riding all the way.
watch out for construction in the southern end of the trail—passable right now, but it may not be in a few weeks.
Nice relaxing ride but there were a lot of areas that were washed out. The trail isn’t super exciting kind of flat but the bridges were nice.
There's nothing really to add that hasn't been said. But there are a few updates in 2023.
On the east end the NBT has been repaved to smooth out the trail connection between NBT, Oak Leaf and the crosstown connector. So you won't get the fillings rattled out of your skull anymore.
Trailside Bike shop now has a roadside workstation, with a lot of the parts you need to repair a bike. there's also a stand and air compressor. Something to keep in mind.
On the WEST end in Waukesha there's a new side trail. If you're connecting to the Glacial Drumlin Trail the trail forks to the left. Instead of going through the industrial complex you ride behind it to the newer "Waukesha Bike Trail". That will take you to the college, and with some street riding you can connect to the GDT without issue.
But beyond that, the trail hasn't changed much in the last several years. Well, the geese right by the Les Paul Parkway are meaner, but we all expect that by now. the NBT is a good trail, very well used and loved by the community.
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