Explore the best rated trails in Rolling Meadows, IL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Erie Lackawanna Trail and Pennsy Greenway . With more than 129 trails covering 5476 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.
The 12-foot-wide asphalt surface is in great condition. The trail hugs the road past two SC Johnson campuses as well as some government buildings. No shade and not a connector trail. Kind of out there on its own - like an island.
The 12-foot-wide asphalt trail was smooth overall with nicely mowed sides. There is a nice wooded section to the west, a road section in the middle and a hilly section on the eastern half of the trail that shares the same corridor as the powerline. There are no mile markers and no shade for most of the trail. This trail conveniently connects the Pike River Pathway to the North Shore Trail. There is one controlled intersection, but you will need to take caution when crossing the other roads along the trail.
The 12-foot-wide asphalt surface had some cracks, but was good overall. The trail was relatively flat with good signage. There were some busy roads to cross, but all did so at controlled intersections. I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the ride was as I biked through both prairie and industrial sections. There were no mile markers. The south end of the trail connects conveniently with the KR Trail. There is a parking lot located at the south end of the trail at Highway 195 that is not listed on the Trail Link map.
The trail was flat and smooth. The 9-foot-wide asphalt trail that circled the entire lake was unshaded, but provided spectacular and unobstructed views of the lake. Great trail for kids!
It appeared that a load of crushed stone was recently added to the trail. A grader was used to level and spread out the stone, but ruts were left by the truck tires and the grader making the ride a little too bumpy unless you hugged the side of the trail where the grader did not reach. I enjoyed the route which meandered through cornfields, woods and prairie. The ride was peaceful, but there was no shade and I had to swat a few mosquitos when I stopped. There was an 8-car asphalt parking lot with porta potty near the north end of the trail that was not listed in TrailLink.
The 12-foot-wide asphalt surface had some tree root-raised areas, but manageable. The middle section of the route was a nicely paved road dedicated to wastewater treatment plant traffic. The southwestern section of the trail was nestled nicely behind backyards. The sides of the trail were mowed and the trail corridor itself was not only spacious, but nicely captured beneath a canopy of trees. The trail was a little out of the way, but I highly recommend it if you happen to be in the area.
Parts of the trail toward the west very nice pretty east of Hobart very bumpy and dangerous
Scenic, very pleasant ride today. Farmland, lots of bridges, packed gravel so no surprises. Parked at the Elkhorn trailhead and biked to Burlington and back. Note: the DNR site says there's a bridge out, as of 9/27/26 - there are no bridges out. Really nice ride and great way to spend a 70 degree and sunny day in late September.
Probably the smoothest bike asphalt ride that I have been on in the greater Chicago land area. Disregard all previous (dated) commentary on the conditions of the trail. It is smooth riding all the way from Joliet to Chicago Heights with just a few bumps once you are east of Metteson.
Rode 13 miles north from southern terminus in Custer Park to Will County Hwy 90 and back on cool, cloudy early fall day. I can confirm recent reviews that trail surface now is excellent; firm, smooth crushed stone, but bears attention is some places. The first 2 miles north from Custer park has a number of 3/4 to 2 In. loose stones and a couple of bigger embedded rocks poking through the surface, further north, occasionally outside of the very smooth main tracks there is loose gravel in the center and shoulders that might cause an issue for a thin tire/no tread bike. Also encountered a half dozen 50 ft sections with large, baseball sized walnuts scattered on the path. Although the trail borders Midwin Prairie, did not see any bison, only cattle at the northern end. Trail is arrow straight for miles, and often bordered by bushes that limit view beyond, but on the plus side has only one hard stop road crossing, U.S. Highway 6, so you can really keep rolling. Final observation is that there is generally a slight downhill grade from north to south. Good trail for a sustained effort ride, if somewhat boring at times.
We rode the Fox River Trail over two days in September 2026. We did a short ride from St Charles to South Elgin and back one the first day, followed by a ride to Aurora and then on to part of the Illinois Prairie Path before returning to St Charles. The trail was in excellent shape and, for the most part, was well marked. We thought the scenery was better going south, with lots of water fowl, flowers and points of interest to enjoy. This trail lived up to its expectations.
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