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The Erie Lackawanna Trail rolls nearly 18 miles between Crown Point and Hammond, two former rail junctions whose early fortunes were tied to the tracks carrying people and goods to and from Chicago....
|
IN |
17.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Fermilab Trail garners its name by running though the campus of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the former home of the Tevatron particle accelerator. The 3.9-mile particle...
|
IL |
5.8 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
|
|
|
The the Fox River Trail (FRT) was built on stretches of three former railroads: Chicago, Aurora & Elgin; Aurora, Elgin, & Fox River Electric; and Chicago & North Western. Today, it hosts a multitude...
|
IL |
44.6 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
About an hour northwest of Chicago, the beautiful Grant Woods Forest Preserve spans more than 1,000 acres, offering an outdoor respite of prairie, woodlands and marshes. The crushed limestone pathway...
|
IL |
5.9 mi |
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...
|
IL |
12 mi |
Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The western segment of the Great Western Trail in Illinois follows 17 miles of a former railway corridor through DeKalb and Kane counties, between LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve and the town of Sycamore....
|
IL |
17 mi |
Asphalt, 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...
|
IL |
8.9 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Grove Road Trail parallels the local thoroughfare in the Village of Oswego, located near the southwestern edge of the Chicagoland metropolitan area.
In the north, the trail begins on the east...
|
IL |
3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The H.U.M. Trail (a.k.a. the Huntley-Union-Marengo Trail) was planned to link all three of its namesake northern Illinois towns, but so far only connects Marengo and Union.
Interestingly, the...
|
IL |
3.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Hickory Creek Bikeway offers nearly 4 miles of paved pathway through a wooded preserve. On its western end, the trail begins at Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve and Lincolnway Road; on the...
|
IL |
3.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail follows the eponymous waterway alongside the Illinois River. The trail runs along the old canal towpath from LaSalle to the historical quarry town of...
|
IL |
79.5 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
|
|
|
The Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) was one of the nation’s first rail-trail conversions. It consists of five connected trail segments with three main branches that converge at Volunteer Park (West...
|
IL |
58.4 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Iron Horse Heritage Trail in Portage, Indiana, runs for over 2 miles between Max Mochal Road (SR 149) at the east end and Hamstrom Rd. at the west end. The trail passes through a greenway corridor...
|
IN |
2.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The John Husar I&M Canal Trail is the northernmost trail developed on the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. The Illinois & Michigan Canal provided the final link in the water route...
|
IL |
8.9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Joliet Junction Trail is a paved path that travels north–south through the west side of Joliet. It occupies an abandoned Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway corridor that in its last years was known...
|
IL |
4.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Kankakee River Trail is fairly wooded and runs primarily through Kankakee River State Park. Walkers, bicyclists, and cross-country skiers can enjoy more than ten miles of trail along the north...
|
IL |
10.6 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Kenosha County Bike Trail is open in two sections separated by dense neighborhoods in the City of Kenosha.
The northern segment runs northeast from 35th Street in the city to 1st Street at the...
|
WI |
18.6 mi |
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...
|
IL |
4.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
As the name suggests, the Lake George trail travels along the north shore of Lake George, turning north at Calumet Ave/US 41 to skirt the east shore of Wolf Lake. From Lake George the trail also heads...
|
IN |
3.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Lincolnwood Valley Line Trail connects the existing Valley Line Trail (Sauganash Trail) to the Skokie Valley Trail in Cook County. Like the previous segments, this trail occupies a former Union...
|
IL |
1.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Little Calumet River Levee Trail stretches from Munster to Gary, Indiana. The trail zigs and zags through a number of local parks including Riverside Park, Wicker Memorial Park, Homestead Park,...
|
IN |
6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Major Taylor Trail is named after legendary African American cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor, who was one of the most celebrated bicycle racers of the late nineteenth century, setting several...
|
IL |
7.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Marquette Trail offers picturesque views of Lake Michigan as it travels through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This scenic route follows an abandoned rail line through a variety of diverse...
|
IN |
2.1 mi |
Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve is a natural gem hidden in an high-income neighborhood of Lake Forest, Illinois. Those 600 acres are home to perhaps the best-preserved example of the rare...
|
IL |
4.3 mi |
Crushed Stone, Gravel
|
|
|
The Millennium Trail currently spans just over 30 miles in two disconnected segments, but there are plans to extend it to 35 miles and connect it to the Des Plaines River Trail. The trail goes through...
|
IL |
30.7 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Monon Trail in Lake County, Indiana—not to be confused with the trail of the same name in Indianapolis—links the two Chicago suburbs of Hammond and Munster. The paved trail occupies an abandoned...
|
IN |
4.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Moraine Hills State Park Trail offers a wonderful experience for any geology or nature aficionado. A moraine is an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier....
|
IL |
11.4 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The North Branch Riverwalk is a 0.6 mile biking and walking trail located on Chicago's northside along the North Branch of the Chicago River, nestled between Gordon Tech High School and Lane Tech High...
|
IL |
0.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The North Branch Trail follows the North Branch of the Chicago River over 20 miles through Cook County. The trail was originally a dirt path often used for horseback riding; though it’s now paved, an...
|
IL |
21.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
7.7 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The North Shore Channel Trail extends from the junction of Green Bay Road and McCormick Boulevard in northern Evanston to the junction of Lawrence Avenue and Francisco Avenue in Chicago. All but the...
|
IL |
6.7 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt
|
|
|
The Northerly Island Trail offers access to a vast, natural oasis in one of the largest cities in America. Chicago’s Northerly Island—actually a 91-acre peninsula—was designed by Daniel H. Burnham,...
|
IL |
1 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
|
|
|
First-time visitors to the Oak Savannah Trail might be surprised at the profusion of natural areas they’ll encounter as they travel the 8 miles between Hobart and Griffith in northern Indiana’s...
|
IN |
8.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Old Plank Road Trail travels nearly 22 miles between Chicago Heights and Joliet across a densely populated suburban landscape, where you’re never far from a café or espresso stand. Still, you...
|
IL |
21.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Orland Park Bikeway provides a great connector across the Chicago suburb of Orland Park. On its southern end, the trail begins at W. 159th Street and winds its way through Centennial Park, which...
|
IL |
6.7 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
|
|
|
The Oswego Prairie Trail is a short paved route that occupies an overhead electric utility corridor owned by Commonwealth Edison. The path forms a direct link between two parks in Oswego—Farmington...
|
IL |
0.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The village of Palatine has connected many of its community assets with two long sections of off-road, multi-use trail. The more popular northern section is the one most references call simply and...
|
IL |
9.6 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
|
|
|
The Palos Heights Bike Trail offers a north-south route through residential and commercial areas on the west side of the community. It's also a key connector between two regionally important...
|
IL |
2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Paul Douglas and Crabtree Preserve Trail System connects two large nature preserves in northwestern Cook County.
The trail begins at the Old Stover Trailhead in the Crabtree Preserve, near the...
|
IL |
9.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Pennsy Greenway is currently open in three segments between Calumet City, Illinois, and Schererville, Indiana. The northern portion begins at the southern end of the Burnham Greenway in Calumet...
|
IL, IN |
7.9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Although the Phyllis Harmon Path is short, it's an important connector in an east-west bike/ped route between Arlington Heights and Glencoe. Following Dundee Road, the paved trail goes from the Des...
|
IL |
1.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Poplar Creek Trail is a 9.5-mile paved loop around Poplar Creek Forest Preserve near Hoffman Estates. The trail has a couple of hills but is otherwise level and makes for a pleasant journey...
|
IL |
9.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Prairies and dunes are just two of the natural features you’ll experience on the Prairie Duneland Trail, located just a few miles south of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana Dunes National...
|
IN |
10.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Prairie Point Trail is a scenic neighborhood route that connects twice to the longer Grove Road Trail. While never far from houses, the trail offers surprising scenery, including a stretch along a...
|
IL |
2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Prairie Trail runs the length of McHenry County and is managed by the McHenry County Conservation District. The rail-trail spans just over 26 miles from the Wisconsin border and the farms and...
|
IL |
26.5 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
4.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Randall Road Bike Trail offers a 4-mile paved north-south route along its namesake roadway in a suburb west of Chicago. A highlight of the journey is the trail's passage through the LeRoy Oakes...
|
IL |
3.9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Ridgefield Trace currently consists of two short segments open for use. The western section runs from McHenry County College on US 14 in Crystal Lake to just west of N. Oak Street. Active railroad...
|
IL |
3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The 4.4-mile River Bend Trail is so named for the loop of Fox River along which it follows on its eastern end. It's here that you can connect to the scenic Fox River Trail to travel 43 miles along the...
|
IL |
4.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Robert McClory Bike Path runs the length of Lake County, knitting together a string of communities on the north shore of Chicago all the way to the Wisconsin border. In 1997, the trail was named...
|
IL |
25.4 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The popular Rock Run Greenway Trail is a balanced mix of natural areas and cityscapes that alternate over the length of the trail. The natural areas are frequented by recreational users. The...
|
IL |
12.3 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Salt Creek Trail travels nearly 27 miles from the Brookfield Zoo to Busse Woods Forest Preserve. Along the way it connects several beautiful county forest preserves and other woodland...
|
IL |
26.7 mi |
Asphalt, Cinder, Woodchips
|
|
|
The Skokie Valley Trail in Cook County parallels active train tracks in the Village of Skokie, providing easy access to both the Oakton–Skokie and Dempster–Skokie stations on the CTA’s Yellow Line....
|
IL |
2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
An excellent example of land use in greater Chicago, the entire Skokie Valley Trail corridor is a rail-with-trail, paralleled by double tracks that sit about 40 feet to the west of the trail surface....
|
IL |
9.8 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Southern Dupage County Regional Trail connects multiple of the larger forest preserves in Dupage county together. Starting near the intersection of 75th st and Ogden Ave in Aurora, the trail runs...
|
IL |
46 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Tall Grass Greenway Trail is a trail that runs along the right of way for ComEd powerlines. The trail goes mainly through neighborhoods in south Naperville, and meets up with the south branch of...
|
IL |
3.83 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Techny Trail links downtown Glenview, a charming village northwest of Chicago, with the Techny Basin, a scenic wetlands area adjacent to the West Fork of the Chicago River's North Branch....
|
IL |
3 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
|
|
|
The Thorn Creek Trail offers a paved 17-mile route traversing woodlands abundant with wildlife through several communities on the southern outskirts of Chicago. The trail travels from Brownwell Woods...
|
IL |
17.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The northern section of the Tinley Creek Trail is a series of color-coded connected loops and spurs that weave through several forest preserves in Cook County. The 24-mile trail system is paved,...
|
IL |
24 mi |
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...
|
IL |
3.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Turkey Creek Trail is a short but sweet walk or ride through the beautiful Ivan Gatlin Nature Preserve in the northwestern Indiana community of Schererville. This wetland area provides the opportunity...
|
IN |
0.8 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Union Pacific Recreation Path offers a short route through the Village of Lincolnwood's east side between Devon and Touhy avenues. Following the former Union Pacific Railroad, the rail-trail...
|
IL |
1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Just 1 mile long, the Valley Line Trail—also known as the Sauganash Trail—extends between Bryn Mawr Avenue and Devon Avenue in the Chicago neighborhood of Sauganash. Two bridges allow for safe...
|
IL |
1.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Veterans Memorial Bikeway begins in Hebron in northwestern Indiana’s Porter County. From there, it follows the diagonal route of the former Pennsylvania Railroad for just over 8 miles through Lake...
|
IN |
8.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Although just shy of two miles, the Veterans Memorial Trail provides a wooded, paved trail experience for residents in the Chicago suburbs of Romeoville, Lemont, and Woodridge. Those seeking a longer...
|
IL |
1.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Virgil L. Gilman Trail travels from quiet forest and prairie lands to bustling neighborhoods in just 11 miles, linking a woodsy community college campus with the eastern Chicago suburb of...
|
IL |
11.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The trail system in Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve makes a loop around the entire park. The preserve is geologically significant, featuring glacier-carved rock ridges, ravines and wetland potholes,...
|
IL |
9.5 mi |
Crushed Stone, Grass
|
|
|
The Waubonsie Trail links Boulder Hill and the Village of Oswego via a greenway corridor within a residential community. The eastern trailhead is in Jaycee Park, which offers a playground, picnic...
|
IL |
3.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
In just a few short miles, the Wauponsee Glacial Trail leaves the urban confines of Joliet to bask in open farmland and reclaimed tallgrass prairie where the bison roam again. Named for a glacial lake...
|
IL |
22.3 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|