Find the top rated bike trails in Chesterton, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
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The Bloomingdale Trail, part of “The 606” park system, is a 3-mile, elevated rail-trail on Chicago’s northwest side. Built on a former rail line, the trail sits 17 feet above four of the city’s...
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...
The Cal-Sag Trail (or, Calumet-Sag Trail) is currently under active construction. As of early 2018, it has a competed section of about 13 miles, stretching from near its western terminus at the John...
Running between the suburbs of Chicago Heights and Joliet, the Old Plank Road Trail offers views of oak trees and sugar maples, prairie grasses, and wildflowers that peek up through the...
The Dunes Kankakee Trail is a 3-mile walking and bike path that begins in the Indiana Dunes State Park and travels south to Chesterton. It connects the Calumet Trail, which is also in the state park,...
When complete, the LaSalle Trail will travel an arrow-straight 3.5 miles between Roseland Town Park in Roseland and the Indiana–Michigan state line. Michigan is currently working on building a trail...
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...
The Pennsy Greenway is currently open in two segments between Calumet City, Illinois, and Schererville, Indiana. The northern portion begins at the southern end of the Burnham Greenway in Calumet City...
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The Riverside Trail winds along the west bank of the St. Joseph River for just over 3 miles in northern Indiana's South Bend. Several benches along the way allow you to take in the beautiful river...
The Thorn Creek Trail offers a paved route traversing woodlands abundant with wildlife through several communities on the southern outskirts of Chicago. The trail travels from Brownwell Woods in...
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The northern portion of the East Bank Trail was one of the first rail-trails in Indiana, opening in 1988. The asphalt-surfaced trail stretches for about 0.5 mile through tree-lined South Bend...
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...
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...
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Illinois’ Centennial Trail runs through parts of three suburban counties from Willow Springs Road to Romeo Road/135th Street southwest of Chicago. The trail occupies a thin strip of land between the...
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...
The Burnham Greenway is composed of two distinct portions that both run along a former railroad corridor between Chicago and Lansing, Illinois. There are plans to extend and connect these short...
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...
The Chesapeake and Ohio Greenway (also referred to as the C&O Trail) offers a short, paved route through Merrillville, a town just a few miles south of Gary and the southern tip of Lake Michigan. The...
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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,...
The Erie Lackawanna Trail connects Crown Point and Hammond, two former rail junctions whose early fortunes were tied to the tracks carrying people and goods to and from Chicago. Despite traveling...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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....
Although less than 1 mile long, the West Bank Walkway offers lovely views of the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend. Midway, a converted railroad trestle over the waterway connects trail-goers to...
The Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
When complete, the LaSalle Trail will travel an arrow-straight 3.5 miles between Roseland Town Park in Roseland and the Indiana–Michigan state line. Michigan is currently working on building a trail...
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...
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,...
The northern portion of the East Bank Trail was one of the first rail-trails in Indiana, opening in 1988. The asphalt-surfaced trail stretches for about 0.5 mile through tree-lined South Bend...
The Thorn Creek Trail offers a paved route traversing woodlands abundant with wildlife through several communities on the southern outskirts of Chicago. The trail travels from Brownwell Woods in...
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...
The Calumet Trail traverses the south side of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a unique ecosystem of forest, marsh, dunes and beach along Lake Michigan. This dirt and crushed limestone path...
Note: Erosion caused by surging waves off Lake Michigan has caused the trail to collapse in sections. The eastern half of the trail along Lake Michigan is closed indefinitely. See the Chicago Park...
The Burnham Greenway is composed of two distinct portions that both run along a former railroad corridor between Chicago and Lansing, Illinois. There are plans to extend and connect these short...
Indiana’s Panhandle Pathway follows a former Pennsylvania Railroad corridor out of Winamac south to Kenneth. Along the way, the trail links the communities of Star City, Thornhope, and Royal Center...
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,...
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...
Illinois’ Centennial Trail runs through parts of three suburban counties from Willow Springs Road to Romeo Road/135th Street southwest of Chicago. The trail occupies a thin strip of land between the...
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...
The Monterey Erie Trail occupies the same railbanked corridor as the longer North Judson Erie Trail to its west, and the two rail-trails are planned to be linked in the future. The paved pathway...
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...
The Cal-Sag Trail (or, Calumet-Sag Trail) is currently under active construction. As of early 2018, it has a competed section of about 13 miles, stretching from near its western terminus at the John...
The Des Plaines River Trail runs alongside the Des Plaines River for just over 56 miles, protecting watershed habitat and forestland through much of Lake and Cook Counties. The trail is a natural...
Running between the suburbs of Chicago Heights and Joliet, the Old Plank Road Trail offers views of oak trees and sugar maples, prairie grasses, and wildflowers that peek up through the...
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...
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,...
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...
El Paseo runs through the vibrant Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, once home to a large Czech population but now the center of the Lower West Side’s Latino community. The neighborhood is filled with...
The Chesapeake and Ohio Greenway (also referred to as the C&O Trail) offers a short, paved route through Merrillville, a town just a few miles south of Gary and the southern tip of Lake Michigan. The...
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...
The Chicago Lakefront Trail is aptly named; it spans 19 miles along the shore of Lake Michigan, going right through downtown Chicago and passing many cultural and tourist attractions throughout the...
The Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail currently runs for more than 5 miles through Niles, Michigan, on the eastern bank of the St. Joseph River. The trail occupies a former New York Central Railroad...
The North Judson Erie Trail occupies the railbanked right-of-way of the former JK Line Railroad, running 9 miles from downtown North Judson southeast to US 35 near Bass Lake. Eventually, the trail...
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....
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,...
The Bloomingdale Trail, part of “The 606” park system, is a 3-mile, elevated rail-trail on Chicago’s northwest side. Built on a former rail line, the trail sits 17 feet above four of the city’s...
We rode the main trail and explored a few trails leading off the main trail on our mountain bikes. The only complaint is the lack of water. We are going back in a couple of days to do two loops and try more side trails. We will bring a cooler with our supplies
Loved exploring this trail today! A bit hillier than Prairie or Salt Creek but nice rolling up and down both ways. We easily found Sag Quaries with Google Maps off of 83 and jumped right on. Couldn't believe no street crossings all the way to Nicks BBQ at the end of the trail! We stopped for lunch than headed back. Nice 24 miles! Loved the Lake Katherine area and the low traffic on this trail! We'll do it again in the fall as the foliage will be beautiful!
When people think of trails, they think of trees, prairies, forest, ponds and lakes. You get very little of that here. But it’s an experience. Carving through the local neighborhoods to complete this “trail”. If you’re not comfortable south of 105th, take your whisk broom back to your cozy higher tax bracket trails. I’m on a mission to bike or walk all Cook county Forest Preserve trails this summer. Wish me luck!
We rode the trail Wed, July 25. First time since last fall. We were pleasantly surprised to find the parking lot off of 135th St to be newly paved with the parking spaces marked! In addition, the port-a-potty, which was clean, and handicap accessible, has been replaced by a permanent large vault toilet. It remains clean. We rode from 135th St to the fork that branches off to the Cal-Sag. Great Trail, but no other facilities or benches other than the two, one and two miles from 135 St. Great trail, but could use some flashing lights just before you cross the road to enter the industrial area. Lots of traffic there. I believe that is Lamont Rd. Loved riding through Waterfall Glen.
I've ridden this trail many times at different times of the year. There are several branches - Elgin, Geneva, Aurora, Batavia - and it also extends eastward from Wheaton/Dupage County. Most recently on a perfect day (July 24, 2019) I rode the Fox River Trail to the Geneva branch to the Aurora branch. Each time I hope it will be a better experience but alas it's just a flat out boring grind. It should really be called the ComEd trail since a lot of it follows ComEd high tension wires - which means straight as a ruler flat as a pancake boring as heck miles. The only other trail that is straighter an more boring is the so-called Great Western Trail from Sycamore to St. Charles. - yuk.
Granted, some of the path goes through nicely wooded areas - for example from West Chicago to Wheaton and the Aurora branch to 59 with the exception of a mile or so is fairly nice.
About 90% of the trail is crushed stone - some of it badly in need of attention and maintenance. I realize it was an unusually wet Spring and lots of flooding - but some of the path is dicey. There's a stretch just west of Farnsworth Road that has been "patched" with rough cut stone - NOT crushed rock - that is dangerous - especially if one hits it as speed.
From Geneva to West Chicago and from West Chicago to Aurora it's just a grind. Nothing much to look at, very little variation in direction and mild change in elevation - just pounding out the miles. Lots of weeds to ComEd's "Prairie Restoration" especially in comparison to the Prairie Restoration at Fermi Lab which is much more diverse and interesting - and authentic.
With the beauty of the Fox River trail is an alternative - as well as several others - I'm writing the Prairie Path off my list.
Simply put, it doesn't get any better than this in Illinois. Referred to as the Lake Michigan Trail, this one can be ridden along the lake for more than the advertised 19 miles. I've done every inch of this path numerous times and always look forward to coming back. The entire trail is cement or asphalt making it an easy mover. Wind can obviously play a role (yeah, go figure) as can traffic (many walk, peddle and run this trail). The sites...well...they are as you can imagine, limitless. There are an endless number of places to stop for a rest and an equal number of curiousities to pull over and check out. My favorite is north of Oak Street beach. After a good number of miles I like to pit stop here and jump into the lake to cool off. This isn't for everybody. : ) In all seriousness this path has so much to offer you might ride it 50 times before noticing something new.
For close to five years I lived at the zero marker for the IPP in Wheaton. This gave me unabated access to a wonderful path that offered multiple paths in every direction. Each path differed in terms of scenery but the trail was always kept up nicely and offered great views of parks, towns and history. I don't ride the IPP much these days as I live near the Fox River Trail and call that my favorite now. But I have very fond memories of riding every inch of the IPP more than many times. Cheers.
Very nicely marked trail. We had ridden the trail that connects at this starting point. Nice shade along the way, couple of nice bathrooms as well. Very scenic, passes over a lake and next to one. It connects to another trail at the end, Erie Lackawana. Will do that one next time.
Lasalle to Buffalo Rock Trail was a muddy mess. Might’ve worked with those big snow tires, but anything else wouldn’t have worked today. Trail is missing a bridge about 2 miles east of Utica Several trees down across the trail. The tree one-half mile west of Buffalo Rock was completely covered with poison ivy, AND had a hornets nest in it. Several other riders told us they had been stung multiple times. On a dryer day, it might’ve gone better. Bring your bug spray!
Don't rely on Google Maps if you're trying to access this trail from MIchigan City. We realized after much frustration that it tries to take you through the power plant property, which is not actually an option.
Wanted to try a new trail this year, for as remote this trail is it's well kept, several street crossings with low traffic volume. Some open areas that could make the ride hot depending on the temps or hard depending on wind speed and direction, bring plenty of water the farther south you go the fewer stops with water supplies there are. overall nice trail
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