Find the top rated walking trails in Deerfield, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
The Kuhn Road Trail starts on Lies Road, at Glenbard North High School and continues south along Kuhn Road, past single-family homes and Friendship Park. The trail officially ends at Barbara O'Rahilly...
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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....
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...
The Commonwealth Edison Bikeway is a short paved trail that occupies an overhead electric utility corridor owned by Commonwealth Edison, the local utility company—hence the trail's name. While lacking...
The Busse Woods Trail system is located within Ned Brown Forest Preserve, a 3,700-acre property in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. There are 11.2 miles of paved trails for cyclists, equestrians...
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...
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...
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...
The Bartlett Trail is a recreational trail in the Village of Bartlett, Du Page county. Though short, the trail is conveniently located as a space for exercise, while providing a safe route to school...
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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...
The Prairie Crossing Bike Path is a hard surface trail connecting Mundelein to Grayslake in central Lake County, Illinois. The trail is perpendicular to the 30-plus-mile Millennium Trail, which it...
The White River State Trail is composed of two separate segments: a 12-mile stretch that runs between Elkhorn and just west of Burlington in Walworth County, and a 7-mile section that connects the...
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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 Pike River Pathway is a paved, multi-use trail that runs along both sides of the reconstructed Pike River through the Village of Mount Pleasant and unincorporated parts of Racine County. The path...
Helping to forge a connection between the northern and southern segments of the Kenosha County Bike Trail, the Kenosha Pike Bike Trail also has plenty to offer in its own right, giving trail users a...
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The Fort Beggs Bike Trail (North) is a nearly mile-and-a-half long trail in Plainfield, Illinois. The trail shares the electric utility right-of-way, stretching from Fort Beggs Drive south to Spring...
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...
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 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...
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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...
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The city of Joliet saw its electric utility corridors as a recreational opportunity. One such trail is the Fort Beggs Bike Trail, which starts on Theodore Street and heads northwest in the shadow of...
The Duck Lake Nature Area Trail follows the southern side of Lake Como between Lake Geneva and Como, Wisconsin, not far from the Illinois state line. The trail is more rustic than most rail-trails and...
The DeKalb-Sycamore Trail—also known as the Peace Road Trail—parallels the eastern side of Peace Road from DeKalb to Sycamore in northern Illinois. Along the way, you'll pass a mixture of residential...
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....
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 White River State Trail is composed of two separate segments: a 12-mile stretch that runs between Elkhorn and just west of Burlington in Walworth County, and a 7-mile section that connects the...
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...
Leave the cars at home: the Route 30 Bike Path gives users an alternative way to travel from the Village of Frankfort in the east, through Mokena to New Lenox in the west, a distance of over 7.5...
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 Racine-Sturtevant Trail runs for 3.5 miles from the western side of Racine to near the eastern edge of the Village of Sturtevant. The trail occupies an abandoned rail corridor for most of its...
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...
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...
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 WE Energies Trail, so named because it uses a Wisconsin Energy Corporation utility corridor for much of its route, links Racine and Oak Creek in Racine and Milwaukee counties. Despite the presence...
The Busse Woods Trail system is located within Ned Brown Forest Preserve, a 3,700-acre property in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. There are 11.2 miles of paved trails for cyclists, equestrians...
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...
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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 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...
Lake Renwick Preserve is home to an artificial lake of the same name that was created from former quarries where aggregates for concrete were once mined. Today, the lake is a recreational amenity in...
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...
The Long Prairie Trail journeys across the width of agricultural Boone County for nearly 14 miles on the railroad corridor previously used by the Kenosha and Rockford Railroad, later known as the...
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...
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 Stearns Road Bike Path is a dedicated sidepath traveling from Hanover Park to the Bartlett, in the Chicago suburbs. The asphalt path sits on the north side of Greenbrook Boulevard/ Stearns Road,...
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...
This shared-use path runs east-west through the village of Carol Stream in Du Page county. Sitting on the grassy north side of Lies Road between Fair Oaks Road and Gary Avenue, the path is used as an...
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...
Blackberry Trail follows a stretch of Blackberry Creek in Montgomery, Illinois. The trail is accessible from the forest preserve entrance at Caliendo Circle. Heading north, the trail reaches Mayfield...
The Bartlett Trail is a recreational trail in the Village of Bartlett, Du Page county. Though short, the trail is conveniently located as a space for exercise, while providing a safe route to school...
The Lily Cache Greenway travels east-west across Bollingbrook, from the ComEd Greenway to the Plainfield border. The trail more or less follows the course of its namesake creek, and is characterized...
The Oak Leaf Trail is the jewel in the crown of Milwaukee County’s extensive trail system. The trail meanders for more than 125 miles in and around the city of Milwaukee on a changing terrain of flat...
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...
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...
Helping to extend the excellent network of trails around the city of Racine deeper west into the heart of the county, the Racine County Bike Trail serves as a disconnected addition to the...
The White River State Trail is composed of two separate segments: a 12-mile stretch that runs between Elkhorn and just west of Burlington in Walworth County, and a 7-mile section that connects the...
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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...
The DuPage River Trail spans over 30 miles across two counties: DuPage and Will. It's currently open in several disconnected segments mainly in parks and forest preserves beginning in Warrenville and...
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...
The Stone Mill Trail runs between Lawrence Road in Harvard and Maxon Road in Chemung. The 1.5-mile, paved trail mostly parallels County Highway 17 (Ramer Road) and active railroad tracks, and will...
I've been riding this trail since the early 90s and absolutely adore it. In high school I would ride from St Charles to Batavia and back every morning, and now I love doing 50 mile round trips from Oswego up to St Charles.
Absolutely scenic any time of year. As some have mentioned it can get busy on summer weekends, but nothing too bad. 99% of it is paved so road bikes should have no problems at all.
Tons of parks to take breaks at, lots of great restaurants and food stops as well. The trolley museum in Elgin, the Fabyan museum, Japanese tea garden, and windmill in Batavia are must-stops.
The FRT also links up to the Virgil Gilman Trail, the Prairie Path (one of its spurs), and quite a few others, so if you're really looking to rack up the milage you have a lot to choose from!
I have to agree with the previous reviewer in that this trail is not a destination in itself but does connect two very good trails. Leroy Oaks on the south end is very nice and worth some time (yes the bridge is rough, it has always been that way, I often wonder why). If you make the loop through St Charles using the Fox River Trail it’s a nice 15 or so mile trip.
Runs along the river. The park is nice but the trail seems a little dirty with trash around the sides. There are multiple benches along the trail for resting. Not a bad trail, but not a very pretty trail either. So if you’re looking for some sight-seeing as you run then this may not be the ideal spot to run.
Runs along the river. The park is nice but the trail seems a little dirty with trash around the sides. There are multiple benches along the trail for resting. Not a bad trail, but not a very pretty trail either. So if you’re looking for some sight-seeing as you run then this may not be the ideal spot to run.
This trail is the beat I’ve ridden on. I’m new to biking but this trail, so far, is my favorite. Paved the entire way or off roading choice if you’d like as well. I like to mix it up a bit.
Started at Fairfield and 176 (waconda). Ample parking but not that crowded. Went north past the dog park through some gentle turns and inclines. Beautiful ponds along the way with plenty of benches along the way to stop and rest Went all the way to Ray’s and looped back around with a total of about 8-9 miles It is our go to trail for fresh air They also have a two other trails there, one goes northwest and one that goes east toward Mundelein
We rode this trail in early Nov 2020, and liked it so much we returned two weeks later for another run. This is one of the most interesting of the suburban trails we have ridden, with a number of bridge crossings of the creek. The trail winds through various Forest Preserve forests and meadows on its north end, before veering due south at Glenwood for a long straight stretch, then wanders through several pleasant neighborhood-adjacent parks before ending at Sauk Lake.
Well worth adding the very peaceful and scenic Black Trail loop around Sauk Lake, just be prepared for that one steep hill at the back, lol! An added benefit is that Thorn Creek Trail is amazingly smooth, with very few of those root-bump cracks that you always seem to feel so much more on the return trip.
Ignore the nonsense in the "Parking and Trail Access" section about the northern trailhead being at "Wapum" (Actually Wampum) Lake Woods. There's no trailhead there, they need to change that. Park at Lansing Woods on 186th just east of Torrence.
I am thrilled to share that the worst part of this trail mentioned in several reviews here has been freshly repaved as of November 2020 (from Route 30 all the way north to Colfax Street). Previously, this section was marred by huge cracks that ran across the full width of the trail every 20 yards or so. These cracks were between 1 and 2 inches wide – enough for foliage to blossom within – and were absolutely jarring to hit on a road bike. Now, this section is buttery smooth and an absolute pleasure to ride on.
This now places the worst section of this trail in Hammond north of Interstate 80/94. With the exception of the new pedestrian flyovers that cross Columbia and Calumet Avenues, the rest of Hammond's share is quite rough. Still, I enjoy completing the entirety of the trail from Downtown Hammond to Crown Point and back. When I start off in Hammond, I typically park in the visitor's lot of the Hammond Police Department off Douglas St. for some extra peace of mind with respect to my vehicle being left unattended for hours (downtown Hammond doesn't have the rosiest of reputations).
I parked just north of Golf at 294 right over the train tracks. Took the trail north and I loved it. The tracks do separate the trail and I’m surprised it’s not connected. The people who make and maintain these trails are national heroes. The dirt road north is perfect for mountain bikes. I rode about 7 miles to highway 68 I think it is. Awesome.
Agree with all the posters below: this is a great trail and another example of what gems these FPD trails are! So close to urban, highway, and residential, yet a secluded ride in the woods.
If riding south and west, park at the Red trailhead at Lansing Woods, just east of Torrance on 183rd Street. Late season and winter, mind the wind direction before choosing which way to ride this trail, as much of it runs due south.
11.8 miles to the end of the red trail, then you can tack on 4 miles on the black loop. 11.0 miles to the east end of the Old Plank Road trail.
I went on a walk/roll with my husband on this beautiful trail. The Fall colors were enchanting. He was able to get my wheelchair through the path without a problem. I love the wooded pathway and all of the beautiful trees and scenery.
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