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Dekalb, IL Birding Trails and Maps

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Looking for the best Birding trails around Dekalb?

Find the top rated birding trails in Dekalb, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
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Type
98 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Alpine Road Multi-Use Path
1.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Bauer Memorial Path
1.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Baumann Park Recreation Path
1.25 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Blackberry Trail

1.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Buffalo Creek Trail
3.2 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Busse Woods Trail
11.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Cal-Sag Trail
13.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Centennial Trail (IL)
13 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Chain O' Lakes Bike Path
3.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Charles Street Community Path
2.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Commonwealth Edison Bikeway
1.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Danada and Herrick Lake Regional Trail
5.8 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

DeKalb Nature Trail
1.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

DeKalb-Sycamore Trail
6.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Deer Grove Trail
3.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Des Plaines River Trail
56.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Dorr Road Bike Path
2.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

DuPage River Trail
33.1 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Duck Lake Nature Area Trail
2 mi
State: WI
Dirt

Fermilab Trail
5.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete
Accordion

Four Sisters Bike Path
4.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Fox River Trail (IL)
44.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Grant Woods Bike Path
5.9 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Great Western Trail (DuPage County)
12 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Great Western Trail (IL)
17 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Grove Road Trail
3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

H.U.M. Trail
3.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Harlem Township Bike Path
1.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Harrison Avenue/Mulford Road Bike Path
3.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Hebron Trail
6.7 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone, Gravel

Hennepin Canal Parkway
104.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Grass, Gravel

Hononegah Recreation Path
3.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail
79.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel

Illinois Prairie Path
58.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Joe Stengel Trail
7.9 mi
State: IL
Ballast, Grass, Gravel

John Husar I&M Canal Trail
8.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Joliet Junction Trail
4.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Kinstone Recreational Path
0.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Gravel

Kishwaukee River Recreation Path
2.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Kishwaukee Riverfront Path
6.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Kishwaukee-Kiwanis Trail
4.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lake Geneva Bike Path
8.9 mi
State: WI
Asphalt

Leland Path
2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Long Prairie Trail
13.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lowell Parkway Trail
3.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Lynn Boulevard/Westwood Trail
3.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Main Street Bike Path
1.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Mel Anderson Memorial Path
2.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Middlefork Savanna Trail

4.3 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone, Gravel

Millennium Trail
30.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Mitchell Road Path
0.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Moraine Hills State Park Trail
11.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

North Branch Trail
21.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

North Shore Bike Path
7.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Old Plank Road Trail
21.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Oregon Park East Bike Path
0.25 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Oswego Prairie Trail
0.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Ottawa Riverwalk
0.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Palatine Trail
9.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Paul Douglas and Crabtree Preserve Trail System
9.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Peace Trail
6.4 mi
State: WI
Asphalt

Pecatonica Prairie Trail
14.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Pelishek-Tiffany Nature Trail
6 mi
State: WI
Dirt

Perryville Path
6.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Phyllis Harmon Path
1.1 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Poplar Creek Trail
9.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Prairie Crossing Bike Path
3.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Prairie Point Trail
2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Prairie Trail (IL)
26.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Prospect Heights Bike Path
4.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Puri Path
4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Randall Road Bike Trail
3.9 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Ridgefield Trace
3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

River Bend Trail (Silver Glen Trail)
4.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Riverside Recreational Path
0.63 mi
State: IL
Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Rock River Recreation Path
10 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Rock Run Greenway Trail
12.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Rock Valley College Path
2.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Rockton Main Street Path
0.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Rote Road Multi-Use Path
0.8 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

SMART (Sterling Multi-Activity Recreational Trail)
2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Saelens Park Trail
1 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Salt Creek Trail (IL)
26.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Cinder, Woodchips

South Main Street Path
2.25 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Southern Dupage County Regional Trail
46 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Stone Bridge Trail
5.8 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone

Stone Mill Trail
1.5 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Swanson Park Recreation Path
2.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Tall Grass Greenway Trail
3.83 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Techny Trail
3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Concrete

Timber Ridge Trail
1 mi
State: IL
Gravel

Veterans Memorial Trail
2.7 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Virgil L. Gilman Trail
11.4 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Waterfall Glen
9.5 mi
State: IL
Crushed Stone, Grass

Waubonsie Trail
3.2 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Wauponsee Glacial Trail
22.3 mi
State: IL
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Williamson Parkway Bike Path
1 mi
State: IL
Asphalt

Willow Creek Path
2.6 mi
State: IL
Asphalt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
This path runs along the west side of the North Alpine Road in the Village of Machesney Park. It starts at the Schnuks parking lot and stretches about a mile north to the Lowe’s store parking area....
 IL 1.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Bauer Memorial Path provides a short route through residential and commercial areas of Machesney Park, a northern suburb of Rockford. The trail begins at the Harlem Community Center and travels in...
 IL 1.3 mi Asphalt
Baumann Park is adjacent to the Kishwaukee River in Cherry Valley, a community on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. A paved pathway runs through the park and loops around Baumann Park...
 IL 1.25 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 1.5 mi Asphalt
The Buffalo Creek Trail makes a loop around the scenic Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve in Long Grove. The crushed-gravel trail provides access to facilities throughout the park. Along the way, you’ll...
 IL 3.2 mi Crushed Stone
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...
 IL 11.2 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 13.8 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 13 mi Asphalt
The Chain O' Lakes Bike Path is a paved trail that runs between E. Grand Avenue in Fox Lake and Grant Woods Forest Preserve to the east. The trail parallels the railroad track and Rollins Road/CR 31,...
 IL 3.2 mi Asphalt
The Charles Street Community Path offers a neighborhood route through southeastern Rockford, connecting residents to CherryVale Mall on its eastern end. On its western end, Alpine Park is just north...
 IL 2.6 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 1.5 mi Asphalt
This regional trail connects two of DuPage County's forest preserves—Herrick Lake and Danada—on a crushed stone pathway nearly 6 miles long. Together, the preserves cover more than 1,600 acres of...
 IL 5.8 mi Crushed Stone
The DeKalb Nature Trail provides a pleasant, tree-lined route in northern DeKalb. Near its western trailhead, it crosses the Kishwaukee River and passes through the Nehring Forest Preserve. Further...
 IL 1.6 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 6.6 mi Asphalt
The Deer Grove Trail is one of several great Chicagoland trails located in properties of the Forest Preserve of Cook County. Deer Grove is the oldest of all the Cook County preserves. It's comprised...
 IL 3.9 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 56.2 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Dorr Road Bike Path begins at South Beloit Municipal Park and parallels the roadway for its entire length. The views are primarily residential. After about three-quarters of a mile (from the...
 IL 2.7 mi Asphalt
The DuPage River Trail spans nearly 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...
 IL 33.1 mi Asphalt
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...
 WI 2 mi Dirt
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
Accordion
The Four Sisters Bike Path forms a horseshoe around the northern end of Rochelle, a small city south of Rockford in northern Illinois. The path connects several schools and parks, and the city has...
 IL 4.3 mi Asphalt
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 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 Harlem Township Bike Path lies not far from the Rock River in western Machesney Park in the Rockford metropolitan area. The trail consists of a lower (southwest) and an upper (northeast) loop in...
 IL 1.6 mi Asphalt
In southeastern Rockford, a paved pathway begins at a connection with the Charles Street Community Path then heads south along Mulford Road through a residential area. At Harrison Avenue, the path...
 IL 3.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Hebron Trail rolls across the northern Illinois prairie through the former corridor of the Kenosha and Rockford Railroad, known as the Kenosha Division Line at the time of its demise in 1939....
 IL 6.7 mi Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Hennepin Canal Parkway, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a state park, follows an old towpath along a canal opened in 1907 and quickly abandoned due to competition...
 IL 104.5 mi Asphalt, Grass, Gravel
The Hononegah Recreation Path begins near the State Route 2 bridge over the Rock River in Rockton, a small town about 4 miles south of the Illinois–Wisconsin border. The paved trail follows Hononegah...
 IL 3.2 mi Asphalt
The Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail follows the eponymous waterway alongside the Illinois River. It traverses the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor, designated in 1984 and the first...
 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 Joe Stengel Trail follows an old railroad corridor for 7 miles between the town of Polo and the much smaller community of Woosung. The trail corridor traces farm country along a route scattered...
 IL 7.9 mi Ballast, Grass, Gravel
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
From Main Street and Elevator Road in Roscoe, the scenic Kinstone Recreational Path winds its way northeast through woodlands along the north branch of Kinnikinnick Creek to the Stone Bridge Trail....
 IL 0.6 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Kishwaukee River Recreation Path runs for 2.5 miles in Cherry Valley on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. The well-maintained, asphalt trail connects the Kishwaukee River Forest...
 IL 2.5 mi Asphalt
The Kishwaukee Riverfront Path winds nearly 7 miles through downtown Belvidere, east of Rockford in northern Illinois. As its name implies, the paved scenic trail follows the waterway for most of its...
 IL 6.9 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
The Lake Geneva Bike Path runs through the scenic resort city, offering connections to many of the community’s amenities. The trail has five unique, color-coded segments. The Blue Route is the...
 WI 8.9 mi Asphalt
Although a relatively short trail, the Leland Path provides an important connection between the Hononegah Recreation Path and the Stone Bridge Trail. The pleasant, tree-dotted pathway travels through...
 IL 2 mi Asphalt
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...
 IL 13.9 mi Asphalt
The Lowell Parkway Trail runs through the charming town of Dixon, Illinois, boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. The trail occupies the rail bed of the old Illinois Central Railroad, between Lowell Park and...
 IL 3.5 mi Asphalt
The trail user can be transported from the bustling Westwood Fitness and Sports Center to a beautiful wooded trail that offers Elkhorn Creek on the far outer loop of the trail, a shelter at the top of...
 IL 3.7 mi Asphalt
In the Village of Roscoe, a paved path of just over a mile parallels Main Street (which becomes Frontage Road) and then continues along the south side of McDonald Road, a quiet residential street....
 IL 1.2 mi Asphalt
The Mel Anderson Memorial Path, named for a long-serving alderman of the Seventh Ward, stretches nearly 3 miles, connecting Lockwood Park, Searls Park, Bressler Park and Talcott-Page Park. Mid-way,...
 IL 2.7 mi Asphalt
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
This path runs along Mitchell Road, starting in Machesney Park. The trail heads north and then travels east where it terminates at Sunny Meadow Drive outside of Russ Park. This short path is just...
 IL 0.6 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 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
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...
 IL 21.7 mi Asphalt
Oregon Park East Bike Path is nestled along the east bank of the Rock River in the small town of Oregon in northern Illinois. The 23-acre park offers athletic facilities, restrooms, grills, and picnic...
 IL 0.25 mi Asphalt
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 Ottawa Riverwalk runs directly beside the beautiful Fox River, just north of its confluence with the larger Illinois River. It's a tranquil walkway with river views along its entire length. To...
 IL 0.9 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 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
Stretching from Afton to Janesville, the northern section of the Peace Trail offers a paved, tree-shaded route paralleling the Rock River and an active rail line. At its northern end, the trail merges...
 WI 6.4 mi Asphalt
The Pecatonica Prairie Trail, formerly known as the Pecatonica Prairie Path, is a 14.3-mile rail-trail extending from the western edge of Rockford to N. Farwell Bridge Road west of Pecatonica. The...
 IL 14.3 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Pelishek-Tiffany Nature Trail runs for 6 miles along an abandoned railroad corridor, between the towns of Allens Grove and Clinton. The trail is open to snowmobiles, cyclists, horseback riders and...
 WI 6 mi Dirt
The Perryville Path runs nearly 7 miles, connecting the communities of Loves Park and Rockford, not far from the northern border of Illinois. A pleasant place to begin your journey is Rock Cut State...
 IL 6.7 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
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...
 IL 3.7 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 has very few sidewalks, so biking, inline skating or walking are moved to the streets or in the parks. Don't underestimate the Prospect Heights Bike Path which is over four miles of...
 IL 4.2 mi Asphalt
The Puri Path is a paved route in Rock Cut State Park, a beautiful outdoor destination of more than 3,000 acres for the city of Rockford. The path runs through the heavily wooded northeast corner of...
 IL 4 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 Riverside Recreational Path begins as a gravel lane at the base of Riverside Park on the banks of the Rock River in Roscoe. From there, it continues along Rowena Street, paralleling State Route...
 IL 0.63 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel
The paved Rock River Recreation Trail winds throughout downtown Rockford and environs, following the east bank of the Rock River through Shorewood Park and Martin Memorial Park. Officially, the trail...
 IL 10 mi Asphalt
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 Rock Valley College Path is a paved route looping around and through its namesake campus in Rockford. At its southern end, it connects to the Spring Brook Road bike lanes that continue east to the...
 IL 2.2 mi Asphalt
The Rockton Main Street Path is situated off the Rock River on the southern end of downtown Rockton, a charming Midwestern village near the Illinois–Wisconsin border. It begins at Settler's Park,...
 IL 0.8 mi Asphalt
The Rote Road Multi-Use Path offers a paved route along the south side of Rote Road in eastern Rockford. It travels for nearly a mile, providing access to neighborhoods, businesses, and the Aldeen...
 IL 0.8 mi Asphalt
The Sterling Multi-Activity Recreational Trail starts at one end at the edge of the Hoover Park parking lot and heads into a scenic wooded trail crossing a wooden bridge over Woodlawn Creek and...
 IL 2 mi Asphalt
The paved trail running through Nick Saelens Memorial Park is a pretty one, with a loop around a small pond and much of it following a tree-lined creek. The park is nestled in the Village of Durand in...
 IL 1 mi Asphalt
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
This is a newly constructed path that runs between S. Main Street and the Rock River in Rockford. It was built as part of the re-building of S. Main Street and runs from South Park south to the...
 IL 2.25 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
Built on a former rail bed dating back to the 1850s, the Stone Bridge Trail provides a crushed limestone pathway through rural countryside. A highlight of the trail is passage on Stone Bridge over the...
 IL 5.8 mi Crushed Stone
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...
 IL 1.5 mi Asphalt
Swanson Park Recreation Path is sometimes known as the Cherry Valley Path as it's located in the Village of Cherry Valley on the outskirts of Rockford in northern Illinois. The paved path travels...
 IL 2.4 mi Asphalt
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 Timber Ridge trail is located on the eastern side of the Timber Ridge Forest Preserve in west Chicago. The preserve offers several trails, fishing, picnicking, and is home to Kline Creek Farms,...
 IL 1 mi Gravel
Although just shy of three 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...
 IL 2.7 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
The Williamson Parkway Bike Path offers a pleasant, paved route through a residential area in southern Rockton. The mile-long trail follows its namesake roadway from Freeport Road (also known as S....
 IL 1 mi Asphalt
The Willow Creek Path is a pleasant, tree-lined trail that follows its namesake creek for most of its journey through the communities of Machesney Park and Loves Park in the Rockford metropolitan...
 IL 2.6 mi Asphalt

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Trails by activity

Recent Trail Reviews

Fox River Trail (IL)

Fox River Trail

July, 2019 by farrells3

We’ve only done Oswego to Geneva so far but I’m already so impressed. Beautiful well maintained trail. While it’s a great trail for getting a workout in you’ll be torn between it and stopping to take in the amazing scenery.

read more …

Bauer Memorial Path

several paths, not just the Bauer

July, 2019 by ericevan

My review if for three paths; South Main Street Path north to the top of the Bauer Memorial Path. I really enjoyed this trail. I'm not sure why it's not all interconnected, a few lapses can easily be considered part of the trail. Well, at least, that's what I did. The three paths combine to offer great views of the Rock River, Rockford and it's surrounding area. Along the way there are great nature views as well as man-made. If you're looking for a challenge try to find the trail-side pay phone and the massively oversized basketball hoop. All in all I think I came away with around 30 miles from all three paths round trip and can easily see myself riding it again. Cheers.

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Fermilab Trail

Okay, but could be better

July, 2019 by ericevan

I live near Fermilab and can access it by bike without having to drive over. 99 times out of 100 I probably wouldn't choose this path. Fermi is a huge chunk of land that should offer a far better bike trail in my opinion. As it stands the path that leads you from the west side of the property to the east can be best described as a straight-ish cement/asphalt trail with little more eye candy than the main building itself. They used to house buffalo to the east on their farm but they were moved out years ago. Now all that stands is a farmhouse. Near the east side of the property is a small village but aside from a bathroom and maybe a vending machine, there's nothing of interest here. To get more miles you can veer off on any road in the compound but these take you down gritty asphalt roads without much more fanfair, and a bumpy ride to show for it. There's a lot of potential for a great bike path in here, but I don't think the powers that be want a great deal of folks meandering through. By the way, be prepared to show your ID to get in. That is mandatory.

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Accordion

Great Western Trail (DuPage County)

This isn't the GWT Kane County offers!

July, 2019 by ericevan

Unlike its superior sister trail to the west, the GFT-D falls short. While living in Wheaton for years I rarely gave this path any of my time. It was sun-baked, not the best kept and didn't offer any of the scenery that its sister trail does in Kane County. In all honesty, I would recommend avoiding this path and making your way west to the 'better' segment. Or test both out and come to the same conclusion.

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Danada and Herrick Lake Regional Trail

Cool trail, a decent number of miles available

July, 2019 by ericevan

This trail started around the lake, then opened up to the back area making path available to Warrenville Road, Herrick Road and Naperville Road. While the Herrick lake area was always nice I especially enjoy the segment that heads over to Naperville Road and through Danada Farms and the nearby lake that ends at Butterfield Road. The area in the back of Herrick is just circular paths without frills, but they offer additional miles.

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Poplar Creek Trail

A short favorite

July, 2019 by ericevan

At less than 10 miles this trail isn't going to be a grand adventure. But take it for what it is, a rolling, scenic, half sun/half canopy trail with views of the forest, street-side, ponds, prairie, and wildlife. My son and I knocked out this path last summer and enjoyed it. Plenty of places to start/end your ride as there are multiple parking areas/parks in the area. On your ride be sure to try and find the lions (2). They roam in the same spot and do not move. Cheers.

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Illinois Prairie Path

Classic Illinois bike trail

July, 2019 by ericevan

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.

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Virgil L. Gilman Trail

Another Kane County classic

July, 2019 by ericevan

I usually pick up the VLG from the Fox River Trail just south of downtown Aurora and ride it west to it's endpoint at Waubonsee Community College. The path is mostly crushed limestone and canopied with great tree cover. It's usually in great shape although I've seen some water flooding in some areas during the spring. These were ridable through at slower speeds. The trail itself has plenty of pitstops with benchs/etc and cover. Along the way you'll see a few golf courses, Blackberry Farm and waterpark, the countryside, forested areas and finally the college. There are also several bridges, maybe a half dozen or so. The largest crosses over Route 56.

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Fox River Trail (IL)

My 'Home' trail

July, 2019 by ericevan

I've been riding the FRT from Oswego to South Elgin for over 25 yrs. And there isn't a bad part. Traveling along a scenic river while riding from town to town will please all bikers of any age. The FRT is a string of majestic sites like a huge windmill, island parks, sculptures, Riverboats, picturesque river views, a slew of bike shops, plenty of parks and places to stop. The path runs on both sides of the river and for many stretches on both. The trail itself is always in impeccable condition and varies in traffic from bikers, joggers and walkers. This is one of the best trails in Illinois, if not the best.

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Tall Grass Greenway Trail

Decent path, a lot of sun, a lot of wind

July, 2019 by ericevan

This path might also be called the wind tunnel path, or the power line path. Most of the Tall Grass Greenway travels under a large string of power lines so it's hard to stray. The trail itself is asphalt and very well kept up. Depending on the wind, the trail can present an unabated push or shove to your ride. I completed the trail round trip and felt both sides of it. The parts of trail I enjoyed most weren't actually part of the TGGT trail at all: the far east end where it becomes a path along the river is a very nice crushed limestone ride, and the far west side where it travels south to 111th St and along a very old cemetary on one side and train tracks on the other. This is a good, solid path, but I think the extension paths on both ends were better.
There are plenty of benches and areas to rest along the way.

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Great Western Trail (IL)

Hidden gem in Kane County

July, 2019 by ericevan

For several years I've ridden this path and waited for word to get out as to how GREAT it is. To get the full effect I usually ride from Dean Street in St. Charles out to Sycamore. That's about 35 miles. The trail is a mix of asphalt and crushed limestone and it's 100% well maintained. There's a good split of canopy and sunlight offering riders an opportunity to cool off under the tree's and get decent views in other spots. The trail takes you through a couple of small towns, each of which offers opportunities for food/water. There are several bridges along the way as well as benches and picnic tables for rest breaks. West of Campton Hills you'll probably see a drastic drop in traffic. You'll also see a nice mix of wildlife out here. A great number of birds including an electric blue finch-like bird frequents the area, as do horse farms and other small critters. Just a beautiful path that runs through forested areas, over small streams and b offers great views of the distant prairie. Cheers

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Pecatonica Prairie Trail

Potential, but not a great path yet

July, 2019 by ericevan

I parked in western Rockford and picked this trail up at it's far eastern point. A mile or so into the trail heading west, it turned from compacted earth/small rock to full-on grass, at which point a pool of water from treeline to treeline made it impossible to continue. Ok, headed back to the car and drove down to Winnebago where I picked up the trail heading west again. The trail isn't bad, but I ride a hybrid bike with smaller tires than a mountain bike. Riding wasn't hard, but it wasn't easy either. Halfway between Winnebago and Pecatonica I got tired of the trail and its inconsistent composition and went off-road down hilly side streets to complete my ride to the north side of Pecatonica. What you should know about this path is that the trail is comprised of flattened earth and some gravel (ranging sizes from crushed to large pebbles). The trail also has grass areas either in full, or partially. Personally, I don't care for the grass. The trail itself is 95% non-canopy. For those looking for direct sun and a lot of it..this trail is for you. Along the trail there isn't much in the way of scenery. I'd say it's mostly a 'put your head down and peddle' path. The trail composition wasn't favorable for me nor was the scenery, so I'm at two stars here. I think the trail could be maintained more to improve that side of it. Cheers

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