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Overview
The eastern segment of the Great Western Trail in Illinois follows almost 13 miles of an abandoned railway corridor through DuPage County, between Villa Park and West Chicago.
About the...
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IL |
12.7 mi |
Crushed Stone
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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...
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IL |
3.5 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
3.7 mi |
Asphalt
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Overview
The Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) was one of the nation’s first rail-trail conversions. The 58-mile trail consists of five connected trail segments with three main branches that converge...
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IL |
58.52 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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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...
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IN |
2.4 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
8.9 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
10.6 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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Overview
The Kenosha County Bike Trail runs for nearly 8 miles in two sections separated by couple miles with the city of Kenosha.
About the Route
The northern segment runs between 1st St....
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WI |
7.9 mi |
Asphalt
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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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IL |
1.4 mi |
Asphalt
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The 2.3-mile multiuse trail wraps around Lake Andrea in Pleasant Springs Park. The trail is an easy walk, run or ride around the lake, and is accessible for a wide range of users. It also helps users...
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WI |
2.3 mi |
Asphalt
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Lake Arlington is an artificial lake and popular recreation area in Arlington Heights in Cook County. The park features amenities to interest visitors of all ages and it is a local favorite for family...
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IL |
2 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IN |
3.1 mi |
Asphalt
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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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IL |
1.3 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
7.6 mi |
Asphalt
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The Marquette Trail is part of the Marquette Greenway, which will one day span more than 50 miles through Northwest Indiana, connecting communities along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
The...
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IN |
2.1 mi |
Crushed Stone
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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...
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IL |
4.3 mi |
Crushed Stone, Gravel
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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...
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IL |
30.7 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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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....
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IL |
11.4 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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Overview
The North Branch Trail follows the North Branch of the Chicago River for 25.5 miles through Cook County. The trail was originally a dirt path often used for horseback riding; though it’s...
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IL |
25.5 mi |
Asphalt
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The North Central DuPage Regional Trail stretches 11.6 miles in four segments between the communities of Wayne in the west and Roselle in the east. This paved, multiuse trail provides residents and...
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IL |
11.6 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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Overview
The North Shore Channel Trail extends 8.3 miles from the junction of Green Bay Road and McCormick Boulevard in northern Evanston to the junction of Lawrence Avenue and Francisco Avenue in...
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IL |
8.3 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt
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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...
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IL |
1 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
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First-time visitors to the Oak Savannah Trail might be surprised at the profusion of natural areas they’ll encounter as they travel the 10.3 miles between Hobart and Griffith in northern Indiana’s...
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IN |
10.2 mi |
Asphalt
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Overview
Running between the suburbs of Chicago Heights and Joliet, the Old Plank Road Trail runs for 21.6 miles and offers views of oak trees and sugar maples, prairie grasses, and wildflowers...
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IL |
21.6 mi |
Asphalt
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The Orland Grassland trail is a perfect escape from the Chicago suburbs. The grassland itself is an Illinois Nature Preserve, and has been restored from farmland and now boasts 750 acres of...
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IL |
8 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
9.6 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
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The Pennsy Greenway stretches between Calumet City, Illinois, and Schererville, Indiana. The trail begins at the southern end of the Burnham Greenway on the eastern edge of the Forest Preserve...
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IL, IN |
14.5 mi |
Asphalt
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Overview
Prairies and dunes are just two of the natural features trail users will experience on the Prairie Duneland Trail, located just a few miles south of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the...
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IN |
10.3 mi |
Asphalt
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Overview
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...
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IL |
26.4 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
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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...
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IL |
7.6 mi |
Asphalt
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Closure Notice: Starting 05/01/2023 through 12/31/2026, there will be intermittent trail closures under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) bridge, spanning from Ogden Ave to 31st St due to ongoing...
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IL |
28.6 mi |
Asphalt, Cinder, Woodchips
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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....
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IL |
2 mi |
Asphalt
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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
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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
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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...
|
IL |
17.2 mi |
Asphalt
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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,...
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IL |
1 mi |
Gravel
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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,...
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IL |
24 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
3.6 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
1.1 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
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IL |
2.7 mi |
Asphalt
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When complete, the Veterans Memorial Trail will stretch close to 12 miles, connecting a series of memorials honoring US veterans from every era. At present, 1.9 miles are complete and usable, located...
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IN |
1.9 mi |
Asphalt
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Overview
The Virgil L. Gilman Trail travels from quiet forest and prairie lands to bustling neighborhoods in just 11.3 miles, linking a woodsy community college campus with the eastern Chicago...
|
IL |
11.3 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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Overview
The trail system in Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve makes a loop around the entire park and totals 9.5 miles.
About the Route
The Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is geologically...
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IL |
9.5 mi |
Crushed Stone, Grass
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Overview
The Buffalo Creek Trail makes a 5.5-mile loop around the scenic Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve in Long Grove. The crushed-gravel trail provides access to facilities throughout the...
|
IL |
5.5 mi |
Crushed Stone, Gravel
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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...
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IL |
5.3 mi |
Asphalt
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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
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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
|
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The Dunes Kankakee Trail is a 1.8-mile walking and bike path that carries trail users throughout Indiana Dunes National Park.
Starting at the trail's southern endpoint just outside the park at the...
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IN |
1.8 mi |
Asphalt
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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 |
5.7 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
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The Gary Green Link Trail is part of the Buchanan Street Green Gateway project and follows the Grand Calumet River starting at Bridge Street on its way to Broadway at City Hall. It is about 4.4 miles...
|
IN |
2 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete
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The 6.5-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 |
6.5 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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Overview
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...
|
IL |
79.5 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
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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
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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
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The Little Calumet River Levee Trail zig-zags east-west between Gary and Munster in Lake County, bringing residents to the river and its wetlands, and offering ample opportunities for birding and...
|
IN |
13 mi |
Asphalt
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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...
|
IN |
4.4 mi |
Asphalt
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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
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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, Boardwalk, Concrete, Gravel
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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
|
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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
|
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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
|
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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
|
|
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Overview
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...
|
IL |
25.4 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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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
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The Singing Sands Trail stretches over 4 miles across Michigan City. The paved trail picks up from the eastern end of the Calumet Trail at US/12 at the border of Porter and LaPorte Counties. The trail...
|
IN |
3.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
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Overview
The Skokie Valley Trail connects Highland Park in the south to the northern trailhead in Lake Bluff. The entire trail corridor is a rail-with-trail, paralleled by double tracks that sit...
|
IL |
9.8 mi |
Asphalt
|
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The Spring Creek Greenway Trail, separated into distinct eastern and western portions of the trail, spans 8.45 miles throughout two distinct sections of preserved and protected lands.
At its...
|
IL |
8.45 mi |
Boardwalk, Crushed Stone
|
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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
|
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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 |
1.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
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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
|
|
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Overview
Blackberry Trail follows a stretch of Blackberry Creek in Montgomery, Illinois for 1.7 miles. The trail is best accessible from the forest preserve entrance at Caliendo Circle.
About...
|
IL |
1.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Overview
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.
About the Route
The...
|
IN |
9.1 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
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The East Northbrook Trail is a 1-mile route through a wooded corridor adjacent to an out-of-service rail corridor in the Village of Northbrook. The trail provides access to residential neighborhoods,...
|
IL |
1.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
0.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
3.35 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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 Ridgefield Trace is a multi-use pathway that runs through suburban Crystal Lake, Illinois. The trail takes its name from the original Indian trace that once ran along the route of what is now...
|
IL |
8 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 Vale Park West Pathway is a multiuse trail in the Chicago suburb of Valparaiso. At 0.7 mile long, the trail passes through a mix of woodland and prairie, as well as over a creek on a 220-foot...
|
IN |
0.7 mi |
Concrete
|
|
|
The Bull Valley Road Shared-Use Path travels along the south side of Bull Valley Road in the city of McHenry, Illinois. The paved path is suitable for non-motorized uses including walking, jogging,...
|
IL |
1.1 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
|
|
|
Following a former rail corridor for less than a mile through Lake Station, the Fairview Walking Trail is a flat and paved multiuse path. The rail-trail runs through a small linear park in a...
|
IN |
0.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
1.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
2.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Fort Hill Bike Path trail sits on the north side of Peterson Road/ County Road 20. The trail peels away from the Prairie Crossing Bike Path at Midlothian Road and extends west, passing industries...
|
IL |
2.4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Great Divide Trail sits is a one mile non-motorized trail through a negihborhood at the northern tip of Joliet, Illinois. The paved trail, which sits in the shadow of electric transmission lines,...
|
IL |
1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
2.8 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
2.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Located in the west side of Illinois' second largest city, this flat, straight bike path sits on the side of Orchard Road. The trail passes by commercial, residential and natural areas, and crucially,...
|
IL |
4.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
Overview
The Plum Creek Greenway Trail meanders for 3.15 miles through the Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, with an unconnected 1-mile section in Plum Valley Preserve.
About the Route
The Plum...
|
IL |
4.15 mi |
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
|
|
|
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 Preservation Path is a two-mile paved trail in the community of Matteson, Illinois. The path begins on Vollmer Road and terminates at the Old Plank Road Trail. The trail is paved with center...
|
IL |
2.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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,...
|
IL |
3.54 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Struckman Boulevard Path is just over a mile long, stretching between Bartlett Road and State Route 59, (although the path narrows from the end of Sunset Park up to the end on SR 59). That said,...
|
IL |
1.1 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
|
|