I hesitate to write a review as of this well maintained trail because it's our "go to" on busy bike trail weekends where it remains relatively empty particularly on the east side. Relatively flat the trail follows the banks of the Des Plaines river and Sanitary and Ship canal. This bankside forested path is broken up by some water based industry that is also unique to observe.

On the north end of this well maintained trail you would not know your in the heart of a vibrant metropolitan city. At the north end be sure to add the Dan Ryan Woods circle path to extend your ride. As you ride south the landscape varies to urban in a favorable fashion. There's even a mead tasting room on the trail.

if you don't know about Major Taylor please look him up, as others have said, an American hero.

I have placed and maintain 140 geocaches. Along this trail from Elgin south to south wheaton. Lots of shade and not too hilly. Perfect for biking.

Great trail that has over 80 geocaches hidden. Perfect way to enjoy the trail

This is a nice trail but blocked by fences just west of Morris at the aquaduct. You can get around the fence but it is very difficult with a bike. This was the low point of a nice ride.

Had a nice time yesterday (9/28/20) on the stretch from Morris west toward Seneca. Note however that the part just west of downtown Morris that goes over Nettle Creek is closed in both directions; you can't proceed west if you start in downtown Morris and need to detour on city streets for awhile.

If you're starting from Morris and want to go west, a better bet is to park at Gebhard State Woods (but note that you cannot head east from there, just west).

I LOVE the Des Plaines River Trail. But. Going north and going south are totally different experiences.

I live in Glenview, so I join the trail through an unmarked path I somehow found at the end of Carol Lane in the Timber Trails neighborhood just west of Milwaukee. I catch the trail in the East Lake woods.

If I go north, it's beautiful. There are weird spots. In Northbrook, you have to cross a busy Milwaukee Avenue (by Allgauers restaurant) with no stoplight. Then you have to ride up a little street to find the trail again. (There's an interesting story about how the Rat Pack played at the restaurant that used to be at the site of Allgauers, but we'll save that for another review.)

The woods are lovely. There's a Nature Center (not open during COVID). It feels like you've left civilization behind. Until you have to cross Dundee Avenue, which can be a bit nerve-wracking.

But there's a big meadow that I love. The trail is just a small rut at that point, but the meadow is thick and beautiful and serene. The last time I went through it, was the last time I felt totally at peace.

And the other reviewers are right. The difference between the Cook County Trail and the Lake County Trail are night and day. I'm surprised you don't hear and audible "POP" when you cross the bridge at Lake-Cook Road.

The Cook County side, while gorgeous, is dirt and mud, if it has rained, and roots to watch out for. The Lake County side is crushed gravel, wide trails and benches every other mile. I've only been five miles into the Lake County side, but that was enough to see herons resting in tree branches while I pedaled over a small, charming bridge.

And yet, while the Cook County side seems to be the embodiment of forest preserve patronage, (I got a nephew who's got a cousin who's got a friend who keeps the trails maintained) I still love it.

Which brings me to going south on the trail.

When I take people on the trail, I bring them south first because it's just so...different. And maybe not right if you just want an easy, lovely ride.

It's beautiful from Euclid past Central. Tall trees, with sparse underbrush give way to dense thickets that feel like the English countryside.

And then, yep, you get to the freight train tracks. You have to pick up your bike and carry it across the tracks. Freight trains are infrequent, but they come. Apparently there are plans to build a bridge. But until then, it's part of the adventure.

That soon leads into my favorite part of the whole trail. Riding through, or beneath, actually, downtown Des Plaines.

The path is paved and takes you right along the river, down below the street and commercial buildings. Pass through a tunnel, under a railroad bridge, and you soon come upon the Methodist Camp. A strange old series of buildings that have been around for more than 100 years. Before that, the Union Army used to train soldiers at the site.

Once you are past that, well, it depends how wet it's been. The trail can get flooded and super muddy, so be prepared to call it a day. And if that's the case, the tunnels that were built to go under Touhy and Devon and Lawrence can also get muddy and flooded, so you may have to cross those streets without a stoplight.

Irving Park is the same way and it, like the others, is a four-lane road at that point.

At this point, it's pretty. It's nature. But it feels pretty urban. The trail's a little bumpy too (I think they might have paved it a long time ago, and then didn't bother to keep it up. (Thanks, nephew's cousin's friend).

You even take a bridge over the Kennedy Expressway at one point.

I'm glad I finally made it all the way out to the trail's end at North Avenue. But it can get a touch dicey between Devon and Fullerton at times. That segment feels a little forgotten somehow. I hear there are plans to improve this section, and it would be a good thing.

In the end, North is beauty. South is adventure.

Happy trails!

In our pandemic times, I stay off the overused trails in & close to Chicago.
Because of limited access points, this trail fits the bill as sparsely used.
Closer to Rockdale, the trail is a bit overgrown, and there are a few spots with loose gravel. I wanted to ride to Gebhard Woods, but did not find the trail. (People in Morris want you to see their downtown.) But that was fine - I did ride around Morris before I returned to Rockdale. This was the flattest ride I have ever done!

Overall, this was a great trip. It's a towpath so as you expect, almost no change in elevation. Most of the trail is hardpacked gravel, with some pavement. I wouldn't recommend any portion of the trail after much rain, the trail would be too muddy (particularly between Utica and Ottawa). We were really impressed with the staff who seemed to be keeping the trail working. On Utica to LaSalle, there was a downed limb blocking the trail, but it was gone by the time we returned an hour later. Everywhere else, the trail was mostly free of litter except in some of the towns.

The western third from LaSalle to Ottawa is very scenic, with a few of canal, river, caves, flora, fauna, and sandstone cliffs. Someone created a small bridge at the washout between Utica and Ottawa. The middle third from Ottawa to Morris is not as nice, although the stops in Marseilles, Seneca, and Morris are nice. The trail in Seneca stops right next to a well kept Casey's with a clean bathroom, friendly staff, cold gatorade, and a free air compressor. Most of this segment the canal is gone and the trail is down to a small single file track, but still heavily wooded at least. Morris itself is really scenic, but you have to detour around another washed out bridge, I think the route was Ottawa to Fremont/Jefferson to Nettle. Morris to Channahon was our favorite segment, particularly around McKinley Woods and Channahon State Park. The woods and river views were beautiful and the canal waterway was in the best shape here. The section from I-55 to Rockdale was again not-so-nice, reasonably well wooded, but few amenities and not the greatest scenery.

There are few places to stop close to the trail east of Morris. Near Channahon State Park where the trail crosses US Route 6, there's a subway and gas station nearby.