I like the north branch of the trail for its beauty and the south branch for the rough ride and challenges. (Some nice scenery on the south branch too.) I have a 29er mountain bike. When I rode the south branch on my hybrid the first time I took that trail I had to take the bike in for repair afterwards. But on a mountain bike the south branch is a blast. Where else in the suburbs can you get a ride like that?

Have rode this trail 6 times and love it great surface to ride on trail is very well used and maintained very well . lol

We just moved to Lindenhurst at the very beginning of the trail. I have many parts of the trail out of Volo when we stayed at Fish Lake Beach in our motorhome. I am a senior rider. The trail had lots of wildlife and lots of wildflowers.

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.

Road with my son last Saturday from St. Charles to Richmond, IL. Spent the night at the Baymont Inn in Richmond, nothing fancy but friendly staff and clean. Surprisingly lively Saturday Night crowd in Richmond, had a good time grabbing dinner and having a night cap at a sidewalk table. The walk into town is not a stroll but fine on a nice evening. There is a wine/cheese place with a restaurant within a five minute walk from the hotel where we got a takeout breakfast. The Fox River Trail was good with some rough spots in South Elgin. Looks they may be re-routing the trail further from the river towards some new housing. Not a big deal but we were surprised at the trail conditions on that short stretch.
The Prairie Trail was fine for the most part. There was some construction in Crystal Lake and Algonquin that was a little unpleasant but again not that big a deal. The hills in Stern's Woods are short and steep and not typical for the trails in the area. Don't let this stop you from making the trip. We cruised right through with a little huffing and puffing. It did look like a southbound ride would offer a few more uphills. This was our first time north of Crystal Lake and we both enjoyed the ride, would do it again.

Loved cycling this trail have rode from Bryn Mawr to Dempster in Skokie and had a blast doing.this.

Had an.awesome time cycling.this trail from Devon to Touhy .love the call boxes and the flowers by the trail adds a nice touch to the trail.

Beautiful tree canopies. Trail mostly grass, but biking it was no problem. Very little use, only encountered 4 other people & they were walking. Parking lot at Clinton, but only street in parking at Allen-Grove.

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!