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The El Paso Walking Trail runs along part of an old railroad right-of-way through the town of El Paso, beginning at the city park on the south side of town and ending at a creek north of town among...
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IL |
2.8 mi |
Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Fairview Park Trail, in western Decatur, traverses the large and beautiful Fairview Park and connects (via roadway) to the park's various attractions: an aquatic center, lake, gardens, pavilions,...
|
IL |
1.7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
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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 of...
|
IL |
44.6 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
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The General Dacey Trail, which first opened in 2006, is a beautiful and richly varied trail located between the city of Shelbyville to the west and large Lake Shelbyville to the east. Its surface is...
|
IL |
6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
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|
|
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
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DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY |
3743.9 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
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|
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The Great River Trail is a breathtaking journey along more than 60 miles of the Mississippi River in northern Illinois. In places, the paved trail follows the former spur route of the Chicago, St....
|
IL |
62.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
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|
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The 9-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 |
8.9 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
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Dedicated on August 5, 2000, the Green Diamond Rail-Trail was the first bicycling/pedestrian trail in Montgomery County. Partially funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the trail is...
|
IL |
4.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The backbone of the Greenbelt Bikeway runs north–south along Copper Slough, passing through two large city parks divided by W. Bradley Avenue. In Dodds Park to the north, there is a spur west through...
|
IL |
1.7 mi |
Concrete
|
|
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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...
|
IL |
3.5 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
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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...
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IL |
104.5 mi |
Asphalt, Grass, Gravel
|
|
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Hesse Trail connects two neighborhoods and a park in the city of O'Fallon with plans to extend and connect it to other trails in the large Metro-East area. It is a short, completely tree-covered...
|
IL |
0.7 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
|
|
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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
|
|
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There’s no debating the historical significance of the Jane Addams Trail. Not only is it named for a Nobel Peace Prize-winning social activist who grew up nearby, but the trail also passes the site of...
|
IL |
18.9 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
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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
|
|
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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...
|
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
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
10.6 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The first 6.7-mile section of the Kickapoo Rail Trail in eastern Illinois opened in August 2017. Paralleling U.S. 150, the Champaign County rail-trail runs from Urbana east to St. Joseph along the...
|
IL |
9.7 mi |
Crushed Stone
|
|
|
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-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
|
|
|
Except for short-distance walkers, the principal attraction of the Kiwanis Park/West Side Trail is its connection to the other parts of Decatur's trail system. From its western terminus, one can...
|
IL |
1.5 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
|
|
|
This trail through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve shows off Central Illinois' great natural beauty. Starting from the west, the trail meanders through a wonderfully restored prairie. It passes...
|
IL |
3.3 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
One cannot travel this trail today without remembering the iconic highway on which it is built. The city of Lexington saw two alignments of Route 66. The earliest, which served from 1921-1944, went...
|
IL |
2.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Lincoln Park Trail runs along the wooded north banks of the Sangamon River. It's mostly flat with a few low hills. Visible from the trail are Decatur's Lincoln Park, some classic old neighborhoods...
|
IL |
0.9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail runs 12 miles, much of the way along an old railroad right-of-way between County Highway 2 east of Charleston and the ball fields at 10th Street in Mattoon; an...
|
IL |
12.9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
While you’re in the land of Lincoln, visit the Lincoln Prairie Trail to make the trip complete. Starting at the trailhead in northwest Pana, leisurely stroll along a paved trail that is nicely...
|
IL |
14.6 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, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
The Lost Bridge Trail, jointly managed by the Springfield Park District and the village of Rochester, is one of the area's earliest and most popular multiuse trails-even for locals taking a weekday...
|
IL |
5.6 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
|
|
|
Closure Notice: A roughly two-mile section of the trail, from the McKinley Bridge to E Street in Venice and Granite City, is closed due to construction on the Terminal Railroad Bridge project. The...
|
IL |
18.7 mi |
Asphalt, Gravel
|
|
|
You can make connections all over the countryside from the Madison County Transit (MCT) Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail. The paved path travels 12.2 miles between the villages of Glen Carbon and...
|
IL |
12.2 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
7.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
O'Malley's Alley is a paved, half-mile trail through a residential area south of Kaufman Lake on the western end of Champaign. On Kenwood Road (at the eastern end of the trail), you can head south on...
|
IL |
0.5 mi |
Concrete
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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 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
|
|
|
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 Pekin Park Bike Trail traverses more than 4 miles between Allentown Road and the Illinois River at Pekin bridge. The trail does a loop in Coal Miners' Park and passes through Mineral Springs Park,...
|
IL |
4.3 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
|
|
|
Running from East Peoria to Morton, The River Trail of Illinois was resurfaced in summer 2011. From East Peoria, the hiking and biking trail travels southeast along the old Illinois Terminal Railway...
|
IL |
9 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
25.4 mi |
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
Caution: Beginning November 15, culvert replacement on the Rock Island Trail at Chanute Road will begin. This will involve removing the temporary bridge. This closure will last between 4 and 6...
|
IL |
38.2 mi |
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
7.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
Monticello is a small, central Illinois town steeped in a railroad history it still celebrates. Its Chamber of Commerce has offices and special activities in the historical downtown train depot. And...
|
IL |
1.2 mi |
Concrete, Gravel
|
|
|
The Stevens Creek Bikeway follows a scenic stream for 4 miles through neighborhoods and woodlands, connecting two parks (one at each end of the trail) on the western side of Decatur in central...
|
IL |
4 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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 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
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
3.6 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
The Towanda Route 66 Parkway is the longest and most developed of the Route 66 trails in northeast McLean County. Its centerpiece is the well-appointed, community-sponsored linear parkway within the...
|
IL |
7 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
A dark railroad tunnel and two dozen trestles crossing streams and rocky ravines welcome visitors to the scenic Tunnel Hill State Trail as it travels 55 miles through forests and farmland in sparsely...
|
IL |
55.3 mi |
Concrete, Crushed Stone
|
|
|
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...
|
IL |
1.1 mi |
Asphalt
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
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
|
|