Explore Illinois Trails That Inspire Adventure and Wellness

Spring has arrived, and the call of the outdoors is irresistible. Hiking, biking and exploring Northeast Illinois’ trails offer endless opportunities to move, connect and marvel at nature. Thanks to decades of planning by forest preserves, conservation districts, park districts, municipal departments and county transportation agencies, the region now boasts one of the nation’s most extensive urban-suburban trail systems. With 800 to 900 miles of trails, each offers a unique experience—whether it’s the health benefits, time with family and friends or simply the beauty of diverse landscapes.

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS CHICAGOLAND

All northern counties in Illinois feature signature trails. In the greater Chicagoland area, main trails include: 

• Cook County: North Branch Trail, Lakefront Trail,
Cal Sag Trail, Burnham Greenway

• DuPage County: Illinois Prairie Path,
West Branch of the DuPage River Trail 

• Kane County: Fox River Trail, Great Western Trail 

• Lake County:
Millennium Trail, Des Plaines River Trail, McClory Trail 

• McHenry County: Prairie Trail, Hebron Trail

• Will County: Old Plank Road Trail, I&M Canal Trail,
Centennial Trail, Wauponsee Glacial Trail 

Make it a goal to try out each of these trails over this summer and in the years to come. They’re all different—very different. You will experience Illinois like never before.

PLANNING YOUR ADVENTURE

Most trails are well-mapped out on Forest Preserve, Conservation District and County Transportation Department websites. You can find trailhead locations, parking areas, printable maps and mileage details. The system is so extensive, you might consider turning your outing into an overnight adventure. Google Earth can help you locate nearby motels and, in some cases, campgrounds. For instance, a 35-mile trip on the Prairie Trail from Elgin would extend to the McHenry County Conservation District campground north of Richmond near the Wisconsin border, from where you could return home the next day. You might be a bit sore from the miles, but thoroughly gratified. Be sure to schedule some downtime at one of Richmond’s many restaurants, or in McHenry or Crystal Lake along the way.

ILLINOIS’ TRAILS IN A NATIONAL CONTEXT

Forty-two thousand miles of multiuse trails have been built nationwide, mostly over the last 40 years, and the pace of trail building isn’t slowing. Illinois is doing its part. The northeastern Illinois trail system connects to the 500-plus-mile Grand Illinois Trail, which loops around northern Illinois through Rockford, Galena, the Quad Cities, Ottawa, Joliet and Lansing and up along the Lakefront Trail to Chicago. You can follow the Great River Trail along the Mississippi, ride old mule towpaths along the Hennepin Canal and I&M Canal Trails, take abandoned rail lines north of Freeport (Jane Addams Trail) and west of Rockford (Pecatonica Prairie Path) and across the southern suburbs on the Old Plank Road Trail. 

The Grand Illinois Trail from Lansing to the Quad Cities overlaps two ocean-to-ocean routes. The 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail stretches from Point Reyes, California, to Cape Henlopen, Delaware, while the 3,700-mile Great American Rail Trail links the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to Washington, D.C. All three of these long-distance trails will take decades to fully complete. However, the 30-year-old Grand Illinois Trail is already 90 percent complete, with quiet backroads linking its segments. Openlands, Ride Illinois and the Rails to Trails Conservancy provide websites showing this overlapping route across Illinois.

ENDLESS ADVENTURES AWAIT

From quiet suburban backroads to scenic river paths, Illinois’ trail network offers endless opportunities to explore, stay active and connect with nature. Whether you’re venturing out for a short afternoon ride or planning a multiday journey along the Grand Illinois Trail, every path offers a new perspective on the state’s landscapes and communities. Lace up your hiking shoes, grab your bike and discover Illinois one trail at a time.

For more information, visit Openlands.org/regional-trails/grand-illinois-trail 

Ders Anderson served as greenways director at Openlands for 25 years and continues to volunteer with the Grand Illinois Trail Alliance and the American Discovery Trail Society. He can be reached at [email protected] or through Sara Egan at Openlands at [email protected].

Images courtesy Openlands

This spring and summer, explore four communities along the Grand Illinois Trail and experience their unique trail segments. The hosts and dates are:

May 30 – McHenry County
Conservation District and
Naturally McHenry County:
Crystal Lake’s Pedapalooza  

June 6 – Greater Freeport Partnership and Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park

June 13 – Galena Country Tourism

August 21-22 – Ottawa Chamber of Commerce