It’s hard to imagine that you can escape city life without ever actually leaving Chicago. However, these seven hiking trails absolutely let you do just that! Get away from the concrete, electric lights, and those darn pigeons to take a deep breath of fresh air along one of these amazing trails.
Located in and around our Windy City, these are the best trails to visit for just a few hours or a whole day of fun in the sun. Keep scrolling for all the adventurous details.
- Moraine Hills State Park
Facebook/Moraine Hills State Park An excellent space for bird-watching, trails at this park take you along the Fox River and through about 2,200 acres of wetlands and forests. You’ll learn about a tons of rare plants and find wildlife at every turn you take. Access the trail at 1510 S River Road in McHenry.
- Des Plaines River Preserve and Trail
Flickr / Brian Plunkett Passing through most of Lake and Cook Counties, this nature preserve stretches for 133 miles. Filled with wildlife, it adds beauty to every town it touches and helps connect people to both their neighboring communities and to nature. You’ll find more details about this excellent Chicago river trail here.
- Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
Facebook/Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center Centered around an 1886 schoolhouse, locals love to visit this place to learn about the plants and animals that live there, as well as traverse the extensive grounds in search of their own education. It is great for kids, as the staff tell stories about the history of the trails that were once country lanes used by students. It is located at 9800 Willow Springs Road in Willow Springs.
- Morton Arboretum
Flickr / Aurimas This museum of trees includes 16 miles of hiking trails and nine miles reserved just for bikers. Situated along Meadow Lake, it is open daily from 7am until sunset and features more than a million trees from around the world. This beautiful and popular park is located at 4100 IL-53 in Lisle.
- Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Flickr_Chad Horwedel Spanning about 2,500 acres of woods, prairies, and savannas, this nature preserve has 9.5 miles of trails for bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. Located in Darien, you’ll notice many different types of trees and wildlife as you pass through the different sections. The area is particularly stunning in autumn, and you can learn more about the trail here.
- North Branch Trail
Flickr / Todd Beginning at the south end of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, this trail winds through the Skokie Lagoons and Erikson Woods to the Edgebrook Forest Preserve. So named for the North Branch of the Chicago River, it is a mostly asphalt trail ideal for biking, hiking, and more.
- Deer Grove Forest Preserve
TripAdvisor / Shawn K. Containing 3.9 miles of hiking trails, this is the oldest nature preserve in Cook County. It is wheelchair accessible along paved paths, making it great for inline skating, cross country skiing, biking, and walking as well.
If you love interesting trails, you can’t miss this Illinois abandoned railroad hike.
Facebook/Moraine Hills State Park
An excellent space for bird-watching, trails at this park take you along the Fox River and through about 2,200 acres of wetlands and forests. You’ll learn about a tons of rare plants and find wildlife at every turn you take. Access the trail at 1510 S River Road in McHenry.
Flickr / Brian Plunkett
Passing through most of Lake and Cook Counties, this nature preserve stretches for 133 miles. Filled with wildlife, it adds beauty to every town it touches and helps connect people to both their neighboring communities and to nature. You’ll find more details about this excellent Chicago river trail here.
Facebook/Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
Centered around an 1886 schoolhouse, locals love to visit this place to learn about the plants and animals that live there, as well as traverse the extensive grounds in search of their own education. It is great for kids, as the staff tell stories about the history of the trails that were once country lanes used by students. It is located at 9800 Willow Springs Road in Willow Springs.
Flickr / Aurimas
This museum of trees includes 16 miles of hiking trails and nine miles reserved just for bikers. Situated along Meadow Lake, it is open daily from 7am until sunset and features more than a million trees from around the world. This beautiful and popular park is located at 4100 IL-53 in Lisle.
Flickr_Chad Horwedel
Spanning about 2,500 acres of woods, prairies, and savannas, this nature preserve has 9.5 miles of trails for bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. Located in Darien, you’ll notice many different types of trees and wildlife as you pass through the different sections. The area is particularly stunning in autumn, and you can learn more about the trail here.
Flickr / Todd
Beginning at the south end of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, this trail winds through the Skokie Lagoons and Erikson Woods to the Edgebrook Forest Preserve. So named for the North Branch of the Chicago River, it is a mostly asphalt trail ideal for biking, hiking, and more.
TripAdvisor / Shawn K.
Containing 3.9 miles of hiking trails, this is the oldest nature preserve in Cook County. It is wheelchair accessible along paved paths, making it great for inline skating, cross country skiing, biking, and walking as well.
What other trails do you love visiting in the city? Share your stories and photos with us!
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