Chain O' Lakes State Park
These trails offer an extremely pleasant jaunt through dense woods, pristine prairies, and over some of the biggest hills in Lake County. When you compare the trails on the east and west sides of Chain O? Lakes State Park, no... trails.com
Volo Bog State Natural Area
As one of the most unique wetlands in all of Illinois, Volo Bog hosts an unusual assortment of plants and animals. The outlying areas feature rolling hills, thick woods, and open prairies. Owned by a dairy farmer until 1958, ... trails.com
Gander Mountain Forest Preserve
A nice little hike, with a great view as a payoff. The hill is about 125 feet up from the base. This is the highest point in Lake County at 957 feet above sea level. Hiking is permitted throughout the preserve. backcountrysecrets.com
Bristol Woods Hike, Bristol, Wisconsin
At Bristol Woods, hikers will enjoy the pleasantly rolling terrain covered in bottomland forest and oak woodland. Tree connoisseurs will enjoy the many oak specimens of considerable size, as well as a rare Native American tra... trails.com
Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, Illinois
After a ramble along the shore of the Dead River, this trail brings you through some of the only sand dunes left in the state of Illinois. Halfway through the hike, take a break on a surprisingly quiet stretch of Lake Michiga... trails.com
Moraine Hills State Park
Observers have recorded more than 100 species of birds, including the state?s rarest wetland breeders, at this 1,690-acre state park, filled with wetlands and lakes. You?ll find more than 10 miles of trails at the park?s main... trails.com
Richard Bong State Recreation Area Road Trail
Take a long stroll through one of the area?s most popular state park retreats. Trails pass through the largest managed grassland in this corner of the state and it?s just awash with wildflowers. trails.com
Veterans Acres
This hike offers a surprisingly varied patchwork of scenery featuring beautiful rolling prairie, hilly oak woodlands, pine plantations, a cattail-fringed pond, and a rare type of wetland called a fen. Both of these parks?Vete... trails.com
Lakewood Forest Preserve Loop, Wauconda, Illinois
This quiet hike takes you through a gently rolling oak forest dotted with cattail marshes and attractive lakes. After finishing up this hike, visitors may want to explore one of the best county museums in the state, or go for... trails.com
Bong State Recreation Area Loop, Brighton, Wisconsin
- Once designated to be a jet fighter base, Bong State Recreation Area is fittingly named after Maj. Richard I. Bong, a Poplar, Wisconsin, native who was America's leading air ace during World War II. The project was aband... wildernet.com
Kenosha Skate Park
Kenosha, voted the "Second Best City to Raise a Family" by Readers Digest magazine, has been one of Wisconsin's best-kept secrets. Nestled tightly against the shores of Lake Michigan, Kenosha lies between Milwaukee (36 miles ... trails.com
Robert Mcclory Trail, Highwood, Illinois
The Robert McClory Bike Path (formerly the North Shore Bike Path) is notorious for its conglomeration of names over the years. At any given time? and depending on whom you ask?it has been called the Green Bay Trail, the North... trails.com
Ryerson Woods Hike, Lincolnshire, Illinois
The trails in Ryerson Woods wind through some of the most stunning forestland in the Chicago region. Along the shore of the Des Plaines River and its backwater, expect to see waterfowl, wildflowers, and old rustic cabins left... trails.com
Deer Grove
The rolling landscape at Deer Grove is blanketed with thick groves of oak, hickory, and maple. Mixed in with the dense forest are ravines, marshes, ponds, and the occasional stream straddled by picturesque old limestone bridges... mtbr.com
Petrifying Springs County Park, Somers, Wisconsin
Take the easy path around this nicely wooded park offering views of the Pike River, and then stop for a picnic in the center of the park or even a round of golf on the park?s course. trails.com
Des Plaines River Trail, Half Day, Illinois
If you like riparian landscapes, you?ll love the Des Plaines River Trail as it winds alongside tree-laden riverbanks, through dense bottomland woods, alongside ponds, and over footbridges. Quiet oak savannas and many acres of... trails.com