Waterfall Glen, Darien, Illinois
At the glen, trails are 8 feet wide, white-tailed deer are plentiful, and a scattering of pine groves planted long ago by the federal government offers constant changes in color and composition. Though some bikers pedal along... trails.com
Pilcher Park Loop, New Lenox, Illinois
Pilcher Park offers an appealing mix of graceful ravines, lush bottomland forest, and small winding streams. Toward the end of the hike, you?ll see a couple of area landmarks from the 1920s: a still used public water well and... trails.com
Palos/sag Valley Forest Preserve: Little Red Schoolhouse Hike...
With 2.5 miles of laid-back hiking and plenty of engaging exhibits, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is particularly appealing for kids and beginning hikers. The trails run next to Long John Slough, through oak forests an... trails.com
Greene Valley Forest Preserve Loop, Naperville, Illinois
At Greene Valley Forest Preserve, you?ll find groves of stately oaks, quiet twisting streams, and wide-open swaths of grassland?very likely with a redtailed hawk or two nearby, waiting for their prey. In 1835, two years befor... trails.com
Chicago, Il: Pilcher Park
Pilcher Park packs a lot into just 640 acres on Joliet's eastern outskirts: upland forest, bottomland woods, wetlands, streams, and some interesting history. This hike begins on the park's west side and climbs 80 fee... trimbleoutdoors.com
Centennial And I & M Canal Trails, Willow Springs, Illinois
This route is jammed with scenic vistas and fascinating local history. While tracing the route of the Des Plaines River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the I&M Canal, you?ll pass two museums, several parks, and a co... trails.com
Channahon State Park: I & M Canal Trail, Channahon, Illinois
This historic towpath follows a sliver of land that runs between the mighty Des Plaines River and the much narrower Illinois and Michigan Canal. The surrounding landscape is wooded and hilly, with bluffs and patches of farmla... trails.com
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Hike, Channahon, Illinois
Formerly the largest ammunition-production plant in the world, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is now the biggest?and perhaps the most tranquil?piece of protected land in northeastern Illinois. While much of this hike bord... trails.com
Morton Arboretum East Hike, Lisle, Illinois
Want to check out trees from places such as Korea or Appalachia? Or maybe you?d like to see a sampling of the 43 types of oak trees and 60 types of maple trees that grow here. Tree lovers could be kept busy for weeks explorin... trails.com
Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail; Brandon Road Access -...
Although the entire I & M Canal "trail" is much longer, this is a continuous dedicated trail segment. The Brandon Road Access directs cyclists along streets routes to points north and eastward through Joliet to get to the... waymarking.com
Lake Katherine Trail, Palos Heights, Illinois
As an urban nature walk, this is one of the best in the area. Nestled alongside the Calumet-Sag Channel, 136-acre Lake Katherine Preserve features an attractive lake, an arboretum, a waterfall garden, an herb and a conifer ga... trails.com
Danada Forest Preserve Hike, Naperville, Illinois
Nestled in an unlikely spot between subdivisions and I-88, Danada Forest Preserve offers some terrific hiking through wide-open prairies and gently sloping savannas. Once a training ground for top racehorses, Danada still cat... trails.com
Chicago, Il: Blackwell Forest Preserve
The Blackwell Forest Preserve is home to DuPage County's first wetland restoration project: McKee Marsh. Now the centerpiece of the preserve, the large marsh hosts dozens of species of migratory birds including heron... trimbleoutdoors.com
Chicago, Il: Morton Arboretum Heritage Trail
With more than 3,400 species of trees and plants, the Morton Arboretum is a living museum, a local treasure, and a worthwhile destination west of Chicago. This easy, 1.6-mile walk through the East Woods is a great wa... trimbleoutdoors.com