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 Loop, Barrington, Illinois
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 bridg... trails.com
Skokie Lagoons And River Hike, Northfield, Illinois
Surrounded by urban development, the islands and the scenic waterways of the Skokie Lagoons provide a wooded refuge just 15 miles north of the Loop. After skirting the southern edge of the lagoons, this route delivers you to ... trails.com
Chicago, Il: Deer Grove Forest Preserve
The Deer Grove Forest Preserve-an 1,800-acre reserve in Cook County just outside Chicago-is home to an extensive hardwood forest sprinkled with wetlands, ravines, the occasional stream, and over 13 miles of trail. Th... trimbleoutdoors.com
Chicago Botanic Gardens
The Chicago Botanic Garden?with its world-renowned plant collections and displays, the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School, and plant conservation efforts?is one of the country?s most visited public gardens and a preeminent cen... famplosion.com
Chicago, Il: Ryerson Woods
Start at the end of Mill Road near the farm and welcome center and walk west. As the trail approaches the Des Plaines River, you may spot a great blue heron or two, and-if you're hiking in spring or summer-trilliums ... trimbleoutdoors.com
Des Plaines River Trail South, Lincolnshire, Illinois
Located off state highway 22 in Lincolnshire. Running parallel to the Des Plaines River for most of the route, this trail will give you an easy ride along its crushed gravel surface. You'll pass through woods, fields, and mar... trails.com
Robert Mcclory Bike Path, Chicago, 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
Heller Nature Center
Welcome to Heller Nature Center, where oak-hickory forests, tall-grass prairie, oak savanna and natural wetlands are an oasis for native plants and animals. Heller Nature Center, a 97-acre preserve of the Park District of... famplosion.com
Moraine Hills State Park Hike, Lakemoor, Illinois
It?s a good thing this hike is 8 miles long: the entire distance is needed for you to get a complete picture of Moraine Hills? mosaic of marshes, lakes, prairies, bogs, wooded hills, and streams. When glaciers receded from th... trails.com
Illinois Beach State Park: Dead River Loop, Waukegan, 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
Chicago, Il: Volo Bog Loop
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Busse Woods Loop, Schaumburg, Illinois
This quick, pleasant, and easily accessible hike takes you through dense woods and near numerous small ponds at one of the largest forest preserves in Cook County. Although Busse Woods is busy at times, it?s surprisingly quie... 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
Chicago, Il: Lakewood Forest Preserve
At 2,578 acres, Lakewood Forest Preserve is the largest forest preserve in Lake County and boasts gently rolling oak forest dotted with patches of wetland. The park's marshes are also breeding grounds for several end... trimbleoutdoors.com
Crabtree Nature Center - Forest Preserve District Of Cook County
In the extreme northwest corner of Cook County on rolling, glacier-formed landscape is the newest of the Forest Preserve nature centers ?more than a thousand acres set aside for educational purposes. Before 1830, this lan... famplosion.com