Noted some dangerous spots though. About 3 miles of the trail parallel tracks in a rail-with-trail formation. Wall rides under overpasses, and awesome river and nature scenery. Most of these intersections are well marked and have signals for cars to stop. You're literally no better off on this trail than you would be if you just started off randomly making your way through the forest. Description. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The scernery is like no other trail I've experienced in Illinois. The Cook County portion of the trail is for crossover or mountain bike only. Then it got worse as I got south. Every year the Lake County Forest Preserve District chooses 12 local hikes and encourages participants to. Started at Dam No 4 Woods and walked to Golf Rd and Big Bend Lake , saw plenty of animals deer, squirrels , chipmunks and beautiful scenery along the trail. It's full of friendly people and activity and a great resting stop as it has a nice little cafe for any hunger or thirsty needs you may get. I am an avid hiker with proper gear and in an effort to avoid the plethora of bicycles that flood area trails (and rightfully so) i thought i would give the less travelled area a try. As you approach this area several signs indicate "Trail Ends" and "Active Railway." This would be a good trail for a horse not a bike. This weekend we rode from Russell Road to Wadsworth Rd. Traveling from the north end to the south end, you will experience a variety of trail surfaces, from pavement to crushed stone to single-track forest trail. I've now ridden the northern 20 or so miles twice, starting at Russell Road both times. This trail is perfect for a mountain bike! Thankfully there are several underpasses in addition to a few road crossings, and I did not have to stop often. Native Americans used the river as transportation route and portage. I will keep coming back here. If you are looking for a smooth riding trail this is not for you. As the name suggests, it follows the path of the Des Plaines River, taking full advantage of the many forest preserves along the route. The Des Plaines River Trail follows its namesake waterway all the way from Elmwood Park to the small community of Russell, Illinois—just south of the Wisconsin state line. Start at the Lincolnshire Marriott and head north and you'll have a great trip. I did the circuit around Independence Grove and from a distance spotted what appeared to be two baby owls peeking out of the hole in tree. It just peters out south of the Wisconsin border. Yesterday's ride was much cooler than my previous, but there are plenty of places to stop in the shade if needed. This is a river trail and flooding can take out sections. Both times we started at Half Day Forest Preserve and rode north, turning around about 5 miles short of the trail's northern end for a ride of about 50 miles. The last time I went through it, was the last time I felt totally at peace. The only thing is that some of path is under overpasses and sometimes the water is too high to get thru so you just have to turn around. And you don't have to drive out of the city to find it. The trail is well marked with directional marked posts and mile markers to keep users going in the right direction. Wadsworth Road. You will cross the river several times on beautiful bridges until you hit Independence Grove which is worth it as a destination all to of itself. This trail wouldn't have been so awful if you could have just see where the d@m thing was. I went south and it was a great ride. border. The only sounds are the chirping of the birds and the rush of the river. As well the trial is very soft or sandy or thick gravely in many spots so it wasn't great for a road bike. The only things to be found were lots of mud and unleashed dogs and teenage hooligans. First time on the trail, logged about 10mi in on a single gear Fat Tire Bike...from the bottom to Belmont ave. Can't wait to push forward. I just learned to power through the soft stuff when I see it. Just an absolute beautiful trail. Irving Park is the same way and it, like the others, is a four-lane road at that point. A wasted ride when I could have done the Prairie Path or Salt Creek trail. At the northern end of the trail, there is a lake with a picnic area ~ very beautiful and peaceful. The Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County is a well maintained and well traveled trail that runs the length of Lake County along the Des Plaines River. Great trail. In Northbrook, you have to cross a busy Milwaukee Avenue (by Allgauers restaurant) with no stoplight. It also runs into Independence Cove which have bathrooms and water fountains (beautiful place). I love this trail. Viaducts are usually impassable, flora is mostly invasive species, lot of trash , etc etc. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/illinois/des-plaines-river-trail-loop Highly recommend sticking to north of Cook Co. We plan on finishing the entire trail a section at a time until we hit Wisconsin! Nothing fancy, but there is a drinking fountain right outside the bathroom that you can use to fill up your water bottles if needed. Thanks Illinois! Great walking trail north of touhy my only complaint is that it was flooded at the I 294 underpass. Did the trail today, my first in 10yrs., kind of tricky to find but I think worth a try: I started in River Grove and ended up loving a 4 and a half hour ride. (Some nice scenery on the south branch too.) The MacArthur Woods is also another great spot to ride through. This trail is a multi-use gravel double track with lots of singletrack connected. I took my fat tire bike for a 40 mile bike ride. I would like to say the Lake County section is handicap accessible. Right across from the shelter is the bathroom. The trail is in two counties. Street-crossings have been well thought out with only a few thoroughfares to cross, at which there are marked crosswalks. River Trail Orthodontics. Route 60 Everett Road. Please choose a different date. The Millenium Trail is a connecting trail and is worth checking out as well and run to ride. But it can get a touch dicey between Devon and Fullerton at times. (My parents live off of 22 so it was truly to Grandmother's house!) There's a Nature Center (not open during COVID). Overall it is a spectacular ride, especially when the prairie flowers are blooming. This is a must-do for families and riders alike. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The Des Plaines River trail encompasses a lot of space, serving as one of the longest trails in the Chicago area. For the parts that I ride the trail is mainly dirt, crushed gravel, and paved trails. 4 Woods-East. This is a great trail to ride. Running the while trail gave me a very enlightened perspective on the relative degree of trail maintenance and habitat quality between the Lake and Cook sides.The trail surface in Lake is far superior for most of its length, with fewer trail breaks. The north part of this trail from 137 to near the Wisconsin border is really nice thru Independence Grove thru some spectacular oak forest, scrub and Route condtions vary between which city you are riding in. The trail gives unparalleled access to the Des Plaines River. With 200-year-old oak groves, scampering deer and views of the river, it's a scenic wonder. The other option is the trail under the bridge at Touhy. I live in Glenview, so I join the trail through an unmarked path I somehow found at the end of Carol Lane in the Timber Trails neighborhood just west of Milwaukee. Help defend and expand trails nationwide. It seems to smooth out quite nicely after that and is very pleasant. Saw some Deer even a Buck. We started at the south end of the trail and managed to go 11 miles in 2 hours because we spent so much time trying to figure out where the trail was, wading through mud, and jumping over trees across the path. But there's adventure on those trails - though I've yet to cross paths with anyone sketchy. The surface is usually finely-crushed gravel that is very even and well maintained. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating with a 182 ft green climb. That segment feels a little forgotten somehow. It's still much better than trying to cross Touhy Ave. at street level, however. Pass through a tunnel, under a railroad bridge, and you soon come upon the Methodist Camp. The first time there were a couple of muddy spots but this last time (in mid-July) the riding conditions were good the whole way (except for one brief detour). There were no curb cuts. I picked up the trail from the far south end off of North Ave. in Elmwood Park and rode it to Grand Ave. in River Grove where I gave up. Join TrailLink (a non-profit) to view more than 30,000 miles of trail maps and more! It's so shady in the forest floor you can't see the ruts until it's too late. I rode this portion of the trail with some trepidation after having read other reviews and my own experience with the trail immediately south of this section (North Ave. to Devon). I live fairly close to the trail and have frequently ridden the trail from as far south as the city of Des Plaines to as far north as Libertyville. Explore this interactive map of the Forest Preserves of Cook County—nearly 70,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas and wetlands in & around Chicago Nice variety of scenery. Acquiring the land and building a continuous 31.4-mile trail along the Des Plaines River’s edge took 57 years and 133 separate land purchases to achieve. The trail is relatively flat, making it an excellent trail for biking, running, or horseback riding. Awesome trail. Then, just past Fullerton, the trail literally disappeared INTO the Des Plaines River, leaving you NO choice but to turn back around. Once you've hit Route 22 (half day road) you're not far from the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort. There is a Culver's just west of the intersection, right off the trail. Quick stops off at independence grove to ride around the lakes or Dairy Queen to grab ice cream made it fantastic. The underpass under Belmont was a total mud slick and a lot more ankle-turning holes covered the trail south of that section. Be careful if you ride within a week of a rainstorm. Healthy oak forests covered more of the Lake side, although I'd say that the area straddling Lake/Cook border region (from Cahokia Flats north of the Lake/Cook border down to Palatine Rd south of the border) has the largest numbers of massive mature oaks of any sections of the trail. The scenery is spectacular and for that I will give this trail 4 stars. S Dee Rd, north of Devon Ave. Park Ridge, IL 60068. During heavy rains, it will be washed out in many spots. We stopped for lunch halfway down at Independence Grove and felt spoiled by the amazing selection their cafe offers. Lots of hills. But since most of us aren't running that far, it makes more sense to find the best sections of the trail for running. more. Ask fellow travelers and attraction managers your top questions. There are areas where you will have fellow trail users, and other areas where you will enjoy the solitude. What a mess, needs some gravel, no signs pointing to where to go. The trail is perfect for everyone to enjoy. The scenic Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway in Lake County has been designated as a National Recreation Trail. There are portions of this trail that are ride-able only after long dry spells... there is so much mud here during wet seasons. The hilliest area, is just north of route 137 and south of route 120. About 90 minutes into my ride the wind shifted and it was like someone turned on an air conditioner - in five minutes the temp went from high 60's to 50 degrees which is where I usually draw the line on riding 'cause it gets too cold for me. The trail is gravel, with some occassional minor elevation and plenty of twists and turns. I started out in Vernon Hills off of Milwaukee and Rt 22. There's an old POW Camp, tons of old farm remains, and scattered agricultural machinery. So.. yeah its an awesome trail. and enjoy! The area south of Touhy to the expressway was OK, but then the bridge was out at Cumberland. In 1 mile, you will reach Jerome Huppert Woods Forest Preserve; take a right to enter the park. The trail rode bed could use some improvements throughout. Apart from that, a well worth trail. From the south side of the trail, it's hard to see the cars traveling east. The afternoon started out warm and sunny, a rare occurrence this Spring as the start of April hasn't been this cold in Chicago in 137 years with multiple snow storms! There are relatively few road crossings. I ride from Russel Rd south to Rt22 and really enjoy it! Very nice to ride in the Fall colors. And yet, while the Cook County side seems to be the embodiment of forest preserve patronage, (I got a nephew who's got a cousin who's got a friend who keeps the trails maintained) I still love it. I wish the Horse manure was cleaned up by owners! At one point it seemed some beavers made a dam across the path. It's just off Route 137. I took my daughters for an afternoon ride about a week after we got a big rain. Ride this trail often starting at east river and central.Curvy and hilly two hands on your grips.You have to pay attention to the path.Good workout and not crowded.Not a la dee da path.Great scenery and quiet.For trail and mountain bikes. I figured it out eventually, and will know for next time. savannah. I see a lot of five star reviews and I am guessing those come from people at the north end of this long trail. I did note some road bikes on the Lake County portion of the trail but mostly crossover and mountain bikes. The Lake County portion of the trail is very well marked. Have photographed 30 deer since walking from Dam No 4 Woods to Campground Road Woods, a nice relaxing walk to see squirrels, chipmunks, birds, rabbits and o yes the deer. Other recreational activities available along the trail are boating and fishing. We got about a mile or two North of the Fullerton entrance and wiped out and got stuck in the mud. The trail was in good shape (although not paved). Unbelievable signage - every quarter mile distance signs, many access points so very prevalent trail signs guide you and finally many "you are here" markers to get your bearings. Generally a nice trail. Pros: -After Dundee, no unsafe crossings (to my knowledge) -Varied scenery ranging from swamp, light and dense forest, restored prairies, and old farmland -Pretty empty on most days (south of Milwaukee can see more traffic) -Can sporadically see larger animals (deer, raccoons, skunks, turtles, snakes). Great scenic river views. Slammed through some awesome flooded muddy tunnels. From parking lot, go south on Des Plaines River Trail 1 3/4 miles to the lake. I started at mile 29 and went north to mile 17. ( mostly ) easy to access the Des Plaines River trail and flooding also another great to. 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