10 Best Bike Trails: Illinois

The ten best bike trails of Illinois cover an expansive and diverse list. From the Chicago's north side scenic, highly populated bike trails to secluded and small bike trails of Boone County, there is a special path for cyclists and bikers own personal taste.

1. Red Cedar Lake and Cove Hollow Trail is located in southern Illinois, Carbondale. Eight miles long, the Cedar Lake trail has three distinct features: an intermediate eastern half, mellow western half and a cove that is full of twists and turns. The trail can take up to six hours to fully complete with 200 feet of steep terrain and dirt trails.
2. Morton Community Bikeway stretches two miles and is open all year around for outdoor cyclist and biking enthusiast. The bike trail begins on the corner of Jefferson and Jackson Street and continues west to the Fon-du-Lac River Trail. Doggie receptacles and portable potty stations are special amenities of  Morton Community Bikeway, making it one of the best bike trails for community and tourist visitors.
3. Grand Illinois Trail is definitely one of the ten best bike trails in Illinois. Grand Illinois is apart of northern Illinois, expanding a total of 475 miles through Rockford, the Quad Cities and Chicago’s Lake Michigan. Portions of the trail are open for hiking horseback riding, cross country ski, snowmobile, and canoe all through the scenic landscape of northern Illinois all year round.
4. Green Bay Trail is a moderate length trail  that stretches ten miles from Wilmette to Glencoe, Illinois. The north end of this trail connects to the Robert McClory Bike Path on the Cook and Lake County border.
5. The Dekalb-Sycamore Trail is approximately eleven miles and starts from Lions Park in DeKalb to the west end of the Great Western Trail. The trail is composed of paved paths with on-road sections. This particular bike trail is best for experienced bikers and cyclists who can navigate well through its twist and turns and complex paths.
6. Joliet Junction Trail is a short and sweet trail extending four miles and starts from Crest Hill to the I&M Canal Trail. According to Chicago Bike Trails “The north end of the Joliet Junction Trail connects with the north end of the Rock Run Trail which also heads south to the I&M Canal Trail allowing you to do a loop of approximately sixteen miles.”
7. The Skokie Valley Trail is another 10 best bike trails of Illinois that is seven miles and a scenic ride through Skokie’s busiest and bustling shopping areas and power line structures. Skokie Valley Bikeway covers a one mile extension that connects to the North Short Bike Path.
8. Chicago Lakefront Trail is without a doubt one of the ten best Illinois bike trails. The Chicago Lakefront Trail is an eighteen mile scenic path running alongside the north-south lakefront. The trail begins on the city’s southside of 71st Street and ends at the Chicago northside of Hollywood Avenue. The view, to say the least, is spectacular. Riders can see popular attractions such as Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain, and Lincoln Park. Beware: the Chicago Lake Front Trail is a crowded path during summer months full of other bikers, runners and inline skaters.
9. The Wauponsee Glacial Trail is fifteen miles long and starts in Joliet and ends in Symerton. The path takes bikers alongside an additional eleven mile where the trail is paved. Heading west on the I&M Canal Trail, Wauponsee connects to the Joliet Junction Trail and the Rock Run Trail.
10. Long Prairie Trail Boone County’s Long Prairie Trail extends fourteen-plus miles, ending in McHenry County. This trail has quite the rural scenic view which is said to be in the middle of nowhere atmosphere. Long Praire can be one of Illinois' ten best bike trails because of its seclusion and beautiful rural landscape. 

 

Resources:
Chicago Bike Trails

This is Fun: Red Cedar Lake Trail

Morton Park District