Bicycle maps for Lake County, Illinois

Also see the NUMEROUS PDF'S HERE describing the Grand Illinois Trail.

Also see the TRAIL WIKI.

Skokie Valley Bike Trail (north/south)

• Parallels US-41 / Skokie Highway, from Laurel Ave in Lake Forest down to the Lake/Cook county border.
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth
• Trail is covered in nice pavement (as of July 2007), and runs under the power lines owned by ComEd. ~8 miles long.
• There's small parking area specifically for the trail, at the northern end.
• I hear rumors that it extends south into Cook County... just from looking at the satellite views, it's possible 42.019097,-87.745662 is the very end of it?
• other links: [1] [2]

Des Plaines River Trail (north/south)

• Parallels the Des Plaines River, from Evans Field, Elmwood Park in the south, to Russel Rd (nearly at the Wisconsin border) in the north.
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth, Lake County, Cook County
• Trail surface is crushed limestone. 35-45 miles long. The trail is well marked, with large maps at parking locations, and wayposts at the forks.
• the are many official parking places:
  • Russel Rd
  • Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve
  • 41 & Wadsworth
  • Kilbourne Rd, Gurnee (the parking lot has gates that are closed at sundown, so presumably the police are not too reluctant to have cars towed)
  • Gowe Park, Gurnee (a large parking lot with no gates... the signs say that people there after dark may be considered to be trespassing, but you may have more luck not being towed here if out late)
  • Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville
  • Evans Field, Elmwood Park
• if you're coming from North/North-east of 132/Grand Ave:
  • the safest route is to go south to Old Grand Ave, and go through the underpass under the railroad tracks there
  • the fastest route, if you end up coming south on DeLaney Rd, is to turn down St Paul Ave, and turn in between buildings 1378 and 1394. At the rear of those buildings, there's an informal place to cross the tracks and get on the trail.
  • otherwise, the next place further north to cross is probably at the end of Yorkhouse there. Unfortunately, in between, it's probably not possible to cross due to the wetlands. (though Gent Dr. might be a possibility as well?)
• other links: [1], [2], [3], [4]

Kenosha trail (north/south from Wisconsin border)

• ~3 mile north/south trail, running from 30th Ave & 89th St in Kenosha, WI down to the Wisconsin/Illinois border
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth
• Becomes the Robert McClory Trail on the southern end.
• links: [1]

Robert McClory Trail (north/south)

• runs from the Wisconsin border south to the Lake Bluff train station (parallels Sheridan Rd for the lower 1/5th of the trail)
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth
• becomes the Kenosha trail on northern end, at the Wisconsin/Illinois border
• at the southern end, it becomes the Green Bay trail; it connects to the North Shore Path at that point as well
• links: [1], [2]

Green Bay trail (north/south)

• Parallels Green Bay Rd from Shorewood Park in Wilmette to the Lake Bluff train station. Becomes Robert McClory trail to the north.
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth
• (it looks like it may continue south from Shorewood park though?)
• links: [1]

North Shore Path (east/west)

• Parallels 176, from Carmel High School in Mundelein to Lake Bluff train station
• maps: Google Maps, Google Earth
• Connects to the Des Plaines trail in the middle, where 176 crosses the Des Plaines river
• Merges into Robert McClory and Green Bay trail at the eastern end.
• links: [1], [2]

Disclaimer: I haven't ridden on many of these trails, so I may not have the most accurate names, or the most accurate endpoints for trails I haven't been on.

Other places to find similar maps

• Illinois Department of Transportation (MSIE only, doesn't work in Firefox)
• TrailMonkey