Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River Trail loop from Highland Park

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River Trail loop from Highland Park

Moderate

3.2

(15)

riders

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River Trail loop from Highland Park

04:44

62.0km

180m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 3, 2026

Tips

Includes segments that go up or down a series of steps

You may need to carry your bike.

After 68 m for 2 m

After 62.0 km for 2 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

12.7 km

Cahokia Flatwoods

Highlight • Forest

This stretch of the Des Plaines River Trail at Cahokia Flatwoods Forest Preserve guides hikers through a serene woodland, with a dirt path winding under tall oaks and maples. Surrounded by green undergrowth and dappled sunlight, it’s a peaceful escape near the river

Tip by

19.6 km

Des Plaines River Trail – Half Day Forest Preserve

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

The Des Plaines River Trail stretches over 56 miles along the Des Plaines River, offering a scenic natural escape through Lake and Cook Counties, just outside Chicago. This multi-use trail features a mix of surfaces, including pavement, crushed stone, and single-track forest paths, making for an exciting and varied biking experience. The northern sections are well-maintained and popular, while the southern portions become narrower and more rugged. This particular portion of the Des Plaines River Trail passes through Half Day Forest Preserve with nice views of the river and several ponds.

Tip by

22.6 km

Des Plaines River bridge

Highlight • Bridge

The Des Plaines River flows southwards from Wisconsin and down through Illinois. It makes for an excellent cycling companion thanks to the trails that wind alongside it. This bridge spans the river in the Captain Daniel Wright Woods Preserve, east of Vernon Hills.

Tip by

23.3 km

Des Plaines River Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

You can follow the trail for 56 miles along the Des Plaines River with gorgeous views of local preserves, watersheds, forests, and marshes. The trail is wide packed gravel and shared with hikers and the occasional horseback rider. Here your pass through the County Forest Preserve which has its own scenic trail network.

Tip by

36.3 km

Des Plaines River Trail

Highlight • Trail

42.5 km

MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

Highlight • Forest

MacArthur Woods is a preserved forest that showcases the original landscape of the eastern Des Plaines River Valley. The area features a diverse mix of plants, creating an important habitat for breeding forest birds, including the brown creeper, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, veery, pileated woodpecker, and several rare warblers.

Tip by

43.9 km

Des Plaines River Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Des Plaines River Trail is a popular 2 mile popular gravel trail located near Mettawa, Illinois, that runs largely along the water. It is popular with cyclists, walkers, runners, and the occasional horseback rider.

Tip by

47.8 km

Half Day Forest Preserve Ponds

Highlight • Lake

Here you will find a gorgeous network of flat, crushed gravel trails that connect with the Des Plaines River Trail and other nearby preserves. The trails take you around scenic ponds, by picnic areas, and through the woods. This is a great place to see birds who use the ponds as migratory stops.

Tip by

62.0 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

31.8 km

21.6 km

7.10 km

840 m

382 m

171 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

32.3 km

20.5 km

8.93 km

203 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Sunday 12 July

26°C

20°C

-- %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: -- km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.9

463

Lakefront Trail

02:24h

42.3km

70m

Easy

5.0

191

Chicago Lakefront Trail

01:02h

18.3km

20m

Moderate

4.9

130

North Branch Trail

02:09h

38.2km

40m

Easy

4.5

128

Busse Woods Red Loop Trail

00:54h

15.5km

30m

Hard

3.0

North Branch Trail and Botanic Garden Loop

05:22h

93.3km

130m

Moderate

4.8

Des Plaines River Trail

02:28h

27.7km

40m

Moderate

4.5

Millennium Trail Loop

02:46h

46.5km

150m

Hard

4.0

Des Plaines River Trail

06:27h

78.9km

140m

Hard

Des Plaines River Trail and North Branch Trail Loop

05:06h

78.3km

150m

Easy

4.4

Valley Line and North Shore Channel Trail Loop

01:08h

20.0km

20m

Hard

5.0

Des Plaines River Trail and Robert McClory Bike Path Loop

05:06h

69.4km

140m

Moderate

Des Plaines River, Prairie Crossing, and Millennium Trail Loop

03:32h

51.9km

150m

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River Trail loop from Highland Park

Cahokia Flatwoods

Des Plaines River Trail – Half Day Forest Preserve

Des Plaines River bridge

Des Plaines River Trail

Des Plaines River Trail

MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

Des Plaines River Trail

Half Day Forest Preserve Ponds

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️