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Lakefront Path
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Distance 17.1 mi
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Elevation 338 ft
The best place to run in Chicago is, hands down, the Lakefront Path. This 18-mile multi-use trail extends from Hollywood Avenue on the north side to 71st Street at the South Shore Nature Sanctuary. The pathway is well traveled by both locals and tourists alike, taking advantage of the nearly traffic-free route and the amazing lakefront scenery. On one side you will have views of the immense, shimmering, blue Lake Michigan, as well as beaches, parks, golf courses, and countless boats. On your other side lies the magnificent Chicago city skyline with its iconic architecture. Runners love the Lakefront Path because it has both a paved path with mile markers in both directions and an adjacent gravel trail that appears along many sections of the pathway. There are also water fountains and restrooms along the entire path making it the ideal place for long runs. Running the Lakefront Path in the summer is a classic Chicago experience. It seems like everyone is there training for a fall marathon, either on their own or with one of the many running groups. On a hot day you will appreciate the cool breeze coming off the lake.
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Palos Forest Preserve
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Distance 8.4 mi
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Elevation 366 ft
Just outside of Chicago lies the extremely popular Palos Forest Preserve, home to over 78 miles of gorgeous wooded trails. Runners, mountain bikers, and hikers all flock to Palos to get a taste of the wilderness within the confines of suburbia. Most trail runners prefer the north side of the park, utilizing the Palos trail system. The Swallow Cliff Woods area, in the south section of Palos, is also popular with runners who love to run stair repeats on the steep, old toboggan hill stairs. A central place to start your run is the Bullfrog Lake parking lot where you will find restrooms and water. Palos provides magnificently steep rolling terrain that those accustomed to the flats of Chicago will both relish and dread. The technical single-track is also a welcome respite for urban pavement-pounders. In addition to single-track trails, Palos also has generous limestone paths, shaded forests, ponds, creeks, sunny meadows, marshes, and a host of wildlife creatures. Always stay alert for the mountain bikers you are sure to encounter. You’ll probably want to leave the ear buds at home so you can enjoy the sounds of nature and avoid collisions.
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Waterfall Glen
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Distance 9.4 mi
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Elevation 334 ft
Luxuriously wide-open, crushed limestone trails await runners at Waterfall Glen in the southwestern Chicago suburbs. A 9.5-mile trail encircles the Argonne National Laboratory that is located at the center of the preserve. The rolling hilly course with short steep climbs sprinkled in provides a challenging loop for runners. Mile markers along the trail make this a great place for a tempo run. This route starts at the Northgate parking lot where there are pit toilets and a hand pump for drinking water. If it’s a hot day you’ll want to carry water, as there is a seven-mile section of trail between the park’s two water pumps. Along the trail you will pass wooded areas, marshes, and a man-made waterfall. The trails are also open to cyclists and horseback riders but you will not typically find the path to be congested. In the winter when the Preserve is snow covered, rangers groom the trail for cross-country skiing so locals can continue exercising here year-round. Waterfall Glen is an excellent place for a run anytime of year but it’s particularly lovely in the fall when the trees are turning bright orange, yellow and red and marathon training is at it’s peak.
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Grant Park
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Distance 6.0 mi
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Elevation 174 ft
If you are visiting Chicago for the first time, the quickest way to do some action-packed sight seeing is to explore the area around Grant Park. The “front yard” of Chicago, Grant Park is the expansive green space nestled between towering skyscrapers and Lake Michigan. Grant Park is also home to the start and finish of the Chicago Marathon. The finely manicured gardens provide an attractive landscape set against the iconic skyline of Chicago. You’ll of course recognize the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), which at 1,451 feet tall is now the second tallest building in the U.S. Amongst the many architectural and sculptural treasures around the park, Frank Gehry’s masterpiece band shell, the Pritzker Pavilion, will surely catch your eye. Other highlights of the park include the reflective sculpture, Cloud Gate (nicknamed “the Bean”), and the massive rococo-styled Buckingham Fountain. Our route will take you on a tour of Grant Park with an extension to Northerly Island. The island is actually a man-made peninsula that shelters Burnham Harbor. Crossing to and from Northerly Island you will pass by the stunning architecture of the museum campus including Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and Shedd Aquarium.
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Lincoln Park Zoo
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Distance 3.8 mi
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Elevation 115 ft
Just off the beaten path of the Lakefront pathway, you will find Chicago runners zigzagging along the many winding trails through the Lincoln Park Zoo and surrounding park areas. Lincoln Park is a wonderful natural habitat tucked into the heart of a booming metropolis. The zoo is free and open to the public year-round so it creates a unique opportunity to see some interesting wildlife on your run. The zoo is home to many species including lions, polar bears, penguins, gorillas, monkeys and even farm animals. You’d better make this an easy run because you’re likely to be distracted. This route loops through the zoo, around the baseball fields, the Conservatory, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, and the North Pond Nature Sanctuary. Those who have run the Chicago Marathon will remember the Lincoln Park section of the race as they run down Stockton Drive. Once you’ve navigated the crowds at the zoo, relax a bit as you cruise around the Lily Pool and the North Pond. These hidden gardens are a quiet oasis for city dwellers featuring native midwestern prairie plants and a peaceful waterfall. During the summer, you may even spot a turtle or heron in the pond.
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North Branch Trail
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Distance 14.9 mi
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Elevation 228 ft
Extending approximately 18 miles from the Edgebrook neighborhood in Chicago to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, the North Branch Trail is a quiet escape for city runners. You can access the southern end of this paved path at Devon and Caldwell. Heading north from here you will travel through a thin band of Cook County Forest Preserve parks that surround the north branch of the Chicago River. Along the way you will also pass by backyards, golf courses and highways. At the northern end of the trail you are in for a treat with a pretty 4.4-mile loop around the Skokie Lagoons. Just north of the lagoons is the Chicago Botanic Garden, a beautiful park that is definitely worth a visit. The Botanic Garden only charges parking fees so if you arrive on foot admission is free. There is even a café so you can plan to have a post-run lunch here. Once you’ve arrived at the north end of the trail you can either turn around for a really long run or take the train home. There are plenty of restrooms along the trail but not as many drinking fountains so bring your own water.
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Busse Woods
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Distance 7.7 mi
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Elevation 137 ft
A quick getaway to the great outdoors is just a stone’s throw away at Busse Woods, also known as the Ned Brown Forest Preserve. This 3,700-acre preserve boasts a 7.7-mile paved multi-use path that is popular with both runners and cyclists. There are also some connector trails within the park that allow you to add mileage to your run or connect to the local bike paths, such as the Schaumburg bikeway. Several restrooms and drinking fountains are found along this loop. The favorite part of Busse Woods for many people is the herd of elk that inhabit a fenced-in area in the northeast corner of the park. You can really get up close to these huge creatures and see them interacting in their natural habitat. The elk are most active in the morning when you may even see male elk sparring with their antlers or making load noises, called bugling. Most of the park is wooded so you will enjoy a good amount of shade on hot summer days. If you enjoy running at Busse Woods you may consider running the Chicagoland Spring Marathon or Half Marathon, both of which run through the park.
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Morton Arboretum
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Distance 7.4 mi
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Elevation 407 ft
If you can stomach Morton Arboretum’s $12 per person admission price (note that Wednesdays are discount admission days) then you will be rewarded with an enormous wonderland of forests, meadows, lakes, ponds and rivers. The amenities at the MA make it worthwhile to spend the entire day there. The visitor center has a cafeteria-style restaurant and a café. There are even locker rooms so you can change clothes after your run and enjoy the afternoon in the arboretum. The visitor center rents bikes in the summer and snowshoes and cross-country skis in the winter. Runners and cyclists are allowed to use the paved roads through the MA, while the trails are reserved for walking only. The arboretum features “auto-free zones” on the roads during the summer on Friday evenings and early weekend mornings. The roads offer two loops, the east loop is approximately 3 miles and the west loop is about 4.5 miles long. Restrooms are scattered throughout the arboretum but water is only available at the visitor center so plan accordingly. Due to the abundance of plants and trees, we recommend applying some bug spray before you venture out.
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