The Windy City offers much more than deep-dish pizza, architecture, and professional sports. Chicago is close to several great hikes—linear as well as a loop—featuring river and glacier-carved canyons and bluffs, prairies with tall grasses, booming waterfalls, rolling sand dunes, muddy marshes and bogs, lakes, and dense forests. Grab your backpack and head out for one of these scenic hiking trails to enjoy the fresh air and much-needed time outside.
One of my favorite weekend activities is hitting the hiking trails with my family! And there are some amazing views in 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝.
Here's a list of my favorite places to hike with a view:
📍 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 – Durable and stylish, plus Climate Neutral certified, Forsake boots are great for on the trail.
📍 𝗘𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗟. 𝗥𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 – Lake County Forest Preserves’ Ryerson Woods is the ideal day hike for families, especially if you have little ones in tow
📍 𝗗𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 – Prairies, forests, and savannas are what you’ll see along The Des Plaines River Trail, as well as toads, frogs, and snakes.
📍 Starved Rock State Park – Arguably one of the most stunning hikes in all of the midwest, Starved Rock State Park is known for French Canyon, LaSalle Canyon, Overlook of the Illinois River, and other natural points of interest that make up the park’s 18 canyons.
📍 Kettle Moraine State Forest – 160 miles of trails exist in this Wisconsin forest—rated easy to difficult, with the most popular being: Bald Bluff Nature Trail, a former Native American signal trail; Emma Carlin trail system, with three loops from three and a half to eight miles in length: Orange, Brown, and Green; Ice Age National Scenic Trail, encompassing 30 miles that snake from the southernmost end to the northernmost point of the forest’s Southern Unit; John Muir Trail System, with five loops and one bypass; and Scuppernong Trail System, with three loop trails ranging from two to five miles. Travel Wisconsin is an excellent resource for trip planning.
Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
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🖥️: To know more about the places, visit here!
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