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TRoutes & Trails

The Lakefront Trail, The 606, the forest preserve trails and the neighborhood rides that make Chicago one of the flattest, easiest big cities to ride.

Lakefront Trail running beside Oak Street Beach and Lake Michigan

Best Bike Rides in Chicago: Trails Ranked by Type of Ride

The best bike rides in Chicago: the Lakefront Trail, The 606, North Branch Trail, North Shore Channel and the forest preserves, with lengths and surfaces.

A grain elevator and a freighter on Lake Calumet

Big Marsh Bike Park: Trails, Pump Tracks, Hours and What's New

Big Marsh Bike Park on Chicago's Southeast Side: BMX, mountain bike and cyclo-cross trails, two free pump tracks, new jump lines, hours and history.

The Chicago Riverwalk passing under a bridge beside the river

Biking the Chicago Riverwalk: What the City Allows

Bikes are allowed on the Chicago Riverwalk except where signs say walk. The 1.25-mile route, hours, access ramps, and the bike-ban signs reported in 2024.

The view down a Bucktown street from the concrete deck of the 606

Bucktown and Wicker Park Bike Ride: Milwaukee Avenue and the 606

Ride Bucktown and Wicker Park: the 606 elevated trail, the Milwaukee Avenue protected-lane project, and Six Corners.

Cyclists and walkers on the paved Burnham Greenway beside power lines and trees

Burnham Greenway: Route, Access Points and the Gap Plan

The Burnham Greenway is a paved former railroad trail of about 11.5 miles from Eggers Grove in Chicago to Lansing. Access, on-street stretches, planned bridge.

The paved Busse Woods bicycle trail beside the reservoir

Busse Woods Trail: Loop Length, Elk, Access and Rules

The paved Busse Woods trail circles Busse Reservoir in Elk Grove Village. Loop and spur lengths, the elk pasture, access points, and Cook County rules.

A railway bridge crossing the Cal-Sag Channel

Cal-Sag Trail: Route, Length, Access Points and Open Gaps

The Cal-Sag Trail follows the Cal-Sag Channel from Lemont toward the Burnham Greenway, 26.8 miles when finished. Access points, the 2025 extension, open gaps.

A parking-protected bike lane on 55th Street at night

Chicago Bike Map: Official Map, Bikeway Types and Route Planning Apps

The free CDOT Chicago Bike Map shows 500 miles of bikeways, shops, CTA, Metra and Divvy. Where to get it, what the lane types mean, and the apps that route you.

Cyclists riding the Lakefront Trail with the lake beside the path

Chicago Lakefront Trail: Length, Access, Sights and Where to Start

The Lakefront Trail runs 18 miles along Lake Michigan from Ardmore to 71st Street. Where to start, what you pass, how long it takes, and current repairs.

Paved path of the North Shore Channel Trail curving through lawn and bare trees

Chicago to Evanston by Bike: Routes, Trail Options and the Ride Home

Two ways to bike from Chicago to Evanston: the Lakefront Trail and Rogers Park streets, or the North Shore Channel Trail. Plus the CTA and Metra ride back.

Beach grass on a dune above Lake Michigan at Mount Baldy

Chicago to Indiana Dunes by Bike: Route, South Shore Line and Park Rules

Bike from Chicago to Indiana Dunes National Park: the 125-mile round trip, the South Shore Line option, park trails, the $15 entry fee and 2026 closures.

The Chinatown Gate over Wentworth Avenue at Cermak Road

Chinatown, Little Italy and Greektown Bike Ride: Three Districts, One Day

A south-to-north ride from Chinatown's Wentworth Avenue to Taylor Street and Greektown's Halsted Street, past Ping Tom Park and the Wells-Wentworth Connector.

The Des Plaines River Trail running through woods in Des Plaines

Des Plaines River Trail: Length, Surface, Access and Rides

The Des Plaines River Trail runs 31.4 miles through Lake County and 28.4 miles through Cook County. Surface, hours, access points and flood closures.

The Fox River Trail bridge over the Fox River in St. Charles Township

Fox River Trail: Route, Towns, Surface and How to Ride It

The Fox River Trail runs about 43 paved miles through Kane County from Algonquin to Oswego. Towns, bridges, connections and where to start.

Rocky Glen Falls in snow at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve

Gravel Riding Near Chicago: Trails, Surfaces and Rules

Where to ride gravel near Chicago: Des Plaines River Trail, I&M Canal, Illinois Prairie Path, Waterfall Glen and Palos, with distances and e-bike rules.

The Green Bay Trail path running north at Eldorado Street in Winnetka

Green Bay Trail: Route, Surface and Metra Access on the North Shore

The Green Bay Trail runs beside the Metra Union Pacific North line from Wilmette to Highland Park. Surface, Winnetka's 2.24 miles, Metra stops, connections.

The Garden of the Phoenix pavilion on Wooded Island in Jackson Park

Hyde Park and Jackson Park Bike Ride: Route, Sights and Where to Stop

Ride the Lakefront Trail south to Jackson Park and Hyde Park: the Museum of Science and Industry, the Japanese garden, Promontory Point and the Obama Center.

The I&M Canal towpath at the Aux Sable Aqueduct

I&M Canal State Trail: Rockdale to LaSalle by Bike

The Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail runs 61.5 miles along the old towpath from Rockdale to LaSalle. Sections, surface, stops and tires.

The Illinois Prairie Path at the junction of the Aurora Branch and Batavia Spur

Illinois Prairie Path: Length, Surface, Branches, Parking and Rules

The Illinois Prairie Path is 61 miles of crushed-limestone trail west of Chicago: its branches, the Forest Park CTA station start, parking and trail rules.

Downtown Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan from the Lakefront Trail near Morgan Point

Lakefront Trail Map and Mile Markers: Landmarks from Ardmore to 71st Street

A mile-by-mile guide to the Chicago Lakefront Trail: park sections, landmarks, access points and where the Park District's section maps pick up.

The Chicago skyline seen from North Avenue Beach in Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park Bike Ride: Route, Stops and Where to Start

Ride the Lakefront Trail through Lincoln Park: a two-hour north-side route from Oak Street Beach to Belmont Harbor, with the zoo, beaches and current repairs.

A residential block of Eastwood Avenue in Lincoln Square, Chicago

Lincoln Square Bike Ride: Quiet Streets to the North Branch Trail

Ride Lincoln Square on side streets and greenways: Welles Park, Lincoln Avenue, Leavitt and Leland, then west to the North Branch Trail.

A painted mural about Major Taylor along a bridge on the Major Taylor Trail

Major Taylor Trail Chicago: Route, Length, Access and History

The Major Taylor Trail is a paved South Side rail-trail from Dan Ryan Woods to Whistler Woods, about 8.1 miles. Sections, access, hours, the racer it honors.

Saganashkee Slough in the Palos Forest Preserves

Mountain Biking Near Chicago: Palos, Paul Douglas, Big Marsh

Where to mountain bike near Chicago: Palos and Paul Douglas single track in Cook County, Big Marsh Bike Park, and Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine. Rules and loops.

Paved North Branch Trail curving between woods and prairie grass

North Branch Trail: Chicago to the Botanic Garden by Bike

The North Branch Trail runs about 20 miles from Chicago's Foster Avenue to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Length, access points, best segments and the Garden link.

Aerial view of the Northerly Island path winding past a lagoon beside Lake Michigan

Northerly Island Bike Ride: Paths, Access, Hours and History

Northerly Island is a 119-acre Museum Campus peninsula with a paved path and a lagoon. How to reach it by bike, hours, rules and the Meigs Field story.

The Bemis Woods North entrance sign on the Salt Creek Trail

Salt Creek Trail: Route, Length, Access Points and Closures

The Salt Creek Trail follows the creek for 25 miles from Busse Woods to Brookfield Zoo. Where to join, trail rules, flood underpasses and closures.

A lagoon at the Skokie Lagoons forest preserve in autumn

Skokie Lagoons Bike Ride: The Loop, Access Points and Rentals

Ride the North Branch Trail around the Skokie Lagoons: a 4.2-mile loop, where to join, kayak rentals, Botanic Garden links and trail rules.

The elevated Bloomingdale Trail running straight between fences and trees

The 606 Trail (Bloomingdale Trail): Map, Access, Hours and What to Know

The 606 is a 2.7-mile elevated trail on the old Bloomingdale rail line. Where it starts and ends, hours, access, parks along it, and the planned extension.

The red Wrigley Field marquee at Clark and Addison

Wrigleyville and Andersonville Bike Ride: Clark Street North

Ride Clark Street from Wrigley Field to Andersonville: bike lanes, the free bike check on Waveland, Belmont Harbor and the protected lane north of Foster.

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