Biking the Chicago Riverwalk: What the City Allows

The Riverwalk links the Loop and the lake, and it is the one stretch of Chicago bike infrastructure where the posted rule and the actual rule do not match. Read the City’s wording before you ride it. It is part of the Routes & Trails network, and a short one.

What the City says

The City of Chicago’s Riverwalk FAQ asks whether bicycles are allowed. The answer is yes, with a limit: there are designated locations where bikes must be walked¹. Riders must obey posted signage, and use caution whether or not a sign is present¹. The Riverwalk is free¹. It is open from 6 am to 11 pm¹.

The path stretches 1.25 miles on the south bank of the river, from Lake Michigan to Lake Street⁶. The City’s own history puts the first installment in the 1970s, though the idea appeared in Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago⁴. The esplanade between Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue was dedicated to the City in 1972, and $12 million in improvements reached that portion in 2019⁴.

What the signs say

The signs did not match the FAQ. In April 2024 Streetsblog Chicago reported that the old signs, “Bicycles must be walked. Violators will be prosecuted,” were never replaced². They stand at the ramps near Franklin, Clark and State Streets, and at the Riverwalk entrance from the Lakefront Trail². That month, two security guards told riders to dismount².

The history explains the confusion. In June 2019 the Active Transportation Alliance reported that CDOT said bicycling is allowed on the path when the Riverwalk is not congested⁵. A proposed city ban on biking there never came to a committee vote². The City’s loan proposal for the project had promised “bicycle paths and pedestrian trails along the continuous promenade”². The same update said security guards were no longer asking riders to dismount⁵. The 2023 CDOT bike map lists the riverwalks as an Off-Street Trail, with the same imagery as the Lakefront Trail².

The working rule is simple. Walk your bike wherever a sign says so, and walk it whenever the path is crowded.

Where it gets crowded

Early evenings and weekends near the outdoor cafe area between State and Clark Streets can get very congested². The path is not a place for high-speed biking². Bridge houses force sharp turns along the 1.4-mile route between Wacker and Franklin and the Lakefront Trail². Morning rush hours bring relatively low pedestrian traffic².

At that hour the Riverwalk works as a car-free route between the Lakefront Trail and the central Loop². A protected bike lane on Wacker Drive was removed after the Dearborn bridge reconstruction finished².

Getting on and off

The City lists ramps from Upper Wacker Drive west of Franklin Street, west of Clark Street, east of State Street and at Lower Stetson Avenue³. The Clark ramp is on the west side of the street, and the State ramp on the east side³.

By train, exit the CTA Blue Line at Clark and Lake and walk two blocks north, or exit the Red Line at State and Lake and do the same³. Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center are short walks to the Lake Street stairway³. Read the CTA train bike rules before you board with a bike.

Rules on the path

Dogs are allowed on a leash¹. Grilling is not permitted¹. There are no outside food or drinks in vendor areas¹. Metered parking sits on Lowest Wacker Drive between Stetson and Field Drive, and Wacker has free street parking on Sundays^1,3.

Connecting to the lake

At the east end the Riverwalk meets the Lakefront Trail². In 2018 the Park District divided the old combined trail into an 18-mile bike trail and an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail⁷. For the river farther north, see the North Branch Trail guide. See the Lakefront Trail guide for the long ride, the Chicago bike map for the network, and the best bike rides in Chicago for more routes.