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

The Lakefront Trail is the spine of riding in Chicago: continuous, with Lake Michigan on one side and the city’s parks and harbors on the other. Start here, then branch out to the rest of Routes & Trails.

What the trail is

The Lakefront Trail follows the western shore of Lake Michigan for 18 miles¹. Mayor Richard J. Daley designated it the city’s first official bike path in 1963². It lies wholly within the city limits and passes through four lakefront parks, north to south: Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park².

Commuters, marathon trainers, parents with strollers and tourists on rental bikes all share the corridor¹. On busy summer days the trail carries 70,000 people².

Bike trail and pedestrian trail

In 2018 the Park District finished the trail separation project. It split the former combined-use path into an 18-mile bike trail and an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail¹. Ride in the bike lane. Leave the walking path to walkers and runners.

Pass on the left and say so. Riders recommend calling out “On your left” or ringing a bell, and keeping to the right at all times⁵. Ride at a speed that suits the crowd⁵.

Where to get on

Entry points are frequent. Underpasses and pedestrian bridges cross Lake Shore Drive at many places along the route⁵. Three starts cover most visitors:

Start	Why use it
Ohio Street underpass	Closest to Navy Pier5
Monroe Street	Convenient for Millennium Park and Buckingham Fountain5
Museum Campus	Access to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Field Museum5

The north end is Ardmore Street at 5800 N. Sheridan Road. The south end is 71st Street at 7100 S. South Shore Drive³. Need wheels? See bike rental on the Lakefront Trail. The trail also accepts Divvy bikes³.

How long to allow

The whole trail takes 2–3 hours without stops⁵. Add time for the places worth stopping at. For a plan with mile markers and sections, read the Lakefront Trail map and mileage guide. The Park District publishes section maps for each stretch of the route, from Ardmore to Montrose in the north to 55th to 71st Street in Jackson Park¹.

What you pass

From south to north, the path runs by the South Shore Cultural Center, the Museum of Science and Industry, McCormick Place, Soldier Field, the Museum Campus, Monroe Harbor, Navy Pier, Belmont Harbor and the Waveland Clock Tower². The trail connects most Chicago beaches and three skate parks, at 31st Street, Grant Park and Wilson Avenue².

Beaches and parks along the way include South Shore Beach, Promontory Point, Northerly Island, Maggie Daley Park, Ohio Street Beach, Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach, Belmont Harbor, Montrose Beach and Foster Beach³. Public restrooms stand at major beaches and parks, at Navy Pier, the Museum Campus and Lincoln Park Zoo⁵.

The Navy Pier Flyover

The old trail used to meet street traffic at Grand and Illinois. The Flyover, opened in 2018, carries riders, runners and walkers over both streets⁴. The project finished in May 2021². It created a continuous trail section of almost half a mile from Ohio Street Beach to the south side of the Chicago River⁴. In 2021 the City said that once the bridge-house work was complete, the trail would be at least 16 feet wide for its full length⁴.

Repairs in 2026

The Park District announced repairs on 9/14/26¹. The work is asphalt patching and seal-coating, with concrete edge repair where needed¹. It starts at 6300 south, east of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and moves north one section at a time to Foster Avenue¹. Signs go up ahead of each work zone¹. The Park District asks riders to avoid active construction work zones¹.

Season and hours

The trail is open 24 hours a day, but the parks and beaches beside it close at 11 PM². It is busiest between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and locals ride it year-round⁵.