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

Mountain biking near Chicago means choosing between three kinds of ground: designated single track in the Cook County forest preserves, a purpose-built bike park on the Southeast Side, and a state forest across the Wisconsin line. Paved path riders should start with Routes & Trails.

Cook County single track rules

Cook County has two unpaved single track mountain biking trails². The Palos Trail System and Paul Douglas Trail are the only designated single track trails in the Forest Preserves². They are narrow and designed for mountain biking and hiking, and e-bikes are not allowed on them². Palos also allows equestrian use on its single track².

The Forest Preserves keep the rule about where to ride short:

All bicycle riders are prohibited from riding off-trail or on unofficial trails.²

Every bicycle and e-bike rider must stay under 15 miles per hour, or go slower in busy areas or where a speed limit is posted². Class 1 and class 2 e-bikes may use other trails where bicycles are allowed, but not single track².

Palos Trail System

Palos is the main event. The Forest Preserves call it one of the premier places for mountain biking in Illinois, with rolling hills, deep ravines and views over the surrounding landscape¹. The system covers 42.1 miles of unpaved trail across Hickory Hills, Justice, Palos Hills and Willow Springs¹. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset¹.

The single track is the product of a partnership between the Forest Preserves and the volunteer group Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (CAMBr) that has lasted more than 20 years³. Each year the trails host the Palos Meltdown Mountain Bike Festival and Race¹.

Start at Maple Lake-East, the designated mountain bike staging area on 95th Street, west of Willow Springs Road¹. Wolf Road Woods, on Wolf Road south of 95th Street, is the trailhead for the advanced loop¹. Red Gate Woods is on South Archer Avenue, northeast of 107th Street¹.

Loop	Start	Length	Rating and ground
Orange Unpaved Loop	Wolf Road Woods	5.5 miles1	Advanced, hilly; twisting, rocky and narrow1
Country Lane loop	Country Lane Woods	5 miles1	Intermediate, rolling, unpaved1

The Country Lane loop circles Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve, one of only a few peat bogs in Illinois¹. The Orange Loop passes Tomahawk and Horsecollar Sloughs, then climbs a challenging incline back to the lot¹.

Paul Douglas Preserve

Paul Douglas, in Hoffman Estates, is the newer option. The Forest Preserves and CAMBr cut the ribbon on October 19, 2022³. The system offers 13.3 miles of single track, built to challenge mountain bikers and trail runners³.

The west side of the preserve has 8 miles of trail, including a 4.5-mile route and several loops of 1 to 3 miles³. At the October 2022 opening, 5.3 miles were open on the east side, with a total of 9 miles planned when fully complete³. Riders and runners travel in opposite directions and switch by day of the week³. Check the posted direction before you roll in.

The preserve covers 1,800 acres of woodland, prairie, marsh and ponds³. Nearly 150 CAMBr members put more than 3,000 hours of volunteer labor into the trails³.

Big Marsh Bike Park

Big Marsh is the city’s bike park. The Chicago Park District describes the bike park as designed for all ages and skill levels, with BMX, mountain biking and cyclo-cross⁵. Two pump tracks together cover 33,000 square feet⁵. They are the largest asphalt pump tracks in Illinois and the only free, public pump tracks in the Chicago area⁵.

About 45 acres of Big Marsh Park are developed for BMX single track courses, pump tracks and paved bike trails⁴. The park is open dawn to dusk daily⁴. The address is 11559 S. Stony Island Avenue⁵. For the full detail, read the Big Marsh Bike Park guide.

Kettle Moraine Southern Unit, Wisconsin

For longer loops, cross the state line. Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit has 30 miles of trail for off-road biking⁶. The trails normally run from mid-April to mid-February⁶. Wisconsin recommends staying off them while it rains and for four to six hours afterward⁶. Call 262-594-6202 for current conditions⁶.

The John Muir system has five loops from 1.25 miles to 12 miles⁶. Its Brown Loop is rated easy at 1.25 miles, and the Blue Loop is the hardest at 12.0 miles⁶. A second system has three color-coded trails from 3.5 to 8 miles⁶. Young riders get a 0.4-mile loop behind the Muir shelter⁶.

Which to choose

Place	Best for	Scale
Palos Trail System	Hills, ravines, advanced loops	42.1 miles unpaved1
Paul Douglas Preserve	Directional single track, northwest suburbs	13.3 miles3
Big Marsh Bike Park	Learning, pump tracks, jumps	Open dawn to dusk4
Kettle Moraine Southern Unit	Longer loops, state forest riding	30 miles6

Gravel riders have separate options: see gravel riding near Chicago.