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

The Skokie Lagoons are the water stretch of the North Branch Trail, a ride past seven manmade lagoons on the way to the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is the lagoon leg of the Routes & Trails north of the city.

The lagoons

The Forest Preserves of Cook County call the Skokie Lagoons an 894-acre destination for boating, fishing, biking and hiking¹. The lagoons are a system of seven connected by channels on the Skokie River¹. The deepest point, 14.9 feet, sits in Lagoon #2¹.

The name comes from the Potawatomi “che-wabskoki,” for large swamp or marsh¹. The Forest Preserves acquired the land in 1920, planning lagoons for recreation and for flood and mosquito control¹. The Civilian Conservation Corps built them. Between 1933 and 1941, thousands of men lived and worked at Camp Skokie Valley¹. Four million cubic tons of soil were excavated, in what became the largest public works program in the country during the Great Depression¹. A plaque commemorating the work stands east of the Edens Expressway and north of Willow Road³.

The ride

The North Branch Trail extends 20 miles north from Chicago⁵. At Tower Road it divides and loops around the lagoons³. Two pieces matter here²:

Piece	Length
Asphalt path west of the lagoons, Willow Road to Tower Road	1.6 miles2
Loop around the lagoons, Tower Road to Dundee Road	4.2 miles2

Ending at Dundee Road, riders can go north to the Chicago Botanic Garden by its south service entrance³. The Forest Preserves call the full North Branch Trail System 36.7 miles of paved and unpaved trail¹. Along approximately 20 miles of the North Branch of the Chicago River, it is a premier biking route in the northern suburbs¹. For the whole corridor, see the North Branch Trail guide.

Where to join

Cook County lists four lagoon locations, all with bicycle access¹:

• Erickson Woods. Willow Road, east of I-94¹.
• Tower Road. West of Forestway Drive, with the canoe and kayak rentals¹.
• Tower Road Boat Launch. Same road, with an accessible trailered launch¹.
• Forest Way Grove. Forest Way Drive, south of Dundee Road¹.

Harms Woods in Skokie gives parking and access, and links to the Skokie Valley Trail³. By train, the trail passes near the Morton Grove, Edgebrook and Forest Glen stations on Metra’s Milwaukee District North Line, toward the southern end³.

The Botanic Garden link

The Garden’s own connecting path joins the North Branch Trail to the Green Bay Trail at the Braeside Metra station in Highland Park⁵. The asphalt path is 10 feet wide and a mile long on Garden and Forest Preserves property⁵. From the Braeside platform it is .98 miles to the end of the North Branch extension and 1.17 miles to the Garden’s Visitor Center⁵. Cyclists can enter the Garden by the path and park at the bicycle racks near the Visitor Center⁵. The trail was extended along Lake-Cook Road to Braeside in August 2014³. The path passes through Turnbull Woods and the Garden’s McDonald Woods⁵.

Kayaks and canoes

Rentals at Tower Road run from April to October, weather permitting¹. Service starts in mid-April, Fridays through Mondays, and expands to daily in May¹. Rates are $25 an hour for a single kayak, $35 for a tandem kayak and $30 for a canoe¹. Every paddler must wear a properly fitted life vest¹. Call 847-414-5883 to confirm availability¹.

Paddleboarding and sailboarding are not allowed on Forest Preserve of Cook County lakes². The Forest Preserves plan a new boathouse to replace the repurposed shipping container that serves as the current facility¹.

What you will see

Migrating ducks, herons and cormorants use the lagoons, along with coyote, mink, and gray and red fox¹. Bluegill, sunfish and largemouth bass live in the water¹. In all, 210 species have been seen here². From 1955 to 1974 a Nike anti-aircraft site stood in the preserve, north of Tower Road². Fishing access is available at all Skokie Lagoons entrances¹.

Rules on Cook County trails

All bicycle and e-bike riders must travel at speeds under 15 miles per hour—or slower in busy areas or where a speed limit is posted.⁴

Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed where bicycles are allowed⁴. Bicycle riders yield to other trail users⁴. Give an audible warning, a bell or “on your left,” and slow down before passing⁴. Dogs must be on a leash, on the right side of the trail⁴. Helmets are recommended for all riders, and especially for riders 14 and under⁴.

For more rides, see the best bike rides near Chicago and the Green Bay Trail.