Biking to Navy Pier: Trail Route, Divvy and Where Bikes Can Go

Navy Pier is a destination you can reach without a car and without a parking fee. The Lakefront Trail runs to its doorstep, and a Divvy dock waits at the entrance. The one thing to learn before you arrive is the pier’s own rule: no riding on the South Dock or East End Plaza. Use this page with the wider Plan a Ride guides.

About the pier

Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan⁷. It covers over 50 acres of shops, restaurants, live theaters, family attractions and parks⁷. It draws over nine million visitors annually⁷. The pier opened to the public on July 15, 1916, as Municipal Pier⁷. On July 12, 1995, it reopened as a mixed-use venue for retail, dining, entertainment and cultural spaces⁷.

The pier hosts boat tours and seasonal fireworks, and offers entertainment, dining and shopping surrounded by Lake Michigan views⁸. For a cyclist it is a stop rather than a route. The trail does the long miles; the pier is where you park the bike and walk.

The route in

The Lakefront Trail runs from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south⁹. In 2018 the Park District split the former 18-mile combined trail into an 18-mile bike trail and an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail⁹. Keep to the bike side.

Bike and Roll, whose pier shop sits along the trail, gives the full lakefront as 18 miles of car-free riding⁵. From either of its shops you can ride south to Buckingham Fountain and Museum Campus, or north to Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park⁶.

The rule on the pier

Bicycle riding is prohibited on the South Dock and East End Plaza³. Navy Pier’s code of conduct also bars operating unauthorized personal transportation devices, such as skateboards and Segways³. Walk the bike on both. Lock the bike or leave it docked before you go in.

Divvy to the pier

The pier’s Divvy station and kiosk stand in Polk Bros Park, on the northwest corner of Streeter and Grand¹. Twenty-four-hour passes are sold at the kiosk, and also through the Divvy app¹⁸. When you finish, return the bike to any station and wait for the green light on the dock, which confirms the lock¹.

Divvy option	Price
Single ride, classic bike	$1 unlock plus $0.20 per minute10
Day pass	$19.90 per day, unlimited 3-hour classic bike rides within a 24-hour period10
E-bike, single ride	$1 unlock plus $0.44 per minute10

Prices are Divvy’s own. For the full price ladder, read Divvy pricing.

Renting a bike at the pier

Bike and Roll is the official bike rental company of Navy Pier⁶. Its pier shop is at 600 E. Grand Ave, by the Peoples Energy Welcome Center at the pier’s entrance, on the south end of Polk Bros. Park⁶. It rents adult pedal and electric bikes, children’s bikes and quadcycles⁵. Locks, helmets and a bike map are included with the rental⁵. The shop is open April through October⁵. Bike and Roll also runs guided bike and Segway tours⁵.

For shops, hourly rates and comparisons, see bike rental at Navy Pier.

Rides that start here

Bike and Roll’s route list gives three rides that leave from the lakefront shops⁶:

Ride	Distance	Time
Museum Campus	2 miles	1 to 2 hours6
Lakefront Trail North	4 miles	2 hours6
Lakefront Trail South	10 miles	4 hours6

Read the Museum Campus by bike page for its stops, and the Lakefront Trail guide for the whole path.

Hours and what is open

Navy Pier opens daily at 11 a.m., and closing times vary by season². It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas². The Centennial Wheel runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday². There is no admission fee to enter the pier². Attractions and public shows may charge, and each box office sets its own prices².

A Youth Escort policy applies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to anyone under 18². Check it before bringing teenagers on a weekend ride.

Trail repairs

The Park District has inspected the full 18 miles of the Lakefront Trail and is repairing it one section at a time⁹. Work is asphalt patching and seal-coating as necessary, and moves north one section at a time to Foster Avenue⁹. Signs go up ahead of each work zone⁹. Check the Park District’s Lakefront Trail page before a long ride.