Top Things to do in Illinois
Top Hotels in Illinois
Top 10 Hiking Trails in Illinois, United States
Discover the best top things to do in Illinois, United States including Little Red Schoolhouse, Hickory Creek Preserve, Great River Trail, Starved Rock State Park, Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, Herrin Park, Busse Woods Trail System, TREC Calico Trail, Boneyard Creek Trail, Lakefront Trail.
Restaurants in Illinois
1. Little Red Schoolhouse
2. Hickory Creek Preserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By JeanneM196 - New Lenox, United States
I walk or bike here often. The two parking lots are set back from the road, so you hear no traffic. There are two picnic pavilions. The furthest one has a great view of the open prairie. The paved trail is well maintained. It meandered through the prairie and into the woods to Hickory Creek and eventually to the Township offices on Rt. 30. It's beautiful in any season.
3. Great River Trail
4. Starved Rock State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,562 reviews
Known for its magnificent rock formations of St. Peter sandstone, this scenic park offers many hiking and horseback riding trails plus fishing and boating along the banks of the Illinois River.
Reviewed By tigrr49 - Chicago, United States
Took about 3 - 3.5 hours to hike from visitor's center down to LaSalle Canyon while hitting Starved Rock, French Canyon, Wildcat Canyon, LaSalle Canyon, Eagle Cliff Overlook, and Lover's Leap Overlook in that order. French Canyon is pretty (sunlight glistened off the water onto the canyon walls) and most accessible but it also crowded for that reason. The waterfall at Wildcat was a small trickle compared to the others but it's also very high which is cool. LaSalle Canyon was definitely worth the hike especially since you can walk behind the waterfall for some cool photos. I would not recommend for young children (mine are 8 and 10) to do the whole distance we did. My kids certainly enjoyed the hike, several photo ops, and lunch / snacks along the way. Lastly, visitor center is nice and clean with pretty decent food options if that's your fancy. Extra Tips: Make it a 2 day trip and hit Matthiesen State Park - Dells Area nearby on your other day. Also, I read St. Louis Canyon and Ottawa Canyon can be nice but we didn't have enough time to hit them.
5. Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By A4452CAbriant
You dont have to go to Napa to enjoy great wine, scenic beauty, musical entertainment and friendly atmosphere. Blue Sky winery on the Shawnee wine trail has it all. From excellent dry wines made from locally grown grapes to white and red sangrias that are sure please. In addition to some of the best wines on the trail there is a delicious selection of food. The seasoned oil blend and fresh bread are fabulous. I particularly love the chamborcin and chamborcin reserve dry red. The large spacious outdoor seating area provides an excellent venue while enabling social distancing. If you haven't visited the Shawnee wine trail I highly recommend adding a visit to your bucket list.
6. Herrin Park
7. Busse Woods Trail System
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By Toyota1994 - Chicago, United States
Busse Woods Forest Preserve in Elk Grove Village is an excellent park with a vast variety of options for recreation. During my recent visit in August, I rode my bike riding and thoroughly enjoyed the asphalt-paved trail. The trail is well groomed and maintained in excellent condition by the Forest Preserve. The main loop trail is about 7 miles long and there are additional side trails making a total of about 11 miles. The trail has a variety of scenery with shade and exposed areas. The vast forest preserve has several entrances and parking lots. I didn’t encounter any bug problem during my summer visit. Some of the highlights of the park include the two bridges over Higgins Road, the elk herd, the beautiful meadows, woods and lakes. The major disadvantage is that the place gets very crowded (especially on nice weekends). The trail traffic can get pretty heavy with all sorts of people... walkers, runners, people fishing, people on skates & roller blades, and of course bikers (of all skill levels). The trail is narrow at some places so just be aware of your surroundings. One will be able to enjoy this beautiful trail much more during off peak times. I highly recommend this trail!
8. TREC Calico Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By 385karissar - Chicago, United States
I visited this trail on a Tuesday and Wednesday. It was beautiful scenery, a lot different than the typical forest preserves we have at home in Chicago. There weren’t a lot of other people out but I can’t speak to how busy it might get over a weekend. The second day I went, the trail was flooded in several areas. I tried a couple of different entrances but kept getting stuck - but there was pretty significant rainfall overnight.
9. Boneyard Creek Trail
10. Lakefront Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,416 reviews
The Chicago Lakefront Bicycle Trail is roughly 22 miles of bike paths, stretching from Indiana border up to Evanston. The trail rides through many parks including Jackson Park (including U of Chicago), Grant Park (including Buckingham Fountain/Museum Campus) Millennium Park, and Lincoln Park with its Free Zoo. Plenty of beaches and bike rentals available at Bobby's Bike Hike - 540 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60611 (free maps, helmets).
Reviewed By rudi498 - New Delhi, India
to explore the beautiful skyline of Chicago it is a must for every visitor to rent a bike abd follow the trail. Nice views, aa lot of places to rest and enjoy the lake and the the city skyline.
