Best Hiking Trails in Illinois | Trailmonger

About hiking in Illinois

Illinois has 2,157 named trails tagged for hiking on the map, covering 3,619 miles, an average of 1.7 miles each. The longest is Lakefront Trail in Cook County, at 74.3 miles. 119 run 5 miles or longer. 65 of the state's counties have at least one; Cook County has the most, with 338 trails.

Top 100 hiking trails, longest first

Trails 1–25

Lakefront TrailHikeCook County74.3 mi Main TrailHikeMTBDuPage County65.2 mi Millennium TrailHikeMTBLake County57.6 mi Southern DuPage Regional TrailHikeMTBDuPage County45.3 mi Constitution Trail Illinois Central BranchHikeMTBMcLean County42.7 mi ADT - Illinois (South) - J - Seg 3HikeRandolph County38.6 mi ADT - Illinois (South) - J - Seg 2HikeJohnson County38.5 mi OBT-5HikeCook County35.6 mi ADT - Illinois - I - Seg 2HikeLaSalle County32.2 mi Constitution Trail Collegiate BranchHikeMTBMcLean County31.2 mi OBT-7HikeCook County30.4 mi ADT - Illinois (South) - J - Seg 1HikeGallatin County30.3 mi ADT - Illinois - I - Seg 3HikeHenry County29.5 mi River to River Segment 2 - Garden of the Gods to EddyvilleHikePope County29.2 mi River To River TrailHikePope County27.8 mi Rend Lake Bike TrailHikeMTBFranklin County24.8 mi Constitution Trail Southtown BranchHikeMcLean County23.4 mi River to River Segment A - Battery Rock AlternateHikeHardin County23.1 mi OBT-8HikeCook County21.3 mi JubileeHikePeoria County21.3 mi Hennipen Canal ParkwayHikeMTBHenry County20.6 mi Route 66 TrailHikeMTBMcLean County20.3 mi OBT-4HikeCook County20.1 mi DuPage River TrailHikeMTBWill County19.6 mi River to River Segment 4 - U.S. 45 to Ferne ClyffeHikeJohnson County19.6 mi

Trails 26–50

OBT-3HikeCook County19.6 mi River To River TrailHikeJohnson County19.6 mi ADT - Illinois - I - Seg 1HikeWill County19.2 mi River Ridge Back Pack TrailHikeVermilion County18.6 mi RiverwalkHikeCook County18.4 mi River to River Segment 1 - E'Town to Garden of the GodsHikeHardin County17.0 mi Illinois & Michigan TrailHikeMTBGrundy County15.8 mi North Branch Red Paved TrailHikeMTBCook County15.7 mi Perryville PathHikeMTBWinnebago County15.4 mi MCT Schoolhouse TrailHikeMTBMadison County15.2 mi Kinkaid Lake TrailHikeJackson County15.1 mi OBT-6HikeCook County15.0 mi Yellow Unpaved TrailHikeMTBCook County14.8 mi Constitution Trail Interurban BranchHikeMcLean County14.6 mi River to River Segment 7 - Alto Pass to Devil's BackboneHikeUnion County14.1 mi Blue TrailHikeWinnebago County14.0 mi Constitution Trail Bloomer Line BranchHikeMcLean County14.0 mi River to River Segment 5 - Ferne Clyffe to Giant CityHikeUnion County14.0 mi Hickory Creek BikewayHikeMTBWill County13.9 mi River to River Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto PassHikeJackson County13.5 mi Illinois River Bluff TrailHikePeoria County13.2 mi Red Paved TrailHikeMTBCook County12.7 mi River To River TrailHikeHardin County12.4 mi River to River Segment 3 - Eddyville to U.S. 45HikeJohnson County12.4 mi MCT Nature TrailHikeMadison County12.4 mi

Trails 51–75

Orange TrailHikeWinnebago County12.1 mi Red TrailHikeWinnebago County11.9 mi OBT-10HikeCook County11.5 mi OBT-2HikeCook County11.4 mi River To River Trail Battery RockHikeHardin County11.1 mi PedwayHikeCook County11.1 mi Springbrook Prarie TrailHikeMTBDuPage County11.1 mi Equestrian TrailHikeJasper County10.8 mi Rock Island GreenwayHikeMTBPeoria County10.8 mi Illinois Prairie Path Elgin BranchHikeMTBDuPage County10.8 mi River to River TrailHikeUnion County10.6 mi Illinois Prairie PathHikeMTBDuPage County10.2 mi Skokie Valley BikewayHikeMTBLake County10.0 mi Black Paved TrailHikeMTBCook County9.5 mi Green TrailHikeWinnebago County9.2 mi North Fork TrailHikeDe Witt County9.2 mi Tinley Creek Red Paved LoopHikeMTBCook County9.1 mi Danada-Herrick Lake Regional TrailHikeMTBDuPage County9.1 mi Poplar Creek Red Paved TrailHikeMTBCook County8.7 mi Yellow TrailHikeCass County8.6 mi River to River TrailHikeJackson County8.5 mi Orange Unpaved TrailHikeMTBCook County8.3 mi Galena River TrailHikeMTBJo Daviess County8.3 mi TREC TrailsHikeMTBEffingham County8.2 mi Yellow LoopHikeCook County8.1 mi

Trails 76–100

Buffalo Grove-Lincolnshire Bike PathHikeMTBLake County8.0 mi Illinois Prairie Path Aurora BranchHikeMTBDuPage County8.0 mi Governor's TrailHikeCass County7.8 mi Yellow Trail LoopHikeMTBCook County7.7 mi Chief Illini TrailHikeShelby County7.7 mi Horse TrailHikeWayne County7.4 mi MCT Ronald J. Foster Heritage TrailHikeMadison County7.3 mi Busse Forest Trails Red PavedHikeMTBCook County7.3 mi Red Paved LoopHikeCook County7.3 mi Yellow Unpaved LoopHikeCook County7.2 mi Washington County Lake TrailHikeWashington County6.9 mi Yellow Single Track TrailHikeMTBCook County6.8 mi Green Unpaved TrailHikeMTBCook County6.8 mi Beaver Trail #006HikeGallatin County6.8 mi Illinois Prairie Path Geneva SpurHikeMTBDuPage County6.8 mi Equestrian TrailHikeMcDonough County6.7 mi Godwin Trail/River to River TrailHikeUnion County6.7 mi Salt Creek Red Paved TrailHikeMTBCook County6.7 mi Dog Hollow TrailHikePope County6.5 mi OBT-1HikeCook County6.2 mi Rock River Recreation PathHikeMTBWinnebago County6.1 mi Zimmer CemeteryHikePope County6.1 mi H.U.M. TrailHikeMcHenry County6.0 mi Dupage River GreenwayHikeMTBWill County6.0 mi Herrick Lake Regional TrailHikeDuPage County5.8 mi

Hiking Trails by county

Counties 61–65

Whiteside County

← All of Illinois

Trail geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Compiled and published by Trailmonger · trail data last rebuilt October 4, 2026.