You live in one of the flattest, most concretely determined metro areas in the country, and somehow there are 70,000 acres of forest preserve in Cook County alone. DuPage has another 26,000. Lake County keeps quietly adding trails like it's got something to prove. Point is: you don't need to drive to Starved Rock every time you want to see a tree that isn't planted in a sidewalk cutout. Here are the best forest preserves near Chicago for hiking — verified, trail-tested, and none of them require you to fight for parking at a state park four hours downstate.
Best Forest Preserves in Cook County
Cook County's Forest Preserves cover more than 100 miles of paved trails and over 200 miles of unpaved trails across the region. These are the ones actually worth lacing up for.
Deer Grove — Palatine
Deer Grove is widely considered one of the best hiking spots in Cook County, and it earns that without trying very hard. The preserve spans nearly 2,000 acres and features a 5.6-mile loop through rolling hills, forests, and wetland overlooks. The trail is shared by hikers, bikers, and equestrian users.
Surface: Unpaved (expect mud after rain — portions sit low)
Parking: Deer Grove West lot, north side of Dundee Road just east of Ela Road
Tip: Bring a trail map. The trailhead signage exists, but "exists" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Palos Trail System & Little Red Schoolhouse — Palos Hills
The Palos region is the closest thing Cook County has to actual wilderness. Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center anchors a 3-mile loop that's flat, family-friendly, and surrounded by mature oak woodland. But the broader Palos trail network connects to thousands of acres of unpaved paths if you want something longer and quieter.
Best for: Families, bird-watchers, people who want to feel far away without actually being far away
Nature center: Open and free — worth a stop, especially with kids
Salt Creek Trail System — Western Suburbs
The Salt Creek Trail System stretches 16.4 miles of paved and unpaved trail along the Des Plaines River, Salt Creek, and past Brookfield Zoo. It connects multiple preserves from La Grange Park to Oak Brook and offers views of a glacial valley and gravelly moraine terrain.
Surface: Mixed paved and unpaved
Locations: Brookfield, La Grange Park, Riverside, Westchester, and more
Good for: Long-distance hikers and runners who want to string together a real route
Top DuPage County Forest Preserves for Hiking
DuPage County's forest preserves contain more than 175 miles of trails, and several of them consistently rank among the best hiking spots in the Chicago suburbs.
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve — Darien
Waterfall Glen is probably the most popular forest preserve in the western suburbs, and the Yelp reviews (4.5 stars, 160+ reviews) back that up. The preserve wraps around Argonne National Laboratory with a roughly 9.5-mile limestone loop through bluffs, ravines, and — yes — a small waterfall (more of a structured cascade, but nobody's filing complaints).
Surface: Limestone and unpaved
Parking: Multiple lots off Cass Avenue and Bluff Road
Note: It gets crowded on weekends. If you want solitude, go on a Tuesday morning in March. You'll have the whole bluff to yourself and one very confident coyote.
Blackwell Forest Preserve — Warrenville
Blackwell covers over 1,300 acres of rolling, hilly terrain — unusual for DuPage County, which is otherwise committed to being flat. The preserve connects to the DuPage River Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path, and the climb up Mount Hoy (a former landfill, because Illinois) gives you panoramic views of the surrounding forest.
Best for: Hikers who want elevation change without leaving the suburbs
Bonus: Connects to the Illinois Prairie Path's Aurora Branch for extended routes
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve — Downers Grove
Hidden Lake is smaller and quieter, with over two miles of trails looping around two lakes and a stretch of river. It's a strong pick for birding, wildlife watching, and short hikes that don't require a full-day commitment. DuPage also has solid shore fishing spots nearby if you'd rather sit than walk.
Surface: Unpaved
Best for: A quick weekday hike or a slow walk with binoculars
Lake County Forest Preserves Worth the Trek North
Lake County operates more than 210 miles of public multiuse trails across dozens of preserves. Most trails are 8 to 14 feet wide, gravel-surfaced, and considered accessible. Seven preserves have paved trails, and several are plowed in winter.
Captain Daniel Wright Woods — Mettawa
Wright Woods offers four miles of trails, including a short loop around a peaceful pond. The preserve features a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier overlooking a three-acre pond and a footbridge across the Des Plaines River that connects to Half Day Forest Preserve. Together, they're some of the most scenic trail miles in southern Lake County.
Surface: Unpaved
Parking: Off St. Mary's Road
Bonus: The connected Half Day preserve doubles your mileage without doubling the drive
Ryerson Conservation Area — Riverwoods
Ryerson is one of Lake County's most well-regarded preserves, with paved trails that are plowed in winter — a genuine rarity. The preserve runs along the Des Plaines River through mature woodland, and it's one of the few spots where you can hike year-round without needing snowshoes or a concerning level of optimism.
Surface: Paved
Open year-round: Trails are maintained in winter
Best for: Year-round hikers and anyone who refuses to let January win
Trail Tips and What to Know Before You Go
Before you head out, a few things the forest preserve websites won't emphasize enough:
Hours vary by county. Most Cook County preserves are open sunrise to sunset. DuPage opens one hour after sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. Check before you go.
Mud is a personality trait. Unpaved trails in Cook and DuPage get sloppy after rain. Waterproof boots aren't optional from November through April.
Dogs must be leashed. Every county. Every trail. No exceptions — though if you need somewhere they can actually run, there are dog parks with water features across the suburbs. The coyotes aren't leashed either, but that's their business.
Pack out what you pack in. Trash cans exist at trailheads, but not on the trails themselves.
Download a map. Cell service is unreliable in several preserves, especially in Palos and Deer Grove. The Cook County Forest Preserves offer a free interactive web map at map.fpdcc.com, and DuPage has an interactive trail map on their website.
Parking is free at most forest preserves across all three counties. A few special-use areas in Lake County require permits. The Chicagoland forest preserve system is, genuinely, one of the best urban-adjacent trail networks in the country. You just have to know where to go — and accept that "scenic overlook" sometimes means "view of a retention pond near a landfill." It's still worth it.
