I am planning a summer trip to Chicago and wanting to toss in a couple 5-7 mile hikes. Any ideas? We'll be visiting Field Museum, Adler, Science and Industry, possibly Grant Park, Millenium Park, etc. This will be my girlfriends first trip to Chicago since the late 70s. The thought of an urban hike is intriguing. Possibly option that would replace hills would be interesting also.

I am planning a summer trip to Chicago and wanting to toss in a couple 5-7 mile hikes. Any ideas? We'll be visiting Field Museum, Adler, Science and Industry, possibly Grant Park, Millenium Park, etc. This will be my girlfriends first trip to Chicago since the late 70s. The thought of an urban hike is intriguing. Possibly option that would replace hills would be interesting also.

If you want an "urban" hike, you could almost pick any 5-7 mile stretch in the city and get some interesting cultural viewing. Just be aware of your neighborhoods first.

 

Something along the lakefront path would seem pretty ideal.

 

If you want something in the city but not really urban, try the forest preserves. There's one nice paved trail, used by bikes and hikers, that starts up north around Elston and I think Caldwell, and runs north all the way to the Botanic Gardens in Glencoe.

 

In all seriousness, this area in NWI has some of the most beautiful and challenging nature walks in the midwest throughout our state and national parks. At very least the Calumet trail system is very nice, with my personal favorites coming in the Dunes State park, with some of the trails going up and down sand dunes with great views of the lakefront and even Chicago on many days.

 

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf

Like Northside said, just go "hiking" in Chicago places. So many nice places...do a big rectangle along Michigan and coming back State (or vice versa).

Well 5-7 miles would be what 40-45 blocks?

 

 

If you started at Washington/State (0,0) you could basically walk North to Belmont and back, or all the way to Wrigley.

 

Lake Shore Drive has a nice scenic walking path, but you could go up a street like Clark, Lincoln, etc.

 

I dont know much about walking south.

Well 5-7 miles would be what 40-45 blocks?

 

 

If you started at Washington/State (0,0) you could basically walk North to Belmont and back, or all the way to Wrigley.

 

Lake Shore Drive has a nice scenic walking path, but you could go up a street like Clark, Lincoln, etc.

 

I dont know much about walking south.

 

Or Englewood or Roseland. I heard there's alot of action down there.

 

In all seriousness, this area in NWI has some of the most beautiful and challenging nature walks in the midwest throughout our state and national parks. At very least the Calumet trail system is very nice, with my personal favorites coming in the Dunes State park, with some of the trails going up and down sand dunes with great views of the lakefront and even Chicago on many days.

 

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf

 

 

This is an awesome place to go.