It’s no accident that Chicago’s official motto is “Urbs in horto,” which is Latin for “City in a Garden.” Creating and maintaining parkland has been important to Chicagoans since the city’s founding in the 1830s. Today, they enjoy more than 600 parks in 8,800 acres of the Chicago Park District and nearly 70,000 acres of the Cook County Forest Preserves in and around the city.
Over the past year, getting outside to enjoy some fresh air in nature became more important than ever. When I couldn’t travel during the pandemic, I made an effort to explore parks and forest preserves that were new to me. It was refreshing to seek out new Chicago hikes and to discover more hidden gems of the region. Here are some of my favorite walks, hikes, and natural areas in Chicagoland. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I am planning to update this post as I keep exploring so be sure to check back!
Where to Get Outdoors in the City of Chicago
Millennium Park
What was once rail yards and parking lots is now a major asset to Chicago’s Loop. The 24.5-acre Millennium Park attracts 20 million visitors a year. Splash in Crown Fountain, catch a free concert at the Pritzker Pavilion, stroll the Lurie Garden, and don’t forget to take a selfie at the Bean!
Grant Park
Nicknamed “Chicago’s Front Yard,” Grant Park is home to outdoor recreation as well as cultural institutions and events. It’s 312 acres invite you to stroll the gardens, play baseball and tennis, go ice skating or climbing in Maggie Daley park, or attend a festival. Don’t miss the Buckingham Fountain water display every 20 minutes operating from May to October.
Jackson Park
Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side was the site of one of Chicago’s most famous events —the 1893 World’s Fair. Frederick Law Olmsted and Daniel Burnham were hired to design the dazzling “White City” fairgrounds. Today, the Museum of Science and Industry is the only building from the fair that still stands in Jackson Park. Visitors can enjoy the Wooded Island and Japanese Garden, including a sculpture by Yoko Ono. Other remnants of the fair include the Statue of the Republic, a 24-foot-tall replica sculpture, and the Midway Plaisance which hosted amusements at the fair and gave us the term “midway.”
Lincoln Park
Few realize that one of Chicago’s most popular parks was once (and still is) a cemetery! Lincoln Park stretches along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s north side covering 1,188 acres. In addition to its lovely trails, the park is home to institutions like Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory which are free to visit. Check out the wildlife at the North Pond Nature Sanctuary, take a walk on the beach at North Ave or Oak Streets, and take a selfie at honeycomb-like Nature Boardwalk.
Lakefront Trail
Chicago’s Lakefront Trail is one of the most beloved aspects of the city. Pedestrian and bike trails run 18.5 miles along Lake Michigan from Ardmore Avenue to 71st Street. Whether you’re jogging, strolling, roller blading, or just heading to the beach there’s nothing like the views of the skyline from the lakefront.
Promontory Point
One of the best views of Chicago’s skyline is from Promontory Point in the South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park. Landscape architect Alfred Caldwell designed the naturalistic area in Burnham Park in the 1930s. Today, it’s a popular spot for biking, photo ops, and taking a dip in the lake.
Humboldt Park
I’ve spent more time than ever before at Humboldt Park in the past year jogging, having socially-distant hangs meetups with friends, and hanging out with its mysterious bison statues. The West Side park’s 97 acres include lagoons that are popular for fishing, baseball fields, tennis courts, and even an inland beach!
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary
Montrose Harbor on the north end of Lincoln Park offers a range of activities like boating, swimming at Montrose Beach (and dog beach), or golfing at nearby Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course. The Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary attracts thousands of migratory birds every spring and fall, especially around the “Magic Hedge,” a 150-yard stretch of shrubs that migratory birds are especially attracted to. Keep an eye out for warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and Chicago’s most famous birds, the rare piping plovers Monty and Rose who have nested on the beach in recent years.
North Park Village Nature Center
North Park Village Nature Center is a tranquil 46-acre preserve on Chicago’s Northwest Side, but few realize it’s built on the site of a former tuberculosis sanitorium! A modest 2.5-mile hiking trail winds visitors through a wetland, prairie, forest, and oak savanna. Read more about the Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium and North Park Village Nature Center in my previous post.
Steelworker’s Park
The former site of the US Steel South Works complex is now a 16.5-acre park on the far South Side of the city in the South Chicago neighborhood. The unique park offers great views of Lake Michigan and a community rock climbing wall that’s built into the historic ore wall that was once part of the steelworks!
LaBaugh Woods
When you live in the Prairie State, sometimes you crave a walk in the woods. Located on Chicago’s north side at the start of the North Branch Trail, LaBaugh Woods includes 80 acres of picnic groves and 80 acres of natural areas like woods, wetlands, savannas, and meadows. The park is popular with birders attracting more than 200 species of birds.
Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pool
The Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pool is one of the best hidden gems of the Chicago Park District. Tucked next to the Lincoln Park Zoo off of busy Fullerton Avenue, the tranquil pond celebrates the nature of the Midwest. The 3.14-acre natural area was built in 1889 to raise tropical water lilies. Landscape architect Alfred Caldwell redesigned it in the prairie style in the 1930s to feature the natural ecology of the region including limestone paths and a waterfall.
Palmisano Park
Palmisano Park in the South Side neighborhood of Bridgeport is one of the Chicago Park District’s biggest transformations. It was formerly a limestone quarry known as Stearns Quarry and then a landfill. Now, the 26.60-acre park offers a fishing pond, trails, and fantastic views of the Chicago skyline.
Dan Ryan Woods and Major Taylor Trail
Dan Ryan Woods is a popular Southwest Side park offering everything from sledding hills to historic aqueducts. The 257-acre park’s picnic groves are the site of many family gatherings. The park connects to the six-mile Major Taylor Trail via a paved loop. Marshall “Major” Taylor was an African American bicycle racer who held several world records and was the fastest cyclist in the world
Garfield Park Conservatory
Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side is home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, offering free admission to two acres of public greenhouse space and 10 acres of outdoor gardens. Explore the plants of the world without leaving town indoors at the Aroid House, Desert House, and Palm House and learn about sustainable gardening practices outdoors. While you’re in Garfield Park, check out the historic Golden Dome field house.
Where to Hike Near Chicago
Stared Rock State Park
Starved Rock is one of the most beautiful state parks in Illinois, and also one of the most popular. If you want to hike it’s 13 miles of trails and snap photos of its waterfalls and canyons, you should arrive as early as possible to avoid the crowds. What’s with the name? According to Native American legend, a group of Illiniwek died of starvation atop the park’s butte.
Matthiessen State Park
Starved Rock gets all the glory, but don’t sleep on Matthiessen State Park located across the street! You can go chasing waterfalls, and even climb their rock formations in the park. You’ll get the canyons, streams, and forest that lights up Instagram in that other park with far less crowds.
Blackwell Forest Preserve
If you’re in the western suburbs, check out the 1,366-acre Blackwell Forest Preserve which was carved by a glacier around 12,000 years ago. It offers a variety of trails and terrain from hills to prairies and lots of activities like boating, camping, and archery. We spotted herons in McKee Marsh, but in 1977 someone found a 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton!
Indiana Dunes National Park
One of America’s newest national parks is just 40 miles from Chicago’s Loop! Indiana Dunes National Park covers 15,000 acres along Lake Michigan. Hike the famous sand dunes, wetlands, prairie, and forests and then cool off at the beach. Hiking sand dunes is harder than you think!
Bemis Woods and Dean Nature Sanctuary
In addition to the typical hiking and biking, the 480-acre Bemis Woods offers a canoe launch and a treetop adventure course west of Chicago. The Salt Creek Trail System runs along the Des Plaines River and Salt Creek. While hiking along this trail, we stumbled on the nearby Dean Nature Sanctuary in Oak Brook. The sanctuary features diverse ecosystems like oak savannah, wetland, pond, and prairie habitats.
Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve
Home to the only canyon in Cook County, the Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve offers unique plant and animal life and rock formations. The canyon is only available to view on guided naturalist tours, but there are some short hiking loops through forest and prairie. In the winter, the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center’s trails become cross-country skiing trails. Nearby, the Sag Quarries are old limestone quarries that are now lakes popular for fishing. They are also the start of the Cal-Sag Trail, currently a 13-mile trail that will eventually span 26 miles.
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
In maybe one of the most unique parks in Illinois, the former Joliet Arsenal munitions plant is being restored to a prairie and place to observe bison! Located about 60 miles south of Chicago, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie aims to bring back the grasslands that once covered the region. In 2015, a herd of bison was introduced to the prairie. Try to spot them at a bison watching station or on the bison live cam. As you hike or bike through the park, keep an eye out for abandoned ammunitions bunkers and roads to nowhere.
North Branch Trail to the Chicago Botanic Garden
My favorite way to arrive at the Chicago Botanic Garden is by bike. The North Branch Trail runs 20 miles north from Chicago offering a scenic ride to the garden. The Chicago Botanic is free to visit and features a stunning 385 acres of plants. The gardens are set up in four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shores. If you need some fresh air, try wandering the bonsai and fruit trees of the botanic gardens.
Palos Forest Preserves
When you’re in the Palos Forest Preserves, it’s hard to believe you’re just a stone’s throw from Chicago. There are hills! Lakes! Trails! At 15,000 acres, the Palos Preserves offer biking, camping, kayaking and more. Not sure where to start? Head to Country Lane Woods and hike around Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve. It’s even home to the burial site of the world’s first nuclear reactor! Check out this video I recorded with WGN to learn how to hike to the nuclear burial sites.
Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is a seemingly endless collection of woodlands, prairie, and gardens in suburban Lisle. With 16 miles of hiking trails, there’s something new to explore on every visit. The Arboretum’s mission is to study and display trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world and with 4,650 different kinds of plants in their collection I think they have succeeded!
Want to discover other hidden gems in Chicago? Check out my book Secret Chicago!
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
