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Best Lake Hikes near Waukegan

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Waukegan. Their average mapped distance is 2.5 km and average recorded ascent is 11 m (36 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.6 km.

This subset represents 31% of the 16 quality-checked routes near Waukegan. Its average distance is 2.5 km, compared with 11.2 km across the full local set.

Every route in this set carries a lake tag in the directory. Whether the mapped line reaches the shore and whether swimming is allowed must be checked locally. Within this set, 5 routes (100%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (40%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 5 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

1.2 km

Fen View Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Oak View Trail

5 of 5 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Easy

Illinois · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Lake
Easy

Illinois · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Lake
Easy

Illinois · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Typical duration
20 min
  • Lake

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Red Trail @ Grassy Lake Forest PreserveIllinois2.4 km15 m31 minEasyApril to October
Fen View TrailIllinois1.2 km7 m16 minEasyApril to October
Moraine View TrailIllinois2.8 km26 m37 minEasyApril to October
Oak View TrailIllinois1.6 km0 m20 minEasyApril to October
Yellow Trail @ Grassy Lake Forest PreserveIllinois4.6 km7 m59 minEasyApril to October

Red Trail @ Grassy Lake Forest Preserve, Oak View Trail, Moraine View Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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