Hard
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 34.0 km / 21.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 270 m
- Typical duration
- 8 hr 3 min
- River
- Mountain
Dog-Friendly Hikes in Illinois
The directory currently contains 70 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Illinois. Their average mapped distance is 5.5 km and average recorded ascent is 50 m (164 ft); the longest route in the set is 34.0 km.
This subset represents 43% of the 162 quality-checked routes in Illinois. Its average distance is 5.5 km, compared with 12.8 km across the full local set.
These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 52 routes (74%) are rated easy, 4 (6%) are rated hard or expert, and 26 (37%) 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 6 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
1.3 km
Prairie View TrailCompare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.
Lowest recorded ascent in this sample
7 m
Prairie View Trail6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.
Return logistics
1 recorded loop
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
Hard
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 33.7 km / 20.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 578 m
- Typical duration
- 8 hr 26 min
- River
- Mountain
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 1.3 km / 0.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 16 min
- Lake
- Alpine meadow
Hard
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 31.6 km / 19.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 322 m
- Typical duration
- 7 hr 33 min
- River
Hard
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 28.8 km / 17.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 388 m
- Typical duration
- 6 hr 59 min
- River
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.4 km / 1.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 15 m
- Typical duration
- 31 min
- Lake
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.1 km / 2.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 19 m
- Typical duration
- 53 min
- Lake
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 5.5 km / 3.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 62 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 15 min
- Forest
- Castle and ruins
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
- 1.4 km / 0.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 9 m
- Typical duration
- 18 min
- Lake
Easy
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.8 km / 1.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 26 m
- Typical duration
- 37 min
- Lake
Easy
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.6 km / 2.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 59 min
- Lake
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 11.3 km / 7.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 380 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 55 min
- River
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 15.3 km / 9.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 65 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 17 min
- Forest
Easy
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.0 km / 2.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 6 m
- Typical duration
- 50 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 6.4 km / 4.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 78 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 28 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.8 km / 3.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 38 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 4 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.3 km / 1.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 30 min
- Forest
Easy
Easy
Easy
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 3.7 km / 2.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 47 min
- Forest
Easy
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 9.3 km / 5.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 122 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 7 min
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 3.1 km / 2.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 53 m
- Typical duration
- 44 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 0.8 km / 0.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 22 m
- Typical duration
- 11 min
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 11.8 km / 7.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 28 min
- Forest
Moderate
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 3.2 km / 2.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 6 m
- Typical duration
- 40 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.1 km / 1.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7 m
- Typical duration
- 26 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.5 km / 1.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 31 m
- Typical duration
- 35 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 5.9 km / 3.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 12 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 15 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 1.2 km / 0.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 8 m
- Typical duration
- 16 min
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 15.4 km / 9.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 100 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 22 min
- Forest
Easy
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 14.9 km / 9.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 12 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 7 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.9 km / 3.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 85 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 9 min
- Forest
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 2.8 km / 1.8 mi
- Typical duration
- 36 min
- River
- Forest
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 9.3 km / 5.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 21 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 59 min
- Lake
Easy
Easy
Easy
Easy
Easy
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 4.9 km / 3.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 41 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 5 min
- River
Moderate
Illinois · United States
- Distance
- 3.3 km / 2.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 182 m
- Typical duration
- 58 min
- River
The shortlist, side by side
The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time | Difficulty | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River to River Segment 7 - Alto Pass to Devil's BackboneIllinois | 34.0 km | 270 m | 8 hr 3 min | Hard | April to October |
| River to River Segment 1 - E'Town to Garden of the GodsIllinois | 33.7 km | 578 m | 8 hr 26 min | Hard | April to October |
| Prairie View TrailIllinois | 1.3 km | 7 m | 16 min | Easy | April to October |
| River to River Segment 4 - U.S. 45 to Ferne ClyffeIllinois | 31.6 km | 322 m | 7 hr 33 min | Hard | April to October |
| River to River Segment 6 - Giant City to Alto PassIllinois | 28.8 km | 388 m | 6 hr 59 min | Hard | April to October |
| Red Trail @ Grassy Lake Forest PreserveIllinois | 2.4 km | 15 m | 31 min | Easy | April to October |
| VA Sterne's Woods TrailIllinois | 4.1 km | 19 m | 53 min | Easy | April to October |
| Fort Sheridan Forest PreserveIllinois | 5.5 km | 62 m | 1 hr 15 min | Moderate | April to October |
| Fen View TrailIllinois | 1.2 km | 7 m | 16 min | Easy | April to October |
| Kettle View TrailIllinois | 1.4 km | 9 m | 18 min | Easy | April to October |
River to River Segment 7 - Alto Pass to Devil's Backbone, River to River Segment 1 - E'Town to Garden of the Gods, River to River Segment 4 - U.S. 45 to Ferne Clyffe 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.
Frequently asked questions
Plan with more confidence
All planning articles →Choosing a route
How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label
Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.
Read article →Understanding the map
Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb
Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.
Read article →Planning your day
Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace
Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.
Read article →Related guides
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