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Moderate Hiking Trails in Illinois

The directory currently contains 32 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Illinois. Their average mapped distance is 8.0 km and average recorded ascent is 90 m (295 ft); the longest route in the set is 18.3 km.

This subset represents 20% of the 162 quality-checked routes in Illinois. Its average distance is 8.0 km, compared with 12.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 90 m (295 ft), versus 65 m (213 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set is rated moderate by the directory’s distance-and-elevation model. Technical terrain and live conditions are not part of that rating. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 10 (31%) 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

5.5 km

Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Pedway

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 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

Theatre, Building 180 in the Fort Sheridan Historic District, a national landmark district (1932). Once the movie theater for troops stationed at the army base, it is now the studio for Julie Rotblatt-Amrany and Omri Amrany, who are best kn
Moderate

Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve

Illinois · United States

Distance
5.5 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
There is a four-way intersection in the Chicago Pedway at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street. At this location: The south leg (shown here, looking south) is the route to the Loop core of the Pedway. The Pedway turns
Moderate

Pedway

Illinois · United States

Distance
13.7 km
/ 8.5 mi
Typical duration
2 hr 51 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

OBT-1

Illinois · United States

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
Moderate

OBT-2

Illinois · United States

Distance
18.3 km
/ 11.4 mi
Typical duration
3 hr 54 min
Moderate

OBT-9

Illinois · United States

Distance
9.0 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
Peoria County, Illinois
Moderate

Illinois River Bluff Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
380 m
Typical duration
2 hr 55 min
  • River
Moderate

Main Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
15.3 km
/ 9.5 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
3 hr 17 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Orange Unpaved Loop

Illinois · United States

Distance
9.3 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
122 m
Typical duration
2 hr 7 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Purple Single Track Loop

Illinois · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Red Paved Loop

Illinois · United States

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
2 hr 28 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Red Paved Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
8.9 km
/ 5.5 mi
Typical duration
1 hr 51 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Yellow East Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
15.4 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
100 m
Typical duration
3 hr 22 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Yellow Paved Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
14.9 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
3 hr 7 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Pimiteoui Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
208 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
Historic graffiti along the Giant City Nature Trail in Giant City State Park in Illinois .
Moderate

Giant City Nature Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
104 m
Typical duration
38 min
Moderate

Openlands Open Space

Illinois · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
18 min
Moderate

Yellow Loop

Illinois · United States

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
81 m
Typical duration
2 hr 49 min
Moderate

River Ridge Back Pack Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
264 m
Typical duration
3 hr 40 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Wildlife Viewing

Illinois · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
Moderate

Hawk's Cave Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Cave
Moderate

Pounds Hollow Lake Trail

Illinois · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Robinson Park North

Illinois · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
157 m
Typical duration
1 hr 13 min
Moderate

Robinson Park South

Illinois · United States

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
307 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
Moderate

Heather Valley

Illinois · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
77 m
Typical duration
42 min

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
Fort Sheridan Forest PreserveIllinois5.5 km62 m1 hr 15 minModerateApril to October
PedwayIllinois13.7 km0 m2 hr 51 minModerateApril to October
OBT-1Illinois10.0 km0 m2 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
OBT-2Illinois18.3 km0 m3 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
OBT-9Illinois9.0 km13 m1 hr 53 minModerateApril to October
Illinois River Bluff TrailIllinois11.3 km380 m2 hr 55 minModerateApril to October
Main TrailIllinois15.3 km65 m3 hr 17 minModerateApril to October
Orange Unpaved LoopIllinois9.3 km122 m2 hr 7 minModerateApril to October
Purple Single Track LoopIllinois3.1 km53 m44 minModerateApril to October
Red Paved LoopIllinois11.8 km7 m2 hr 28 minModerateApril to October

OBT-9, OBT-1, OBT-2 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.

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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 →

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