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Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River bridge loop from Mettawa

Routes

Running trails & routes

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River bridge loop from Mettawa

Hard

4.6

(9805)

17,311

runners

Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River bridge loop from Mettawa

02:06

20.3km

50m

Running

Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

50 m

Des Plaines River Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Des Plaines River Trail is a popular 2 mile popular gravel trail located near Mettawa, Illinois, that runs largely along the water. It is popular with cyclists, walkers, runners, and the occasional horseback rider.

Tip by

1.88 km

Des Plaines River Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

You can follow the trail for 56 miles along the Des Plaines River with gorgeous views of local preserves, watersheds, forests, and marshes. The trail is wide packed gravel and shared with hikers and the occasional horseback rider. Here your pass through the County Forest Preserve which has its own scenic trail network.

Tip by

2.83 km

Des Plaines River Trail – Half Day Forest Preserve

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

The Des Plaines River Trail stretches over 56 miles along the Des Plaines River, offering a scenic natural escape through Lake and Cook Counties, just outside Chicago. This multi-use trail features a mix of surfaces, including pavement, crushed stone, and single-track forest paths, making for an exciting and varied biking experience. The northern sections are well-maintained and popular, while the southern portions become narrower and more rugged. This particular portion of the Des Plaines River Trail passes through Half Day Forest Preserve with nice views of the river and several ponds.

Tip by

8.66 km

Des Plaines River bridge

Highlight • Bridge

The Des Plaines River flows southwards from Wisconsin and down through Illinois. It makes for an excellent cycling companion thanks to the trails that wind alongside it. This bridge spans the river in the Captain Daniel Wright Woods Preserve, east of Vernon Hills.

Tip by

9.67 km

Wooden Bridge at Half Day County Forest Preserve

Highlight • Bridge

The Half Day County Forest Preserve is a small nature preserve with a mile-long running trail. This path can be connected to the miles of trails within Wright Woods Forest Preserve by using the connector trails.

Tip by

17.9 km

MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

Highlight • Forest

MacArthur Woods is a preserved forest that showcases the original landscape of the eastern Des Plaines River Valley. The area features a diverse mix of plants, creating an important habitat for breeding forest birds, including the brown creeper, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, veery, pileated woodpecker, and several rare warblers.

Tip by

20.3 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

20.3 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

19.4 km

610 m

202 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Today

Friday 3 July

31°C

23°C

85 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 20.0 km/h

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Des Plaines River Trail – Des Plaines River bridge loop from Mettawa

Des Plaines River Trail

Des Plaines River Trail

Des Plaines River Trail – Half Day Forest Preserve

Des Plaines River bridge

Wooden Bridge at Half Day County Forest Preserve

MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

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