Best Bike Paths and Trails Near Mchenry, Illinois

Like many other people, my daughter and I love to spend a few hours out on the bike trails. There's nothing like getting away from the house and the noise of life to breath some fresh air while getting some good exercise surrounded by nature. We live in Mchenry, Illinois and there are some trails close by that we absolutely love.

Moraine Hills State Park has our favorite trails. It is located 3 miles south of Mchenry. The main park entrance is on River Road. There are four different trails of varying lengths, each marked by different color-coded mile markers. Three of the trails alternate back and forth between crushed stone and paved. River Road trail is completely paved, running for 1.7 miles by River Road. It is the least hilly of all four trails. The Fox River trail is 2.0 miles long with yellow markers and some hills. It runs through the wetlands of Black Tern Marsh, sometimes on a thin strip of land with water on both sides, which my daughter and I thought was very cool. The Leatherleaf Bog Trail is 3.2 miles long with blue markers and some big hills. It goes around the Leatherleaf Bog to the Northern Woods where you are surrounded by beautiful trees. Lake Defiance Trail is 3.7 miles long with red markers and has some really big hills. My daughter and I love flying down the big hills, but it's a killer going up the others. This trail loops all the way around Lake Defiance with several places to get on and off the trail. It goes through woods and wetlands. There is a place to stop and enjoy the lake along the trail. The office is also located next to this trail. There are bike racks for parking your bikes, along with restrooms, concessions and a nature center located in the building. There are also bathroom facilities and water fountains located in several places near the trails. Most of the water fountains are the old-fashioned pump fountains. My daughter gets a kick out of pumping these every time we're there. You will also find a wooden plank trail beginning at the office and taking you right through the wetlands and out to Lake Defiance. Bikes are not allowed on this trail, but it's a experience worth walking for. Picnic areas are located in several places throughout the park. A couple of them even have playgrounds. My daughter and I usually pack a meal and make an evening of the trails and a picnic. Moraine Hills also offers fishing, hiking, boating, hunting and cross-country skiing.

We have also been to Nippersink Forest Preserve, which is located near Round Lake. The entrance is located on Route 120 (Belvidere Road), just west of Cedar Lake Road and east of Fairfield Road about twenty minutes from Mchenry The trails here are shorter, about 2 miles total and not as hilly as Moraine Hills. These are great for families with smaller children that couldn't handle a lot of hills or longer trails. The trails are mostly crushed stone with some paved areas and a boardwalk you can ride bikes over. There are restrooms, drinking fountains, and picnic areas throughout the park. We saw one picnic area with a volleyball net. Though this park isn't as big as Moraine Hills, it is a beautiful place to ride with its two lakes, woodlands, wetlands and marshes. This is a great place to take the family for an afternoon of biking and picnicking. Nippersink also offers catch-and-release fishing in the streams and lakes and even has two handicapped-accessible fishing piers.

If you live in or near Mchenry, Illinois, I would highly recommend both of these locations for their bike trails, availability of restrooms, drinking fountains and picnic areas and for their additional activities.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - http://www.dnr.state.il.us/index.htm

Trail Resources - http://www.trailresources.com

Your Forest Preserves - http://www.lcfpd.org/index.cfm