Chicago Transit Hikes

A guidebook to hikes around Chicago accessible by public transportation.

It’s Time to Take a Hike in Spectacular Chicago! The best way to experience Chicagoland is by hiking it! Get outdoors with Illinois author Ted Villaire as he helps you find and enjoy the top hikes within 60 miles of the city. A perfect blend of popular trails and hidden gems, the selected trails transport you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, and historical settings that renew your spirit and recharge your body. Go bird-watching at Goose Lake Prairie. Immerse yourself in history along the I&M Canal Trail. Experience breathtaking views from secluded Lake Michigan beaches. Marvel at the awe-inspiring sand dunes in Northwest Indiana. With a highly accomplished outdoors writer as your guide, you’ll learn about the area and experience nature through 60 of Chicago’s best hikes! Each hike description features key at-a-glance information on distance, difficulty, scenery, traffic, hiking time, and more, so you can quickly and easily learn about each trail. Detailed directions, GPS-based trail maps, and elevation profiles help to ensure that you know where you are and where you’re going. Tips on nearby activities further enhance your enjoyment of every outing. Whether you’re a local looking for new places to explore or a visitor to the area, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Chicago provides plenty of options for a couple hours or a full day of adventure, all within about an hour from Chicago and the surrounding communities.

"One of the most enduring American urban myths concerns the death of the Red Car Trolley, an extensive and equitable system in Los Angeles County that some say was weakened and then eradicated by US car manufacturers. Yet as Nicholas Dagen Bloom shows, an array of larger yet less tangible forces together interacted to practically murder public transportation of all kinds in cities nationwide. Most centrally, public transit collapsed because essentially we wanted it to-no conspiracy necessary. Detailing the histories of transportation in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco, Bloom seeks to set all of our transit myths to rest for the sake not only of accuracy but in order to enrich our conversations about public transportation funding today"--

Carefully researched on foot by avid hiker Ted Villaire, and filled with detailed trail notes, Easy Hikes Close to Home: Chicago helps novice hikers discover their options with concise at-a-glance information. The guide, which is lightweight and extremely easy to carry on the trail, highlights factors such as location, access, directions, distance, and scenery. Included are both newly established trails and older trails ripe for rediscovery.

Chicago and its surroundings offer hikers a rich variety of hiking options, including rugged trails, large forest preserves, and looping rivers. Because of the unique scenery around the city, hiking in Chicago is more than just a trek around town. In Moon Take a Hike Chicago, dedicated outdoor explorer Barbara I. Bond shows you the best hikes in and around Chicago—all within two hours of the city. With details on public transportation options and clear directions on how to reach the trailhead, Bond has all the bases covered. Suggested lists of hikes include: Best for Hiking with Children Best Urban Hikes Best Wildflower Hikes Best for History Lovers Best Bird-Watching Hikes Best Geology Hikes Let Moon show you all the worthwhile hikes, from short, flat routes suitable for families to day-long, steep treks for more advanced hikers. Each hike profile contains practical information including point-by-point trail navigation, contact information, facilities, fees, parking instructions, and an easy-to-use map for each trail. From East Indiana and the southwest tip of Michigan through Starved Rock State Park and up into Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest, your trip begins with Moon Take a Hike Chicago.