Taking the train to nature in Chicagoland Beyond the steel and asphalt await natural spaces that are easy to access and balm for the soul. Lindsay Welbers's guide tells readers how to use Chicagoland's extensive public rail system to reach forests, prairies, wetlands, dunes, and Lake Michigan. Designed to take up minimal space in a backpack, Chicago Transit Hikes provides train-to-trailhead information for thirty nature treks with features that include: Chapters with hikes organized by each rail line on the Metra, the South Shore train, and the CTA; Information on everything from accessibility to dog-friendliness to flora and fauna; Detailed descriptions of every destination; Practical tips on packing lists and itineraries. Up-to-date and user-friendly, Chicago Transit Hikes connects Chicagoans and visitors alike with excursions for every season and level of difficulty.
Lindsay Welbers is a journalist and sustainable transportation advocate. She runs the blog Third Coast Hikes at https://thirdcoasthikes.com.
Introduction Why Take the Train if I Already Have a Car? How Cars Ruined My Hike: A cautionary Tale What You Need What to Bring What Not to Bring Apps to Download Outdoors Safety COVID Safety Trail Etiquette Leave No Trace Practices Levels of Difficulty Transit Hubs Metra CTA South Shore Line Divvy A Note on Maps Hikes in Chicago Chicago Lakefront Trail Museum Campus/11th Street: Northerly Island Park The 606 Conservatory Green Line: Garfield Park Conservatory Rosemont Blue Line: Des Plaines River Trail, Catherine Chevalier Woods, and Chippewa Woods Union Pacific North Hubbard Woods: Skokie Lagoons Fort Sheridan: Fort Sheridan Nature Preserve and Openlands Lakeshore Preserve at Fort Sheridan Zion: Illinois Beach State Park and Campground Milwaukee District North Forest Glen and Edgebrook: LaBagh Woods and the North Branch Trail Morton Grove: Frank Bobrytzke Forest and the North Branch Trail Northbrook: Somme Preserves Libertyville-Prairie Crossing: Des Plaines River Trail, Old School Forest Preserve Round Lake: Hart's Wood Park Round Lake: Nippersink Forest Preserve Ingleside: Grant Woods Forest Preserve Union Pacific Northwest Des Plaines: Des Plaines River Trail, Camp Ground Road Woods Barrington: Baker's Lake Nature Preserve Barrington: Citizen's Park and Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve Palatine: Deer Grove and Camp Reinberg Crystal Lake: Veteran's Acres and Sterne's Woods and Fen Woodstock: Emricson Park Woodstock: Ryder's Wood Park Milwaukee District West to Elgin River Grove: Des Plaines River Trail, Schiller Woods Itasca: Springbrook Nature Center Itasca: Songbird Slough Forest Preserve Hanover Park: Mallard Lake and Hawk Hollow Forest Preserve National Street: Fox River Trail Union Pacific West River Forest: Thatcher Woods Geneva: The Fox River Trail Elburn: Elburn Forest Preserve BNSF Railway LaGrange Avenue: Salt Creek Woods, Possum Hollow Wood, and Bemis Woods SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor The Big Palos Adventure Camp-From Palos Heights and Palos Park-SouthWest Service to Willow Springs-Heritage Corridor Rock Island District Major Taylor Trail Blue Island: Cal-Sag Trail Oak Forest: Midlothian Meadows and Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Oak Forest: Midlothian Reservoir, St. Mihiel Woods, East Yankee Woods, and the George W. Dunne National Golf Course Oak Forest: Camp Sullivan and the Area around Bachelor's Grove Woods Joliet: Joliet Ironworks Historic Site and the I&M Canal South Shore Line Dune Park: Indiana Dunes State Park Miller, Portage-Ogden Dunes, and Beverly Shores: Indiana Dunes National Park and the Dunewood Campground Suggested Itineraries Acknowledgments
"This guide is an invaluable resource to anyone in the Chicagoland area who loves to get out in nature and explore our wonderful trail system, all while utilizing one of our best and little utilized resources: our public transportation system. Lindsay Welbers writes with humor, joy, and a deep love of our undervalued Midwestern landscape. Whether you're a runner, cyclist, hiker, or prefer another mode of transportation, this book will point you to your next perfect outing."--Allison Yates, founder of Read & Run Chicago
