BY SANDRA GUY
The Chicago area is resplendent with recreational getaways, perfect for scenic hikes and walks.
But most are at least an hour’s drive and difficult to access via public transportation. Do your homework: Map out your route, read websites for COVID precautions and reservations, and check the difficulty of walking from a train station.
Enjoy taking those deep inhales at these sites:
- Lake County, Illinois, Forest Preserves’ Ryerson Woods. Explore nearly seven miles of wooded trails that snake past historic buildings, near the Des Plaines River. Take binoculars to pinpoint more than 150 bird species and 600 species of wildflowers and flowering plants.
- The Lakefront Trail. Why not trek past the magnificent Lake Michigan while taking in historically significant sites? The trail connects world-renowned sites such as Jackson Park and Garden of the Phoenix, Promontory Pointe, Northerly Island (formerly private airfield Meigs Field), Grant Park, Maggie Daley Park, Oak Street Beach, the Lincoln Park Zoo and Belmont Harbor.
- Illinois Prairie Path. This network of trails starts in west suburban Maywood and extends another 16 miles westward to Wheaton. Then the path splits into branches that extend to Aurora, Batavia, Elgin and Geneva.
- Des Plaines River Trail. Its last leg, completed in 1980, has turned this trail into a 31.5-mile dirt and gravel path.
- Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. The 2,500-acre preserve surrounding Argonne National Laboratory features 11 miles of mapped trails shared by hikers, cyclists and horseback riders and some unmarked hiking trails, too.
- Marian R. Byrnes Park on Chicago’s far Southeast Side at 2200 E. 103rd, stretches across 135 acres. You’ll see marsh, wet prairie, savanna and woodlands and you may just spot deer, frogs, turtles and eagles.
- Indiana Dunes State Park, a National Natural Landmark that’s an easy day trip away, extends over 2,000 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline. It’s known for sand dunes and hiking trails. Poet Carl Sandburg called the Indiana Dunes “to the Midwest what the Grand Canyon is to Arizona and Yosemite is to California.”
- Morten Arboretum requires COVID precautions, including time-entry passes and tickets. Masks are required for everyone over age 2 in indoor areas. The North Branch Trail System offers paved and unpaved trails, as well as trail loops that run through ecological restoration sites. See https://www.mortonarb.org/visit-explore/plan-visit/admission-and-hours
Take the necessary precautions and provisions, and enjoy moving, breathing and spotting magnificent wildlife — a proven way to boost your spirits.