Your Forest Preserves

Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway

The Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway covers more than 3,000 acres and protects land along more than 85 percent of the river in Lake County, providing wildlife habitat, natural flood protection and outdoor recreation opportunities.

The trail currently stretches 31 miles and connects forest preserves with local parks and communities as it winds through the Greenway from just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border to Deerfield, ending at Lake Cook Road. Bridges and underpasses make it possible to travel without crossing any major roads.

Spanning nearly the entire length of Lake County, the trail follows the river's edge from Russell Road in Wadsworth to West Riverside Drive in Lincolnshire. It picks up again just north of Estonian Lane and runs south to Lake Cook Road where it connects to Cook County Forest Preserve trails.

A string of forest preserves

One preserve is good. Two are even better. But a whole string of them, connected like pearls on a necklace, now that is the ultimate legacy. Lake County has such a treasure: the Des Plaines River Greenway. This is a chain of 10 forest preserves that stretches all the way from just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line to Deerfield. With the river serving as a backbone and thousands of acres of contiguous, lush open space, this Greenway is the treasure of your forest preserve system.

A priority from day one

Preservation of the Des Plaines River Greenway has been a key priority since the Forest Preserve District was founded in 1958. The Greenway protects land along 85 percent of the river in Lake County, providing wildlife habitat, natural flood protection and outdoor recreation opportunities.

A trail of vision

In the late 1970s, the vision for a trail along the Greenway began to crystallize. Over the next three decades the Des Plaines River Trail grew, section by section. Through connections to the North Shore Bike Path, McClory Trail and Millennium Trail, the Des Plaines River Trail is a key link in a regional system of trails covering over 100 miles in Lake County.

Changes in the landscape

As you travel through this river valley, look for changes in the landscape. In northern Lake County, the valley is wide and the river meanders. Open areas such as prairies and savannas are common. In southern Lake County, the valley is narrow and the river runs a straighter course. Woodlands are more common.

The river and its seasonal rising and falling help determine which plants and animals live here. Beaver, herons and turtles are a few of the native animals adapted to river life. Oaks, hickories and maples are some of the common trees.

A fire-blocking river

Notice that to the west of the river, prairies and savannas are common, while on the eastern bank of the river, you'll find maple woodlands. This is due to the river itself, blocking ancient wildfires that raged from the west. Maples cannot withstand fire, but the oaks of a savanna can. Keep this in mind when searching for good autumn color, and head to the maples at Captain Daniel Wright Woods and Ryerson Woods on the river's east side.