Chicago Trail Series I saw this posted on another list. NFI It is run on forest preserve trails near either Palatine, IL or Libertyville, IL, northwest Chicago 'burbs. It looks interesting. If those pictures are any indication, those trails have more hills than I have around my place near O'Hare. The FAQ says there's mud if it rains. /build2/sites/all/modules/smileys/packs/Roving/smile.png I wonder if its BF friendly.
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Oooo, this is close enough to Oooo, this is close enough to me to go test out! I have been itching to do some trail running. I have been confined to the street so far.
I know of the Palatine trail. I know of the Palatine trail. Not really sure I would call it hilly? It is a nice trail though, from what I remember you should have no problem footing it.
There's some decent trail There's some decent trail running on the SW side of the city which is previewed here: http://www.wildernessrunning.com/life/2010/07/trail-running-in-chicago.html I haven't run where the author discusses but he does mention where I spend most of my time. "Need some torture? If you’re looking for some decent hill running, head down route 45 a little further south from the schoolhouse, to 119th Street and bunk up at Forty Acre Woods. Follow the yellow blazes for quality hills for repeats. There is even the option of running a few … hundred … stairs when the trail brings you behind and then around the former toboggan slides (the stairs are still there and it’s a great mid-run butt kicker, if you’re into that sort of thing). If you’re really masochistic, run up the hill where the slides used to be. In the summer, and pretty much anytime there’s been a good bit of rain, you’ll encounter plenty of stream crossings, and areas with standing water on the trail. Both are generally easy to avoid if you want to keep the toes dry thanks to a bridge system. But the areas with standing water are a sort of choose-your-own-adventure each time; pick a spot and run through it! Another reason the loop course comes in handy, shoe changes if you can’t stand running with wet feet. This loop is around 8.25 miles around" Most of the big trail is crushed gravel so not really BF friendly but still a nice place to run. There's also single track that snakes around through the woods and is a blast run.
Palatine isn't too far from Palatine isn't too far from where I'm at. I did some trail running up in Lake Forest a few months ago, and that was really enjoyable.
I run with VFFs in and around I run with VFFs in and around that area a lot in the summer. The major trails that I run are about 2 miles north and a mile west of the toboggan runs. There is a lot of single track in and around the crushed gravel that are no problem at all in the VFFs, but the irregular rocky areas can be tough. I do about a 6 mile loop in the Bullfrog lake area. It is a great area for running because there are probably 40 miles of trails all in that area. However, it is also a big mountain biking area, so you have to watch out also. The trails all throughout that area have a lot of mild hills that make for an enjoyable running experience.
