Map of bike paths / walking paths in DuPage County, IL

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in DuPage County, Illinois

DuPage County is located directly west of Chicago in Northeastern Illinois. The cities and towns located in DuPage County include: Naperville, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Carol Stream and Wheaton.

DuPage County is crisscrossed with regional recreational trails that connect multiple communities and the nearby countryside. Other recreational trails include those located in the forest preserves, local parks and that follow alongside major roadways or wander through the residential neighborhoods and past commercial properties.

Illinois Prairie Path

The Illinois Prairie Path is a 61-mile long system of unpaved pathways located in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties in Northeastern Illinois. The trail was the first Rails-To-Trails conversion in the United States and dates back to the 1960s.

The Illinois Prairie Path crosses much of DuPage County, with the western branches intersecting the Fox River Trail in several locations, Elgin, Geneva, Batavia and Aurora. The north and south branches then all merge in Wheaton. From Wheaton, the trail heads to the east through Glen Ellyn and Lombard to end at Bellwood. The route goes past numerous local parks, schools and forest preserves. The trail also intersects with other major recreational trails in the area and with pathways and hiking trails in the forest preserves.

Read more about the Illinois Prairie Path

Great Western Trail

The Great Western Trail consists of two separate lengthy unpaved pathways. Both portions of the trail were constructed along an abandoned railroad right-of-way and have a surface of crushed limestone. The western portion spans from Sycamore to St. Charles. The eastern portion is located within DuPage County and spans from its intersection with the Illinois Prairie Path in the community of West Chicago to South Villa Avenue in Villa Park. The eastern section of the Great Western Trail intersects the Illinois Prairie Path at both ends.

Read more about the Great Western Trail

Southern DuPage County Regional Trail

The Southern DuPage County Regional Trail is a 46-mile long system of paved and unpaved trails located in the southern portion of DuPage County. The trails extend from Aurora to Willowbrook in the western portion of the Chicago Metropolitan area. The trails go through the communities of Aurora, Naperville, Darien, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Westmont, Clarendon Hills, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale and Woodridge. The trails include the pathways in Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, Green Valley Forest Preserve and Waterfall Glen County Forest Preserve.

Read more about the Southern DuPage County Regional Trail

DuPage River Trail

The DuPage River Trail is a segmented system of mostly paved trails located in Naperville and communities to the south. 

The DuPage River Trail also intersects with other local trails in the area, such as the Southern DuPage County Regional Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path.

The trail system includes the Naperville Riverwalk that is located just south of Jefferson Avenue and west of Benedeti-Wehrli Stadium.

Read more about the DuPage River Trail

Salt Creek Greenway Trail

The Salt Creek Greenway Trail is a 32-mile long paved pathway that is located in DuPage County on the west side of the Chicago Metropolitan area. The trail follows Salt Creek as it travels through several forest preserves. The trail goes through multiple communities in DuPage County including: Itasca, Wood Dale, Addison, Elmhurst and Oak Brook. There are several segments to the Salt Creek Greenway Trail and trail users will need to use local streets to connect to the next section.

Read more about the Salt Creek Greenway Trail

North Central DuPage Regional Trail

The North Central DuPage Regional Trail is a planned 35-mile long system trails located near the communities of Wayne, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Bloomingdale, Roselle, Elk Grove Village, unincorporated areas of Bloomingdale Township and through a number of forest preserves.

The trail system is completed in many sections. Within the completed sections of the trail there are paved pathways that follow alongside the roadways of W. Schick Road, S. Bartlett Road and S. Illinois Route 59. A large completed section of the crosses Hawk Hollow Forest Preserve between S. Bartlett Road and Country Farm Road. Another completed section goes through Mallard Lake Forest Preserve from Greenbrook Boulevard to Cloverdale Road. Another section wraps around the lakes at Springfield Park on Springfield Drive. The eastern section extends from Lake Avenue near Rosedale Drive and goes past Maple Lake to end at Circle Avenue and Spring Valley Drive in Bloomingdale.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in DuPage County, Illinois.