The 10 Family-Friendly Hiking Trails in Chicago, IL
These 10 hiking trails in Chicago, IL are all flagged as good for children, ranked by visitor ratings.
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center leads, with 4.8 stars from 1,050 reviews; Lakefront Trail - North Trailhead - Ardmore Ave - 5800 N follows at 4.8.
Between them they carry 4,759 Google reviews and average 4.7 stars. We weigh a rating by how many people left it, so a place with a handful of five-star reviews does not leapfrog one that thousands have rated nearly as well.
1.Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
4.8 · 1,050 reviews · Chicago
The top pick, holding 4.8 stars across 1,050 reviews. Parking on site.
2.Lakefront Trail - North Trailhead - Ardmore Ave - 5800 N
4.8 · 342 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.8 from 342 reviews. Dogs welcome.
3.Maple Lake East - Mountain Bike Staging Area
4.8 · 205 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.8 from 205 reviews. Parking on site.
4.Trailside Museum of Natural History
4.8 · 162 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.8 from 162 reviews. Restrooms and parking on site.
5.Bloomingdale Trail Park - Eastern Trailhead
4.7 · 1,214 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 1,214 reviews, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome.
6.Linne Woods
4.7 · 528 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 528 reviews, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome and parking on site.
7.Schiller Woods-East
4.7 · 520 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 520 reviews, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome and parking on site.
9.Harms Woods-North
4.7 · 132 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.7 from 132 reviews. Dogs welcome and parking on site.
10.Central Park
4.6 · 456 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.6 from 456 reviews. Dogs welcome and parking on site.
Common questions
What is the best family-friendly hiking trail in Chicago, IL?
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center ranks first, with 4.8 out of 5 stars from 1,050 Google reviews.
Which hiking trails in Chicago, IL allow dogs?
Lakefront Trail - North Trailhead - Ardmore Ave - 5800 N, Bloomingdale Trail Park - Eastern Trailhead, Linne Woods, Schiller Woods-East and St. Paul Woods, among others, are listed as dog-friendly.
Do these hiking trails have restrooms?
1 of the 10 list restrooms on site. Check each place's page before you go, since facilities can close seasonally.
More guides
Rankings come from Google ratings and review counts, and refresh whenever the AllParx directory is updated. Conditions and hours change, so check a place's page before you travel.