AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Poplar Creek Forest Preserve

Bode Lake–Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, 3 sights

13 mi · ▲ 188 ft · 4 hr 26 min

Bode Lake–Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, 3 sights is a 13-mile out-and-back in Poplar Creek Forest Preserve near Schaumburg, IL. The route passes Bode Lake and Bode Lake. It is mostly level, with 188 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi768 – 846 ft13.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.02637, -88.11894
Nearest town Schaumburg, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bode Lake–Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, 3 sights

13 mi · ▲ 188 ft · 4 hr 26 min

Elevation 768–847 ft

Out & Back · Poplar Creek Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 42.02637, -88.11894

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:53 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NE.
  3. 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
  4. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  5. 1.6 miContinue straight onto Poplar Creek Paved Trail, heading W.
  6. 0.4 miTurn left onto Poplar Creek Red Paved Trail, heading NW.
  7. 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
  8. 0.2 miPass Bode Lake.
  9. 250 ftTurn right, heading W.
  10. 0.3 miPass Bode Lake.
  11. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
  12. 0.5 miTurn right onto Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, heading SW.
  13. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Poplar Creek Green Unpaved Trail, heading NW.
  14. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, heading W.
  15. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  16. 50 ftTurn left onto Poplar Creek Tan Unpaved Trail, heading W.
  17. 0.2 miTurn left onto Poplar Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading N.
  18. 1.1 miReach Bode Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  19. 1.1 miTurn right onto Poplar Creek Tan Unpaved Trail, heading NE.
  20. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  21. 50 ftTurn right onto Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, heading N.
  22. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Poplar Creek Green Unpaved Trail, heading N.
  23. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Poplar Creek Orange Unpaved Trail, heading E.
  24. 0.5 miTurn left onto Poplar Creek Red Paved Trail, heading E.
  25. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
  26. 150 ftTurn right, heading E.
  27. 0.7 miTurn right, heading SE.
  28. 0.6 miTurn right onto Poplar Creek Paved Trail, heading NE.
  29. 2 miBear left, heading E.
  30. 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
  31. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  32. 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/bode-lake-bode-lake-out-back-5-lakes-18-km

Trail surface

37% paved28% dirt12% grass23% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:40 AMSunset 6:53 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.6 mi in (~40 min). Leave by 5:53 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Hikes near Schaumburg, Illinois