AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Great Western Trail

8.7 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 2 hr 56 min

Great Western Trail is an 8.7-mile out-and-back near Gretna, IL. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain, and mostly gravel. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi732 – 794 ft9.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.89608, -88.09216
Nearest town Gretna, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Great Western Trail

8.7 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 2 hr 56 min

Elevation 731–793 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 41.89608, -88.09216

Weather Sep 22: Overcast, high 61°F / low 55° · precip 14% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:51 PM

Bikes allowed on the whole route · Transit-accessible: President & St. Charles stop 46 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 400 ftTurn left onto Great Western Trail, heading W.
  3. 4.4 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  4. 4.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  5. 50 ftArrive 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/great-western-trail-out-back-14-km-0581

Trail surface

98% gravel2% paved

Weather

OvercastTemperature 61°F55°
Precip14%Wind5 mphUV5Humidity80%
Rained 3″ 2 days ago (6.5″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
65°50°
Sunrise 6:40 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Wed 62°56°
Thu 65°53°
Fri 72°59°
Sat 71°57°
Sun 72°56°
Mon 74°54°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.8 mi in (~21 min). Leave by 6:10 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:27 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Bikes allowed on the whole route
  • Transit-accessible: President & St. Charles stop 46 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Gretna, Illinois