Hemlock Hill–Spruce Hill, 9 sights is a 3.5-mile out-and-back in Morton Arboretum near Lisle, IL. The route passes Arbor Lake, Sterling Pond, Hemlock Hill and 2 more. It is mostly level, with 108 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi666 – 738 ft3.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 41.81376, -88.08216
Nearest town Lisle, IL
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Hemlock Hill–Spruce Hill, 9 sights
3.5 mi · ▲ 108 ft · 1 hr 13 min
Elevation 666–739 ft
Out & Back · Morton Arboretum
Trailhead: 41.81376, -88.08216
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:53 PM
Transit-accessible: Warrenville & White Birch stop 578 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Birch Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Arbor Lake.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto Prairie Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 250 ftPass Sterling Pond.
- 150 ftBear right onto Main Trail Loop 4, heading E.
- 500 ftBear right onto Main Trail Loop 3, heading E.
- 0.2 miPass Hemlock Hill.
- 50 ftPass Lake Marmo.
- 300 ftBear right onto Main Trail Loop 2, heading NE.
- 0.1 miPass Spruce Hill.
- 300 ftReach Hemlock Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Main Trail Loop 2 and 3, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Main Trail Loop 3, heading N.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Main Trail Loop 4, heading SW.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Prairie Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left onto Acre Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Birch Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 250 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
34% grass32% dirt34% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:39 AMSunset 6:53 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~13 min). Leave by 6:20 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Warrenville & White Birch stop 578 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Arbor Lake–Sunfish Pond, 7 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 224 ft
- Sunfish Pond–Sterling Pond, 5 sights 4.1 mi · ▲ 140 ft
- Millenium Oak–Sterling Pond, 3 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Arbor Lake–Sterling Pond, 5 lakes 3.9 mi · ▲ 110 ft
- Sterling Pond–Acre Trail, 4 sights 1.9 mi · ▲ 28 ft
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