Sand Lake & Millennium Trail
11.9 mi · ▲ 79 ft · 4 hr
Sand Lake & Millennium Trail is an 11.9-mile out-and-back in Fourth Lake Forest Preserve near Druce Lake, IL. The route reaches Sand Lake at the turnaround, 5.9 miles in. It is mostly level, with 79 ft of elevation gain, and mostly gravel. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Sand Lake & Millennium Trail
11.9 mi · ▲ 79 ft · 4 hr
Elevation 759–803 ft
Out & Back · Fourth Lake Forest Preserve
Trailhead: 42.36042, -88.00927
Weather Sep 20: Heavy rain, high 65°F / low 61° · precip 89% · wind 11 mph · sunrise 6:38 AM · sunset 6:55 PM
Transit-accessible: Washington & Sextant stop 164 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 200 ftBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Millennium Trail, heading N.
- 3.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miPass Sand Lake.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 100 ftSharp left, heading NW.
- 50 ftReach Sand Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 2.3 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
- 1.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 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 surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.9 mi in (~119 min). Leave by 4:36 PM for the 6:55 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:08 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Washington & Sextant stop 164 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- McDonald Woods Lake–McDonald Woods Lake Trail, 3 sights 14.2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Millenium Trail & Millennium Trail 8.2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Millennium Trail 4.2 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Molly's Pond 4.2 mi · ▲ 0 ft
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