Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint via Illinois & Michigan Trail is a 12.2-mile out-and-back in McKinley Wood Forest Preserve near Birds, IL. The route reaches Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint at the turnaround, 6.1 miles in. It is mostly level, with 26 ft of elevation gain. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint via Illinois & Michigan Trail
12.2 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 4 hr 5 min
Elevation 506–556 ft
Out & Back · McKinley Wood Forest Preserve
Trailhead: 41.45876, -88.19277
Weather Sep 20: Heavy rain, high 71°F / low 62° · precip 87% · wind 12 mph · sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:55 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 100 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 450 ftBear right, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 1.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Illinois & Michigan Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 2.9 miReach Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.9 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 1.8 miBear right, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 450 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 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 surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~6 min). Leave by 6:29 PM for the 6:55 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:16 PM — 7 min before dark.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 15 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 15.1 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 13.9 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 14 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 13.8 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Illinois & Michigan Trail 14 mi · ▲ 27 ft
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