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LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint & Fitness Loop via Illinois & Michigan Trail is a 15.2-mile out-and-back in McKinley Wood Forest Preserve near Rock Run Park, IL. The route reaches Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It is mostly level, with 0 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi505 – 535 ft15.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.47036, -88.18312
Nearest town Rock Run Park, IL

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint & Fitness Loop via Illinois & Michigan Trail

15.2 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 5 hr 4 min

Elevation 506–534 ft

Out & Back · McKinley Wood Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 41.47036, -88.18312

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

Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftBear left onto Fitness Loop, heading NW.
  3. 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
  4. 500 ftContinue straight onto Daryl Cole Trail Network, heading W.
  5. 0.3 miBear right, heading NW.
  6. 0.1 miTurn left onto Illinois & Michigan Trail, heading W.
  7. 4 miTurn left, heading S.
  8. 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
  9. 2.9 miReach Illinois & Michigan Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 2.9 miTurn left, heading NW.
  11. 500 ftTurn left, heading N.
  12. 4 miTurn right, heading NE.
  13. 0.1 miBear left onto Daryl Cole Trail Network, heading NE.
  14. 0.4 miSharp right onto Fitness Loop, heading E.
  15. 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
  16. 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

90% dirt7% grass2% paved1% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:40 AMSunset 6:53 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.9 mi in (~22 min). Leave by 6:11 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:31 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Drinking water at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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