Kettle View Trail & McHenry County Prairie Trail
13 mi · ▲ 254 ft · 4 hr 28 min
Kettle View Trail & McHenry County Prairie Trail is a 13-mile out-and-back in Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve near McHenry, IL. It climbs 254 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 5/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Kettle View Trail & McHenry County Prairie Trail
13 mi · ▲ 254 ft · 4 hr 28 min
Elevation 761–935 ft
Out & Back · Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve
Trailhead: McHenry County Prairie Trail · 42.33604, -88.27886
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:54 PM
Transit-accessible: McHenry Metra Station stop 389 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on McHenry County Prairie Trail, heading SW.
- 3.8 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Oak View Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 500 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear right onto Moraine View Trail, heading W.
- 100 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Kettle View Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miReach McHenry County Prairie Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Moraine View Trail, heading E.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading E.
- 100 ftBear right, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Oak View Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto McHenry County Prairie Trail, heading NE.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 3.7 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 1.9 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 5:48 PM for the 6:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:55 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: McHenry Metra Station stop 389 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from McHenry County Prairie Trail Trailhead
- Moraine View Viewpoint & McHenry County Prairie Trail 13 mi · ▲ 256 ft
- McHenry County Prairie Trail 7.6 mi · ▲ 26 ft
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Hikes near McHenry, Illinois