AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Oriole Grove Forest Preserve

Lake Bluff Pond & Old School Blue Loop via North Shore Bike Path

11 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 3 hr 41 min

Lake Bluff Pond & Old School Blue Loop via North Shore Bike Path is an 11-mile out-and-back in Oriole Grove Forest Preserve near Deerpath, IL. The route reaches Lake Bluff Pond. It is mostly level, with 26 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi659 – 712 ft12.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.24991, -87.85853
Nearest town Deerpath, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Bluff Pond & Old School Blue Loop via North Shore Bike Path

11 mi · ▲ 26 ft · 3 hr 41 min

Elevation 658–711 ft

Out & Back · Oriole Grove Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 42.24991, -87.85853

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:38 AM · sunset 6:52 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 0.3 miBear right, heading NE.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  4. 150 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  5. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  6. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NW.
  7. 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
  8. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  9. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  10. 250 ftBear left, heading N.
  11. 300 ftTurn left, heading N.
  12. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  13. 50 ftPass Lake Bluff Pond.
  14. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  15. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  16. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  17. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  18. 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
  19. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  20. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  21. 50 ftTurn left onto North Shore Bike Path, heading N.
  22. 1.2 miTurn left onto Middlefork Greenway, heading W.
  23. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Shore Bike Path, heading W.
  24. 1.4 miTurn left onto Old School Forest Preserve, heading W.
  25. 400 ftContinue straight onto Old School Blue Loop, heading W.
  26. 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
  27. 0.2 miReach Lake Bluff Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 0.3 miTurn left, heading S.
  29. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Old School Forest Preserve, heading NE.
  30. 400 ftTurn right onto North Shore Bike Path, heading E.
  31. 1.4 miContinue straight onto Middlefork Greenway, heading E.
  32. 50 ftTurn right onto North Shore Bike Path, heading E.
  33. 1.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  34. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  35. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  36. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  37. 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  38. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  39. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  40. 300 ftTurn left, heading E.
  41. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  42. 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
  43. 350 ftBear right, heading SW.
  44. 250 ftBear left, heading S.
  45. 50 ftBear right, heading S.
  46. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  47. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  48. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  49. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  50. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  51. 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
  52. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/lake-bluff-pond-lake-bluff-pond-out-back-3-lakes-18-km-e268

Trail surface

31% paved26% dirt10% gravel33% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:38 AMSunset 6:52 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.1 mi in (~75 min). Leave by 5:17 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Deerpath, Illinois