Skokie River Prairie Land and Water Reserve
Lake Bluff Pond & Minear Lake Beach via North Shore Bike Path
9.8 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 3 hr 18 min
Lake Bluff Pond & Minear Lake Beach via North Shore Bike Path is a 9.8-mile out-and-back in Skokie River Prairie Land and Water Reserve near Libertyville, IL. The route passes Minear Lake Beach and Lake Bluff Pond before reaching Lake Bluff Pond at the turnaround, 4.8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 80 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lake Bluff Pond & Minear Lake Beach via North Shore Bike Path
9.8 mi · ▲ 80 ft · 3 hr 18 min
Elevation 646–714 ft
Out & Back · Skokie River Prairie Land and Water Reserve
Trailhead: 42.28833, -87.93774
Weather Sep 22: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Minear Lake Beach.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Des Plaines River Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miSharp left onto North Shore Bike Path, heading E.
- 2.4 miContinue straight onto Middlefork Greenway, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn right onto North Shore Bike Path, heading E.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.2 miPass Lake Bluff Pond.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 150 ftPass Lake Bluff Pond.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 400 ftReach Lake Bluff Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 1.2 miTurn left onto Middlefork Greenway, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto North Shore Bike Path, heading W.
- 2.4 miSharp right onto Des Plaines River Trail, heading W.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading N.
- 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 1.4 mi in (~36 min). Leave by 5:55 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:40 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Minear Lake Beach & Half Day Pond via Des Plaines River Trail 14.4 mi · ▲ 110 ft
- Eagle Lake & Minear Lake Beach via Middlefork Greenway 13.3 mi · ▲ 80 ft
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