AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Glacial Park Conservation Area

McHenry County Prairie Trail

15.7 mi · ▲ 163 ft · 5 hr 19 min

McHenry County Prairie Trail is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Glacial Park Conservation Area near Wonder Center, IL. It is mostly level, with 163 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi768 – 846 ft16.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.41853, -88.34514
Nearest town Wonder Center, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

McHenry County Prairie Trail

15.7 mi · ▲ 163 ft · 5 hr 19 min

Elevation 768–847 ft

Out & Back · Glacial Park Conservation Area

Trailhead: 42.41853, -88.34514

Weather Sep 20: Heavy rain, high 66°F / low 60° · precip 85% · wind 13 mph · sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:56 PM

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 0.7 miTurn right, heading E.
  3. 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  4. 2.2 miTurn left onto McHenry County Prairie Trail, heading E.
  5. 5 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  6. 5 miTurn right, heading S.
  7. 2.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  8. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  9. 0.6 miArrive 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/mchenry-county-prairie-trail-out-back-25-km-2c0a

Trail surface

78% dirt17% grass5% unspecified

Weather

Heavy rainTemperature 66°F60°
Precip85%Wind13 mphUV0Humidity90%
Rained 1.1″ yesterday (1.7″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperatureRain chance
70°55° 12 AM: 15% rain1 AM: 27% rain2 AM: 35% rain3 AM: 50% rain4 AM: 64% rain5 AM: 85% rain6 AM: 82% rain7 AM: 76% rain8 AM: 79% rain9 AM: 78% rain10 AM: 62% rain11 AM: 64% rain12 PM: 58% rain1 PM: 57% rain2 PM: 51% rain3 PM: 48% rain4 PM: 33% rain5 PM: 13% rain6 PM: 9% rain7 PM: 9% rain8 PM: 13% rain9 PM: 17% rain10 PM: 16% rain11 PM: 13% rain
Sunrise 6:39 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:56 PM
Mon 62°56°
Tue 58°51°
Wed 64°50°
Thu 64°52°
Fri 68°53°
Sat 61°55°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.9 mi in (~97 min). Leave by 4:59 PM for the 6:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:48 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

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Wonder Center, Illinois