Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve
Night Heron Trail
8.4 mi · ▲ 144 ft · 2 hr 52 min
Night Heron Trail is an 8.4-mile out-and-back in Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve near Oakbrook Terrace, IL. It is mostly level, with 144 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Night Heron Trail
8.4 mi · ▲ 144 ft · 2 hr 52 min
Elevation 644–722 ft
Out & Back · Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve
Trailhead: 41.84222, -87.95790
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:53 PM
Transit-accessible: 22nd Street & Kingery stop 519 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Night Heron Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Rainbow Bridge, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Night Heron Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Monarch Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Riverbend Trail, heading SE.
- 350 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right onto Monarch Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Night Heron Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Rainbow Bridge, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Night Heron Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 1 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 2.3 mi in (~58 min). Leave by 5:35 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:04 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: 22nd Street & Kingery stop 519 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Salt Creek Bicycle Trail 9.2 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Night Heron Trail 7.6 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Night Heron Trail 8.3 mi · ▲ 141 ft
- Night Heron Viewpoint & Night Heron Trail 9.1 mi · ▲ 141 ft
- Night Heron Trail 9.3 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Riverbend Viewpoint via Night Heron Trail 8.2 mi · ▲ 144 ft
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