Old School Forest Preserve

Old School Blue Loop & Old School Yellow Trail via North Shore Bike Path

12.8 mi · ▲ 81 ft · 4 hr 18 min

Old School Blue Loop & Old School Yellow Trail via North Shore Bike Path is a 12.8-mile out-and-back in Old School Forest Preserve near Lake Forest, IL. It is mostly level, with 81 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi663 – 722 ft14.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.25074, -87.83904
Nearest town Lake Forest, IL

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Old School Blue Loop & Old School Yellow Trail via North Shore Bike Path

12.8 mi · ▲ 81 ft · 4 hr 18 min

Elevation 663–723 ft

Out & Back · Old School Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 42.25074, -87.83904

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

Transit-accessible: Lake Forest stop 201 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 150 ftContinue straight onto Robert McClory Bike Path, heading NW.
  3. 1.9 miBear left onto North Shore Bike Path, heading N.
  4. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  5. 2 miTurn left onto Middlefork Greenway, heading W.
  6. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Shore Bike Path, heading W.
  7. 1.4 miTurn left onto Old School Forest Preserve, heading W.
  8. 400 ftContinue straight onto Old School Blue Loop, heading W.
  9. 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
  10. 0.2 miTurn left onto Old School Yellow Trail, heading SE.
  11. 0.6 miReach Old School Blue Loop, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.6 miTurn right, heading N.
  13. 0.2 miBear left onto Old School Blue Loop, heading N.
  14. 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
  15. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Old School Forest Preserve, heading N.
  16. 400 ftTurn right onto North Shore Bike Path, heading N.
  17. 1.4 miContinue straight onto Middlefork Greenway, heading E.
  18. 50 ftTurn right onto North Shore Bike Path, heading E.
  19. 2 miBear right, heading E.
  20. 100 ftBear right onto Robert McClory Bike Path, heading E.
  21. 1.5 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

31% paved18% gravel51% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:38 AMSunset 6:52 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.0 mi in (~49 min). Leave by 5:43 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:57 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Lake Forest stop 201 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead