AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes

8.6 mi · ▲ 140 ft · 2 hr 56 min

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes is an 8.6-mile out-and-back in Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve near Valley View, IL. The route passes Catfish Pond, Horsetail Pond and Beaver Slough before reaching Pickerel Lake at the turnaround, 4.2 miles in. It is mostly level, with 140 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi686 – 794 ft8.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.96308, -88.30285
Nearest town Valley View, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes

8.6 mi · ▲ 140 ft · 2 hr 56 min

Elevation 686–792 ft

Out & Back · Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 41.96308, -88.30285

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:56 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
  3. 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
  4. 250 ftTurn left onto Fox River Trail, heading NE.
  5. 1 miTurn right, heading E.
  6. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  7. 1.2 miContinue straight onto Illinois Prairie Path Elgin Branch, heading E.
  8. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  9. 0.5 miTurn left onto West Trail, heading E.
  10. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  11. 0.2 miBear left, heading SE.
  12. 0.5 miTurn right, heading E.
  13. 0.1 miPass Catfish Pond.
  14. 50 ftPass Horsetail Pond.
  15. 50 ftPass Beaver Slough.
  16. 300 ftTurn right onto Lake Trail, heading SE.
  17. 0.2 miReach Pickerel Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  19. 0.2 miTurn left onto West Trail, heading NW.
  20. 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
  21. 0.2 miTurn right onto Illinois Prairie Path Elgin Branch, heading NW.
  22. 1.9 miTurn right, heading W.
  23. 0.1 miTurn left onto Fox River Trail, heading W.
  24. 1 miTurn right, heading SW.
  25. 250 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  26. 350 ftTurn right, heading W.
  27. 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/pickerel-lake-catfish-pond-out-back-8-lakes

Trail surface

61% paved10% grass9% gravel3% boardwalk17% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:39 AMSunset 6:56 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~74 min). Leave by 5:22 PM for the 6:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:25 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Valley View, Illinois