AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes

12.9 mi · ▲ 53 ft · 4 hr 20 min

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes is a 12.9-mile out-and-back in Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve near Wayne, IL. The route passes Catfish Pond, Horsetail Pond, Beaver Slough and Pickerel Lake before reaching Beaver Slough at the turnaround, 6.4 miles in. It is mostly level, with 53 ft of elevation gain. It scores 9/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi742 – 787 ft13.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.96216, -88.23910
Nearest town Wayne, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Pickerel Lake–Catfish Pond, 4 lakes

12.9 mi · ▲ 53 ft · 4 hr 20 min

Elevation 742–787 ft

Out & Back · Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 41.96216, -88.23910

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:54 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.1 miTurn right onto East Trail, heading S.
  3. 1.2 miBear left, heading SE.
  4. 450 ftTurn right onto North Central DuPage Regional Trail, heading S.
  5. 1 miTurn right onto Illinois Prairie Path Elgin Branch, heading NW.
  6. 3 miTurn right, heading NE.
  7. 300 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  8. 450 ftBear left, heading E.
  9. 450 ftContinue straight onto West Trail, heading E.
  10. 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  11. 0.2 miPass Catfish Pond.
  12. 50 ftPass Horsetail Pond.
  13. 50 ftPass Beaver Slough.
  14. 150 ftTurn left onto Lake Trail, heading SE.
  15. 0.2 miPass Beaver Slough.
  16. 50 ftReach Pickerel Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  18. 0.2 miTurn left onto West Trail, heading NW.
  19. 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
  20. 450 ftSharp left, heading NW.
  21. 300 ftTurn left onto Illinois Prairie Path Elgin Branch, heading NW.
  22. 3 miTurn left onto North Central DuPage Regional Trail, heading E.
  23. 1 miTurn left, heading N.
  24. 450 ftBear right onto East Trail, heading N.
  25. 1.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  26. 0.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/pickerel-lake-catfish-pond-out-back-9-lakes-21-km

Trail surface

48% gravel16% paved7% grass29% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:40 AMSunset 6:54 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.9 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 5:48 PM for the 6:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:54 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Wayne, Illinois