AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

The Lake at Independence Grove–Minear Lake, 7 lakes

16 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 5 hr 23 min

The Lake at Independence Grove–Minear Lake, 7 lakes is a 16-mile out-and-back in MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve near Mettawa, IL. The route passes Sky Zone, Minear Lake Beach, Minear Lake and 3 more before reaching Independence Grove Beach at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It is mostly level, with 109 ft of elevation gain, and mostly gravel. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi643 – 722 ft17.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 42.23856, -87.93907
Nearest town Mettawa, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

The Lake at Independence Grove–Minear Lake, 7 lakes

16 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 5 hr 23 min

Elevation 641–722 ft

Out & Back · MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 42.23856, -87.93907

Weather Sep 22: Overcast, high 61°F / low 55° · precip 8% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:51 PM

Transit-accessible: 701 N Milwaukee Ave stop 421 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftPass Sky Zone.
  3. 100 ftBear left onto Des Plaines River Trail, heading W.
  4. 5.2 miPass Minear Lake Beach.
  5. 0.1 miPass Minear Lake.
  6. 2.1 miPass Peterson Pond.
  7. 50 ftPass North Bay.
  8. 0.3 miPass The Lake at Independence Grove.
  9. 350 ftSharp right onto Independence Grove access road, heading NW.
  10. 250 ftBear left, heading NW.
  11. 450 ftBear right, heading E.
  12. 50 ftPass Independence Grove Beach.
  13. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  15. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  16. 250 ftReach The Lake at Independence Grove, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 200 ftTurn right, heading S.
  18. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  19. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  20. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  21. 0.1 miSharp left onto Des Plaines River Trail, heading N.
  22. 7.7 miTurn left, heading W.
  23. 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
  24. 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/the-lake-at-independence-grove-minear-lake-out-back-10-lakes-26-km-c17f

Trail surface

96% gravel2% paved1% boardwalk1% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 61°F55°
Precip8%Wind6 mphUV5Humidity72%
Rained 2.3″ 2 days ago (3.1″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperature
65°50°
Sunrise 6:40 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Wed 65°54°
Thu 67°56°
Fri 68°60°
Sat 69°58°
Sun 71°57°
Mon 71°55°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.5 mi in (~62 min). Leave by 5:29 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:07 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: 701 N Milwaukee Ave stop 421 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Mettawa, Illinois