AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Bliss Woods Forest Preserve

Turnstone Lake via Virgil Gilman Trail

13.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 4 hr 27 min

Turnstone Lake via Virgil Gilman Trail is a 13.3-mile out-and-back in Bliss Woods Forest Preserve near Exposition View, IL. The route reaches Turnstone Lake. It is mostly level, with 27 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi663 – 715 ft14.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.77284, -88.37551
Nearest town Exposition View, IL
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Turnstone Lake via Virgil Gilman Trail

13.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft · 4 hr 27 min

Elevation 662–715 ft

Out & Back · Bliss Woods Forest Preserve

Trailhead: 41.77284, -88.37551

Weather Sep 20: Heavy rain, high 70°F / low 62° · precip 100% · wind 14 mph · sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:56 PM

Transit-accessible: Constitution & Copley stop 667 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
  3. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  4. 50 ftPass Turnstone Lake.
  5. 0.9 miTurn right, heading SW.
  6. 50 ftContinue straight onto Virgil Gilman Trail, heading W.
  7. 250 ftBear right, heading W.
  8. 0.9 miBear right onto Virgil Gilman Access Trail, heading NW.
  9. 0.1 miSharp left, heading N.
  10. 250 ftContinue straight onto Virgil Gilman Trail, heading N.
  11. 4.3 miReach Turnstone Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 4.3 miSharp right, heading SE.
  13. 350 ftContinue straight onto Virgil Gilman Access Trail, heading SE.
  14. 150 ftBear left onto Virgil Gilman Trail, heading SE.
  15. 0.9 miBear left, heading SE.
  16. 250 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  17. 0.9 miBear right, heading N.
  18. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  19. 0.2 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/turnstone-lake-out-back-17-km

Trail surface

90% paved8% gravel2% unspecified

Weather

Heavy rainTemperature 70°F62°
Precip100%Wind14 mphUV1Humidity92%
Rained 0.7″ yesterday (3.7″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°60° 12 AM: 59% rain1 AM: 79% rain2 AM: 80% rain3 AM: 91% rain4 AM: 100% rain5 AM: 100% rain6 AM: 91% rain7 AM: 74% rain8 AM: 74% rain9 AM: 66% rain10 AM: 45% rain11 AM: 44% rain12 PM: 58% rain1 PM: 70% rain2 PM: 51% rain3 PM: 32% rain4 PM: 11% rain5 PM: 11% rain6 PM: 6% rain7 PM: 8% rain8 PM: 8% rain9 PM: 3% rain10 PM: 2% rain11 PM: 3% rain
Sunrise 6:40 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:56 PM
Mon 62°58°
Tue 60°51°
Wed 62°52°
Thu 64°55°
Fri 70°54°
Sat 59°56°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~36 min). Leave by 6:01 PM for the 6:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:47 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Constitution & Copley stop 667 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Exposition View, Illinois