This regional trail connects two of DuPage County's forest preserves—Herrick Lake and Danada—on a crushed stone pathway nearly 6 miles long. Together, the preserves cover more than 1,600 acres of scenic terrain, including woodlands, prairie, and wetlands, as well as two large lakes, Rice Lake and Herrick Lake, where fishing is permitted. In addition to walking and biking, the trail is suitable for horseback riding and an equestrian center is available in Danada.
For a longer journey, from the trail's western end, you can connect to the Illinois Prairie Path, one of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Hall of Fame rail-trails that stretches nearly 60 miles west of Chicago.
Three parking lots are available on the northern end of Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, south of Butterfield Road and east of Herrick Road.
In Danada Forest Preserve, two parking lots are centrally located. From Butterfield Road, head south on Naperville Road and travel about 0.75 mile. On Naperville Road's west side, you can park at the Forest Preserve District Headquarters; on its east side, park at the Danada Equestrian Center.
Nice out-and-back gravel trail with an interesting offshoot side trail that is quite entertaining to go through at a good clip on a bike. The trail is relatively flat and wide in most parts, though on the weekends, the walkers with headphones seem to forget that it's a multiple use path and walk 3- or 4-wide. A really nice path to get some mileage in on the weekdays, and it's connected to the Prairie Path, which is a really nice bonus.
A few more hills to climb in this park would make it 5-stars, but it's still a regular in my ride routes.
Easy access to NE trail head on corner of leask rd and butterfield. From briarcliff area, I took south loop road to sidewalk by chic-fill-a and crossed at butterfield and leask rd. I had my 3 yr old in a trailer. Easy. Great views all the way. We rode to Herrick lake - no worries, then headed north on Herrick rd to prairie path and took it north, back home. Forest, prairie, hills, great mix. Very enjoyable.
I am a regular user of this trail, well actually group of trails. The description shows 5 miles of trail, but there are several well marked trails that take you through forest, savannah, prairie, and past marshland for well over 5 miles, if you wish.
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