Trail Distance: 20 Miles
Trail Surface: Blacktop/Paved
Moravske Toplice recensioni sugli alberghiType of Use: Tour
Path Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Towns: Chicago
County: Cook
Intensity of Use: Heavy

Located directly alongside the beautiful Lake Michigan, this path is one of the mostbeautiful in Chicagoland.

Rider's Comments: (From John Trznadel) By far the most interesting andcolorful bike trail in the entire area. Lots of use, especially in the summer on niceweekends. The most used portion is from McCormick Place to Belmont, which includes MiegsField Airport, the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, Grant Park, BuckinghamFountain (one block west), Burnham Harbor, Navy Pier, Oak Street Beach, and Lincoln Park.People-watching galore makes the trip a fascinating experience. At the far south end at71st Street, don't miss the restored South Shore Country Club (used in the film"Blues Brothers"). For safety's sake, ride this with a companion.

Courtesy of Pati Wetli: No doubt about it, the lakefront pathis one of Chicago's crown jewels. Offering stunning views of Lake Michigan and the cityskyline, it also provides concrete-locked residents with open spaces, fresh air andgreener pastures. But like the city it serves, the path is no homogenous strip. Threedifferent segments — the north leg, downtown, and south leg — display as manyquirks and unique characteristics as Chicago's neighborhoods.

Take the pavement — please: asphalt in some sections, concrete in others, and oftenin various states of disrepair. Traffic is equally variable. Some points are so choked inthe summer with cyclists, skaters, runners, walkers, and tourists that you'd swear youwere on the Kennedy Expressway. Other parts (typically the extreme north portion andanything south of McCormick Place)can seem deserted. Runners, particularly women, should be aware of the latter, especiallyat night.

Concerning security, the path is patrolled by police officers on bikes and in cars, butthey tend to be more visible during the summer. If you fall while working out, or witnesssomeone take a spill, the beachhouses have first-aid equipment during the summer. Afterbeach hours or in the off-season, use a pay phone to call for help.

Here are some general words of caution, largely applicable during peak times. In-lineskaters and cyclists can be a dangerous mix. Some skaters have a tendency to kick theirlegs out to the side, often crossing into the oncoming lane. And cyclists often exhibit alack of patience when attempting to pass the slower-moving, be they walkers, runners, orskaters. While "defensive driving" might not get you that ultimate muscle burn,the path is far more enjoyable without collisions.

Runners should take advantage of the gravel path that runs west of Lake Shore Drive. FromNorth Avenue to Belmont Avenue, it's completely separate from the paved path and providesnot only the best surface for jogging but also is free of skaters and wide enough toaccommodate cyclists.

So, whether you're looking to have the path all to yourself for training runs or you justwant to people-watch while jogging, choose from one of three legs of the path. You'll findpavement reports, crowd tips, fun attractions, and good resting spots from HollywoodAvenue all the way to 71st Street.

Lakefront path overview

Northern leg:
Hollywood Avenue south to Fullerton Avenue
Less congested; some of the best pavement
There are some path users operating under the notion that the world ends at Belmont Avenueto the north. Sure, the path is as close as it gets to the lake at Fullerton Avenue,circling the Theater on the Lake. And the asphalt is new between Fullerton andBelmont. But little do they know that the best is yet to come if they head north.

Granted, you'll have to get past the continual cracks that run the width of the asphaltall the way to Montrose, particularly on the northbound side. This is not much of a hasslefor cyclists or joggers, particularly as the latter have a gravel path they can take toRecreation Drive and again from Foster to Hollywood, but beginning skaters maystruggle. Once beyond Montrose, it's smooth rollin'. Better yet, just when the pavementgets good, the crowd gets thinner.

With loads of free parking available in Lincoln Parkaround Montrose Beachand Foster Beach,lots of people drive to this part of the park. Unfortunately, that means vehicle trafficis more of a hazard here than anywhere else along the path. Streets leading to and fromthe parking lots sometimes have stop signs at the point where they cross the path, andsometimes they don't. Don't assume that cars will stop for you at these places.

Other points to watch out for: a crush of traffic merges at Belmont where gravel and pavedpaths intersect; a blind curve between Recreation Drive and the Waveland parking lot; four90-degree turns in rapid succession around Waveland recreationfields, where stray softballs and pedestrians are additional hazards; the playloton one side and golf course on the other between Waveland and Irving Park Road makes for atight squeeze; Montrose and Wilson sometimes has children and soccer balls as obstacles;and the never-ending pick-up basketball game at Foster Beachguarantees a crowd and the occasional ricochet.

If that's not enough to keep you busy, the scenery will distract you every time, offeringtempting resting spots. Just try to resist stopping at Theater on the Lake atFullerton and catching some rays along the lakefront embankment, or passing up the outdoorcafe at the Waveland golf course. Go ahead and push on to Hollywood, blowing by shadyknolls at Montrose or a seat along the lake at Foster Beach. We'll see you on the wayback.

Downtown leg:
Fullerton Avenue south to Soldier Field
Most crowded; best attractions
Turin hotel roomsYou take the good, you take the bad, and there you have the facts of life on the lakefrontpath from Fullerton Avenue to Soldier Field.On one hand, as it weaves through Lincoln Parkand along the eastern border of Grant Park ithas some of the best scenery and pavement on the route; on the other, it has some of theworst hazards.

Thankfully, with the addition of a new beachhouse at North Avenue Beach,the Park District has also improved the path around this popular gathering spot. Once anotorious bottleneck of narrow sections and choppy concrete, the path in this area hasbeen greatly improved. However, the crowd is still here, so slow down. In the summer, thisis about as packed as it gets on the lakefront, and collisions are not uncommon. Beespecially careful around the footbridge that crosses Lakeshore Drive; pedestrians oftendon't look both ways before crossing the path.

As far as pavement, the stretch of path from Fullerton to North Avenue is near-pristine(although sand on the path can prove a problem for some inline skaters). Another dreamsection runs between Oak Street Beachand Navy Pier.Though the pavement is sloped here, which can be disconcerting the first time out, it'salso wide enough to ride or skate two or three abreast. This makes it a favorite target ofthe SUVs (strangely unidentifiable vehicles) that can be rented at the pier. A crossbetween a bike and a golf cart, these Flintstone wannabes take up more than their fairshare of the road. Feel free to make them eat a little dust. Runners can escape the slopedtrack (and sore ankles) by running closer to Lakeshore Drive atop the row of stairs.

More new asphalt can be found at Soldier Field, where the path has undergone a faceliftdue to the Museum Campusreconfiguration. But like other segments, the smoothness of your ride, skate or run willdepend more on the crowd and less on surface condition.

During summer, many segments from Fullerton to Soldier Fieldare nothing short of gridlock. Fullerton to North Avenue serves as beach party centralfrom Memorial Day to Labor Day, turning this area into a head-on collision waiting tohappen. Watch out for cyclists and skaters in kamikaze mode, weaving in and out ofjoggers, walkers and beachgoers. Other clogs in the artery include Jane Addams MemorialPark, which feeds into Navy Pier; the pier itself; the bridge across the ChicagoRiver, where there's little room to pass; the Museum Campusarea; and Soldier Field, but only during major events.

Other random concerns include the curious wind tunnel at Navy Pierwhere the path crosses Grand Avenue. Cyclists might find themselves struggling to stayastride their bikes here. Wind also wreaks havoc with Lake Michigan, spraying water andsand onto the area from Fullerton to North and occasionally closing the section near OakStreet due to high water.

Given those hazards, why bother? Because on Saturday afternoons you can watchold-timers strut their stuff at the Chess Pavilionas others strut on Oak Street Beach; the view of the skyline as you round the ChicagoYacht Club and head toward Grant Park isbreathtaking; and the grassy slope behind the Shedd Aquariumis a perfect resting spot. Getting there may be more than half the battle, but the rewardsare sweet.

Southern leg:
Soldier Field south to 71st Street
Least crowded
With the craziness of downtown behind you—or milesahead depending on which way you're traveling—the path's far southern portion is theleast-used segment. For some, that means not nearly enough distractions to make a workoutfun; to others, the solitude and space is just what they need to get their heart rate toextreme calorie-burning levels.

This part of the path also is better suited for the more advanced athlete due to theproximity of the road to the path in certain places. On parts of this segment, only thecurb separates the path from the zooming cars—one misstep and you could fall intooncoming traffic. The path also becomes narrow in some places, further adding to thedifficulty.

Nearly perfect pavement from Soldier Fieldto McCormick Place,as well as a quickly diminishing crowd, greets travelers heading south. In fact, thepavement is fairly smooth for much of the way to 57th Street. This leg of the path onlysees a few areas of congestion. The first is at 31st Street Beach,which also makes for a good stopping point. In season, washrooms, concessions, waterfountains, and picnic areas await those needing a rest.

Once on your way again, you'll pass a postage-stamp sized beach at 49th Street,but not much else. Joggers, skaters and bikers will hit a good stretch of wide pavementfrom 53rd to 57th streets (watch the gravel, however, around 54th street). For those whohave been going since Soldier Field, 57th street is the place to rest. This area providesaccess to many attractions, from a full day of learning at the Museum of Science andIndustry to a walk through the Hyde Parkneighborhood and the University of Chicagocampus. Or spread out on 57th Street Beach,complete with a new beachhouse, or walk out to Promontory Pointfor a skyline view.

Back on the path, the most unnerving section occurs from 57th streetsouth to 63rd Street Beach,as the path butts up against the Lake Shore Drive in many sections. Also, there's brokenpavement near 63rd Street Beach, and the narrow path becomes hard to maneuver with summerbeachgoers. Ahead, the Jackson Park Harbormakes a nice backdrop. The wooden footbridge near Marquette Drive will slow you down, butit's worth it. Take time to notice the interesting gargoyles on the concrete bridge to thewest and wave to the powerboaters making their way out to Lake Michigan. If you blew rightpast 57th and 63rd street beaches and need a break, lie in the grass near La Rabidahospital and Jackson Park Harbor.Or speed right past 67th Street Beach—asbest you can on the choppy concrete—to the South Shore Cultural Center, wherethe path ends unceremoniously. Make your way through the parking lot to the lush lawn,picnic tables, park benches and lake view; it's the perfect place to rest your tired legsor have a quiet conversation with a friend.

Connecting Trails: There is a designated street route at Ardmore thatleads to the Evanston Lakeshore Trail. There is a similar street connection to the North Branch Trailbeginning at Bryn Mawr.

For Detailed Information Contact:
Cycle Chicago
Bureau of Traffic Engineering
320 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312-744-4686

Do you have rider comments or new trails?  If so, email bikeillinois@jawa.org
This page was last revised at: Friday, December 17, 1999 09:19:20 AM

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