North Branch Trail System & N Shore Channel Trail

In the northwestern part of Chicago, there North Branch Trail and N Channel Trail are two longer, paved multi-use paths that make for some good off-road running. They form part of the North Branch Trail System.

North Branch Trail. This greenway path runs for 18+ miles miles between Gompers Park in the North Park area of Chicago and Glencoe. We’ve mapped a route along the ‘Brown Paved Trail’. The path passes through several parks and woods, and is a combination of some open sections and some woods.

From Gompers Park headed northwest, pass through: La Bagh Woods (1 mile), Forest Glen Woods (2m), Edgebrook Woods (3m), Sidney Yates Woods (4m), Bunker Hill (5.2), and then the final 3 miles through several forest preserves of Cook County to Morton Grove. North of Morton Grove, it’s another 10.3 miles to Glencoe, passing through parks and forest preserves in Glenview and Northfield, ending in the area of the Skokie Lagoons/Chicago Botanical Garden.

North Shore Channel Trail/Sculpture Park. This paved greenway path runs along the North Branch section of the Chicago River for 6.5 miles between River Park (near Lincoln Square) and Evanston, paralleling N McCormick Blvd. There are outdoor sculptures along the way, and some views of the narrow river, as the path travels through several parks. At River Park (southern terminus of the trail), there’s a running track.

Add-Ons: There are other trails that are part of the North Branch Trail System. Also, from the North Shore Channel trail, connect to the Valley Line Trail/Skokie Line Trail (from La Bagh Woods).