Lake Avenue Woods

sugar maples with bright yellow leaves at Lake Avenue Woods-East
Photo by Joel Porterfield.

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Locations & Things to Do

Lake Avenue Woods-East

Entrance

W Lake Ave/E Eucilid Ave, east of N Des Plaines River Rd
Cook County, IL 60062
(near Northbrook)

Things to Do & Amenities

  1. Portable bathroom open May 1 to October 31 depending on weather conditions.

Picnic Groves

  • Grove #1
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 200 people
Event Permits PageGrove PDF Map of Lake Avenue Woods-East

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts

  • CLOSURE 12/02/2024 - 03/31/2025: Closed for land management.

Lake Avenue Woods-West

Entrance

N Des Plaines River Rd, north of W Lake Ave/E Euclid Ave
Cook County, IL 60056
(near Mount Prospect)

Things to Do & Amenities

  • Parking
  • Accessible Portable Bathroom

Picnic Groves

  • Grove #2
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 300 people
Event Permits PageGrove PDF Map of Lake Avenue Woods-West

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts

  • CLOSURE 01/11/2025 - ?: Parking area closed due to ice and/or snow.

Trails

Des Plaines River Trail System

The unpaved Des Plaines River Trail follows its namesake river through more than a dozen forest preserves, allowing visitors to enjoy casual strolls, full-day adventures and anything in between.

Location: Chicago, Des Plaines, Glenview, Melrose Park, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, River Forest, Rosemont, Schiller Park & Wheeling

Surface

Paved & Unpaved

Estimated Total Length

28.4 miles

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts

  • ALERT 07/31/2017 - ?: Trail officially ends on either side of the railroad tracks, just north of Golf Rd. Please do not attempt to cross the railroad tracks on Des Plaines Trail System - Yellow Unpaved near Big Bend Lake and Beck Lake.
*Please be a courteous trail user: Follow posted signs and our trail rules and etiquette.