Swallow Cliff Woods – North

I have been coming to Swallow Cliff for years and absolutely love it. I love hiking and my favorite time to hike is in fall when the leaves are changing and the air becomes crisper. When I was younger, my father and I would come here to hike in the woods and often go off trail. This was always nice because there aren’t many people inside, so you really feel in touch with nature (at least as in touch with nature you can get sandwiched between two highways). The inside is so beautiful with a steep ravine you can climb up or down. There are logs you can cross if you feel adventurous or creeks where you can tip toe over stones. If you are nervous about the critters inside, you will definitely see some snakes, chipmunks, or (if you’re lucky) a deer. However, I have never seen a coyote or felt in danger in any way. For the less adventurous, you can always go for a walk or run on the path still enjoying the beauty of being in a forest. You can also challenge your stamina by climbing up the tall and steep stairs multiple times. Lots of people do this, so you can even get a little competition going!

I want to give it a one star simply because, it has me on my ass for days after my workout! I absolutely love to hate this place.

Big changes are coming to the stairs!
Been coming here for 3 years and it was simply just stairs. Formerly a toboggan hill that was shut down, the stairs leading up the hill were all that remained. The public on their own accord put these seemingly useless stairs to good use and its popularity has grown immensely over the years!
These stairs are no joke. They are not evenly spaced so you can’t get into a cadence going up or down like you could in a building.
For a first timer I wouldn’t recommend more than 4 times up the stairs.
Currently the park district is expanding the stairs. They have built another set of stairs descending from the pagoda and they also built a cut through halfway up for those that feel they can’t make it to the top. The new stairs as of today are not open but they are built.
There are now restrooms on site and water fountains!!!
There is as well a café going to open in the adjacent building.
This place has always been a popular destination for people looking for a good sweat but now it is turning into a top notch facility!

Amazing place for an outdoor workout challenge! The stairs are famously tough, but not impossible. They can get pretty crowded in nice weather, so plan accordingly! The stairs are about 125 up, are uneven, and will knock the wind out of you, but you can do it! There are nice trails to take at the top and down around the parking lot area as well for walking and running.
Mostly everyone is respectful on the stairs, so I’ve always had a good experience!
My first time there left me incredibly sore for 6 days afterwards, but don’t get discouraged! It was fine after that first visit!
**Since it can get crowded, make sure you wait it out appropriately for a parking spot– you get seriously ticketed if you make your own space!
They have bathrooms on site that look to be new– I’ve never gone in.
Place is dog friendly!

Love this place; so much nature to take in! It is annoying when kids or odd people sit at top of stairs (preventing you from reaching railing) while others are out of breath trying to climb to the top!!! Move your butts and sit somewhere else.

Loved this place!
Great for kids, dogs or Fitbit fanatics trying to get in their steps, which I’m in the company of all 3.
If after hitting the steps your starving I’d check out the pit rib house for some great ribs!!!

Great outdoor workout! Aside from the steep stairs, the pathway for a run is a great addition! Awesome for a workout with some scenery. Definitely stretch your calves good before you do the stairs, no matter how many sets you do you will be extremely sore for a couple of days at least!!!

Great adventure last weekend! Stairs to walk up and trails to explore. Pretty sweet ravines to explore!

Really nice preserve and nice to get away from civilization and in to nature for a while. Nice wide trails allow for walkers, bikers, and horses pretty easily. Will definitely bring my bike back since this is my kind of trail system… not big into single track. I bet it would be great for XC skiing as well. The stairs are not as strenuous as others on here stated. I was out of breath, but not straining or in pain and certainly didn’t need any breaks. And I am not in fantastic shape. So if you are a relatively active person, these are not tough. (Couldn’t run them though… lol) Will definitely visit again, especially since it’s so close

Really nice place for exercise or leisurely walk. Be careful with your dog… mine had several ticks hanging out on him after our five mile trek. Horse excrement was everywhere, but avoidable and didn’t really impact my ability to enjoy the other surroundings. I started jumping over it so it actually enhanced my workout…:-). Overall, an enjoyable stroll.

Located at Rt. 83 (Cal Sag Rd), just west of LaGrange Road.
This is an awesome place for a hike and a cardio workout. The stair climb is rigorous, and the view from the top, once you catch your breath, is beautiful.
It connects to a whole network of hiking trails, both at the top and bottom of the hill. Crowded on weekends but most climbers seem to recognize the fact that the age, speed and endurance ranges vary widely.

Awesome time there. Great atmosphere, no one bothered each other people were civilized and friendly. Those stairs are a beast workout if you are looking to increase your anaerobic fitness and strengthen your legs.

We came… we saw… we conquered THE STAIRS!!!
No gym? No problem!
This place is your ultimate outdoor workout!!! What a wonderful place to go on a nice day… there’s no way I’d do this in 90 degrees, however on a NICE day… this is a great place to visit!
I’m currently working on a 90 day challenge from my gym, I exercise on the regular… 5 – 6 days/​week. I THOUGHT my cardio was on point till I attempted these stairs, talk about feeling the burn!!! I honestly think when it comes to cardio, stairs are in their own category… nothing like reminding you that you had a dumb social smoking habit years and years ago!
I learned about this place about a year ago, and I’m so glad I picked a nice Sunday morning around 70 degrees to meet my friend here to get my morning workout in! Now down to the details… you’ll find plenty of parking here, I think it’s «Busy» no matter what time, but the traffic is moving, just jump right in and go! Once you climb the stairs (which, by the way are oddly shaped, they are no stairwell you’d find in an office building!) you’ll come to an open area where you can pace… or continue onto the walking trail through the woods, which is a pretty nice walk. I left this place getting in my 10,000+ steps, all before noon!

Best forest preserve ever!
It has hills, long trails and steps!
It has big parking lots. And now they are adding a facility with bathrooms and water.
Great place for good excersising and exploring nature.

It is a great hike, but I wish the stair would be longer. The trail is long and peaceful. However, there is too many poop when my friends and I went.

Great place for a run/​hike! Lots of shade, hills, change in terrain through out. The yellow trail is a 4.75 loop. I would have given it 5 stars if there would have been a water fountain. There are building a structure near the parking lot so maybe there will be one eventually. The stairs are killer!

All sizes, ages, and fitness levels welcome. Take your time and go up step by step, or challenge yourself and sprint! Be careful: the stairs can be a bit slippery on your descent.
Lots of open space to throw a frisbee, do some crunches and planks for those abs, or just lay out and stretch. Nearby nature trails for a good, cleansing walk. There’s some light construction going on due to renovations, but it isn’t a hindrance. Water, sunblock, and bug spray is a must in the summer months.
Get out here! Good energy and a sense of accomplishment no matter what you do!

OMG! Those stairs are the devil, but it gives you a fabulous workout. We ended up parking on the other side and had to walk thru a trail in order to actually get to the stairs, which was adventurous because we saw horses and a deer. I wouldn’t mind making this part of my weekend routine.

Great stair climb and so lush and greeeeeeeeeen! Just dont forget the mosquito repellent especially after (and during) it rains!

I have been incorporating Swallow Cliff into my workout régime and I must say it has been great. This place has serene trails and the infamous stairs that will definitely challenge you. The trails are not crowded like the stairs, however you still can manage to climbed them no matter how many people are using them. I strongly recommend this place to those who are looking to add some challenge to their workout régime even if it’s only one day a week.

What a workout! The stairs are all different sizes. Great for increasing your endurance. You can walk the stairs or run up them. Either way you are working your body hard.
In the summer, bring bug spray. Bring snacks and water because there are no vending machines. It’s a great place to get your workout in.

The stairs are crazy. I seriously thought I had a stroke one time at the top. These are no joke! You will be sore for days and days. Don’t overdo it. If it’s your first time and you aren’t in great shape I’d recommend going up once and walking the trails at the top and calling it a day. This is probably the best workout you can get!

I came here to escape from Minnesota people and I didn’t know they have this huge workout stairs which I didn’t sign up for. I came to visit my cousin and she brought me here. Seriously, I almost quit half way climbing the stairs. Overall it was a great experience. I got to enjoy the nature and people watch:) This is a public area so make sure to get there early to avoid the crowd.
I believe it is a 20 minutes drive from Chicago. Get your workout clothes on and leave your party clothes at home. This workout stairs will improve your bootay! Good luck!

There are stairs… lots of stairs…
Okay, so I get why people love this. It’s pretty, it’s the woods, you can park and workout in the hot heat of outsideness. Yeah. The steps are nice, but it gets crowded after a certain hour… it’s also about 30 mins away from where I was in Chicago… where we passed by plenty of overpasses and nice enough looking stairs.
I went up about 4 times, mostly with ease because I walk everywhere in New York, so this wasn’t that hard for me. I will say because of the shock my knees were killing me after a few days.
It’s great if you live nearby, as there is a great trail to walk on (just douse yourself in mosquito repellent!) when you want to take a break from the stairs.
There are a lot of regulars… and a lot of women with makeup on (why? you gonna sweat that of!)

It amazes me how many people come here on a weekday just to crowd up uneven stone stairs. If you’re not here for the stairs, there are nice trails through the mosquito forest for a jog, hike, or bike ride (cross country skiing is even possibru in the winter). There are many areas for a nice picnic as well!
As much as I hate to admit it, I am not an outdoorsy person because of my strong hatred towards mosquitos (especially since I am bald right meow). There aren’t many forest preserves in the Chicago suburbs so I’m glad I found this one even though I hate mosquitos.

If you want a killer workout head for swallow cliff. My legs were shaking so bad after my first time there that I had to use cruise control on the way home! It’s a pretty popular spot so it gets crowded especially on weekends or when the weather gets nice. I like that they have ¼, 2/​4, ¾ labeled. It keeps me motivated!!!