Skokie Lagoons

We visited Skokie Lagoons over 4^th of July weekend and it was the perfect getaway. It was only 30 minutes (really!) from our Uptown apartment which meant we didn’t have to spend all day driving just to get out into nature!
Pros:
–Heavily Wooded, you feel like you’re really away from the city.
–Minimal mosquito situation (at least in early July!)
–Really close to the city!
–Gorgeous bike paths, very well maintained.
–Walking paths, wide and easy to access. Also well maintained.
Cons:
–The lagoon isn’t the greatest for swimming, although the do have kayak and canoe rental.
–The hiking is not a challenge. Very flat and easy.
–Some parts of the park you can hear the highway.
All in all, I would recommend the Lagoons if you are looking for a day trip from Chicago and don’t want to spend all day driving. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for somewhere to bike, the hiking trails are just not as developed. But, I wouldn’t say the lagoons were breathtaking, just a nice little pocket of nature in the Chicagoland area.

Been riding the lagoons single track trails for years. Lately it has been a little unkept. Yet the peace and tranquility is perfect to clear any mind. Where else can you get single track riding in the burbs?

I wouldn’t recommend this place for hiking, but as far as a decent place to go on a Tuesday afternoon when you need to get out of the city, it works.
Pros:
Not a lot of people on the path. Albeit, I was here on a Tuesday mid-​late afternoon; it was fairly isolated.
Water is available along the trail (fo’ free!)
Cons:
It smells really bad here. Not sure if it’s the amount of algae in the water, or what, but it smells like an elephant’s cage.
There’s not a whole lot to look at. If you’re looking for amazing views of nature, this is not your place.
Depending on who you are, this next one could be viewed either way, but I saw deer on my walk.

Wanted to give 5 stars but then I accounted for how many times MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES and I reconsidered…
This, like many other bike paths (talking to you lake shore path in the city) is filled with entitled A-​hole bikers… Yup, go ahead and be mad that I just lumped all bikers into the a-​hole category, but I say this as a biker myself, and after Sunday, you know what, I’m still mad about all the douchery I encountered on bikes, so I will write on.
I am often also found running on said paths, and for some reason, there are bikers on this path that are under they impression they should have been picked up for the Tour De France and missed their calling, and now their only chance to go 70 mph on their road bike is inches past my arms on this quaint path on a SUNDAY. You have been warned.
Sure, it’s not all of «them’ but the majority of people here do not adhere to that whole, stay in your lane, don’t ride double in your lane on a bike, and STOP hating people for running on the VERY edge of the path that is YES, for both running and biking. A for crying out loud, DON’T cut back in, inches from the tip of my tennis shoes!

We went there recently to check out a trail recommended in our Hiking Book that takes us out of the beaten path and onto the island on the lagoon.
Very isolated with an occasional anglers. Walk is easy, no elevations but rugged trail conditions (fallen trees, tall bushes, tree roots, streams, rocks).
To get there head to the picnic shelter off on Forestway Drive and walk north onto the North Branch Trail bike/​walk path and there will be a dirt path that will veer to the left.
The trail is along the shoreline, crosses over to the island on the lagoon and then to the northern tip of the island. Once at the tip, turn around and walk back. Total 1.3 miles out and back.
Remember once on the trail, stay onto the right of the path (with the constant view of the shoreline). It is easy to get lost since there are several trails that branches off.
Overall we spent most of our time photographing and did come upon some trash once (Styrofoam container). If you do decide to take a walk here… please take your trash with you. Thanks in advance!
June 2013

Wonderful place to ride bikes on the path.

My boyfriend and I came to Skokie Lagoons recently for what we thought would be a pleasant day hiking through the woods. Unfortunately, this place is so filled with trash that we left feeling completely depressed about how people treat nature. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw this much trash in a natural setting. Perhaps this preserve was nice once upon a time, but I have a feeling that must have been a long time ago based on the accumulation of garbage everywhere you look. I’m sorry to say we won’t be coming back.

Went yesterday with my girlfriend to fish really nice calm place but fishing wasn’t really good didn’t catch a thing

I love nature. I love Northern Illinois nature. I love walks with the dogs and trees. Skokie lagoon is a good area to take back a bit of nature. There are some really sweet spots. I also love driving through them and feeling the curves of forestway (except when some grandpa is going 20 in front of me. then I just get mad).
However, to use a phrase from Clueless, the parts of the Skokie lagoon near the roads are a «monet” — pretty from far away, but all sorts of ugly up close. The area is naturally gorgeous, but a lot of workers come here on their lunch breaks and trash the place. There is no shortage of sandwich wrappers, empty bottles, and general detritus floating around (anyone hear of a garbage can and recycling bin? They are five feet way for moses sakes). I find the lack of respect for the surrounding nature astonishing and painful. A part of my heart breaks every time I see the trash and/​or people leisurely ruining the scape. I hope the county can figure out some way of monitoring the use of this area and start penalizing people for trashing it. It ruins it for the rest of us. Not to mention the affect it has on the local wildlife.
Besides my rant there, the skokie lagoons are pleasing. I haven’t kayaked or utilized the body of water, although I would like to. Overall, nice trails and nice scenery. Although, with the trash problem, I would rather jump in the car and make the small highway drive up to the DPR.

I have been going to the Skokie Lagoons since I was a kid and the area only gets better year after year. Allowing a variety of outdoor activities like fishing, biking, hiking and following various trails; to water recreation like kayaking, canoeing, inflatables, and rowboats.
The water is usually very slow moving and covered with cottonwood seeds so watch the allergies before you sneeze yourself in to the depths. There are boat ramps — a newer one is located on the south side of Tower Road, just east of the Edens, and I believe the concrete extends below the water line on the ramp If you do hit the water I urge caution, use some kind of Personal Floatation Device. there are usually people fishing, but I remember there was a sign posted by the Park District warning that the water had been treated aquatic herbicides (1996) to improve fishing conditions, which still makes me fearful to drink the water from the Lagoons, meaning I’ll pass on the fish too.
Over the last few years the lagoons have undergone an arduous «renovation» development to improve the value of leisure. Overall not much has changed aesthetically, but the quality is there. This involved everything from dredging and building a new boat ramps, to removing some existing fish so new game fish could be introduced. This project involved a degree of inconvenience during the construction, which is now done.
Pros: Natural Beauty, Free parks
Cons: none
Cost: Free of 5
Overall Rating: 4.25 of 5
Recommendation: Recommended