North Shore Channel Trail is a 13 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Skokie, Illinois that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking, running, bird watching, and road biking and is best used from May until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Accessibility: This asphalt and cement trail is estimated to typically be at least 7 feet wide. The slope is estimated to range from flat to moderately steep. There are 2 designated handicapped-accessible spaces with access aisles at the small paved trailhead lot.
November 5, 2020September 28, 2020
September 27, 2020My regular jogging route. Good stretch of asphalt trail. No street crossings for first 2 miles of south end, then approximately every 1/2 mile.
September 24, 2020September 23, 2020September 15, 2020September 5, 2020August 31, 2020I took the trail slow enough to enjoy the spectacular art. Loved it!
August 25, 2020Okay path, terrible stench
August 16, 2020Ride was nice and smooth. Very few parts were damaged roads. Bike trail was great. Nice scenery and great for a picnic along the way.
July 28, 2020Much needed resurfacing going on
July 25, 2020The trails don’t go too far in any direction which was a bummer. Kept having to turn around because we would hit the highway.
June 28, 2020Needs repaving
May 20, 2020May 19, 2020May 18, 2020May 12, 2020Nice scenic trail with many artwork monuments to see along the way. It wasn’t crowded, but these are covid times. The road is all paved but a bit on the bumpy side for all you bicyclists. It extends a bit longer than from where AllTrails guide suggests.
June 14, 2019Great spot for a bike outting. Will have to stop to cross a few major intersections, but other than that, not crowded at all. Room to ride fast and hard.
August 17, 2018paved the whole way, and interacts with major roads in several places. granted, that’s about as woodsy as it gets this deep into the suburbs. can be somewhat busy but never too crowded. excellent for biking. can also be supplemented by the very pretty trail around the lagoon, which also passes by the botanic gardens if you want to make a day trip out of it
June 28, 2018Amazing trail and Sculptures. It’s quiet and a little busy during Summer afternoons. This is perfect way to discover half of Chicago and the Suburbs.
August 1, 2017This is wonderful kayaking loop. We put in at the North Shore Channel boat launch in Skokie at Oakton. We paddled North to the Wilmette Locks, right before the Lake Michigan harbor. There's very little current. The Chicago river is dammed on all sides so the water is still -- and sometimes stagnent. We had really good water quality because we've had lots of rain in the last two weeks. There's lots of wildlife on this trail. For us, we saw many Great Blue Heron, Black-Crown Night Heron (including several juveniles), turtles, ducks, Kingfisher, woodpecker, and featuring a rare sighting of deer and mink. Really cool. The waterway is undeveloped on both sides. Very over run with thick trees and ground cover. It is like a mini nature reserve in the middle of a dense urban area.
April 1, 2017The 2 mile portion we walked was just that "a walk" - not a hike. The description says it follows the river but it doesn't mention it also follows the constant traffic in McCormick Rd. We were looking for a hike in a more woodsy area. The path does share a nice bike trail.
July 5, 2015Nice paved trail along the river.
November 8, 2020October 24, 2020October 10, 2020October 10, 2020September 26, 2020September 22, 2020September 20, 2020
