Shady Hollow Trail Loop is a 1.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Hudson, Illinois that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
ALL OF COMLARA PARK & EVERGREEN LAKE WILL BE CLOSED TO GENERAL USE! ALL OF COMLARA PARK AND EVERGREEN LAKE WILL BE CLOSED TO GENERAL USE TO ALLOW FOR THE FIREARM PORTION OF THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FROM NOVEMBER 20-22 AND DECEMBER 3-6, 2020. UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY PROHIBITED IN THESE AREAS & ALL BOUNDARIES. Visit Comlara Park website for more information - https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/92/Parks-Recreation#:~:text=3%2D6%2C%202020-,ALL%20OF%20COMLARA%20PARK%20%26%20EVERGREEN%20LAKE%20WILL%20BE%20CLOSED%20TO,IN%20THESE%20AREAS%20%26%20ALL%20BOUNDARIES.
February 6, 2021
January 31, 2021Great snowy day hike!
January 3, 2021January 2, 2021Icy hike today
January 1, 2021December 28, 2020Nice trail. There are a variety of tree species that are great for kids to identify.
December 27, 2020December 27, 2020Nice trail to go on with the family. Almost the entire trail is covered in woods so not much sun.
December 20, 2020Great trail to hike on a breezy day bc of the tree cover. Slightly muddy, but there were enough high spots along the trail so it was never boggy. Good low-key family trail bc, even though there were some gullies, there are also work-around trails that allow full access
December 20, 2020December 16, 2020November 7, 2020I had a really wonderful walk on Saturday, November 7th! It was great to have a temperate day and enjoy the outside. My boyfriend and I were hoping for something secluded and we barely saw people on this trail! Fun little bridges, beautiful water and tree scenery. We also learned the results of the presidential election there!! The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I tried to climb a tree and some kind of spores covered my legs afterwords and gave me tiny welts. All in all, a great little loop!
October 31, 2020It was a nice leisurely walk in the woods, with leaves on the trail and views of the river that feeds the lake (or comes from the lake, I honestly don’t know!). There are some trail markings but we followed the app which was accurate. You really can’t get lost since it loops back so just enjoy the sound of the wind in the trees. We saw squirrels and cardinals!
October 18, 2020Very nice trails, there is plenty of wildlife to see. However, I don't recommend hiking it at night. It gets a little sketchy and you can get lost if you get panicked easy.
October 3, 2020Nice clear trail. Different paths.
September 23, 2020September 15, 2020September 13, 2020Well kept trail. A couple of forks that aren’t labeled, but pretty easy to navigate. One half skirts a very narrow portion of the lake, and the other half takes you through some prairie with lots of wildflowers.
August 21, 2020Wonderful maintained trail that is fairly easy! Some steep and narrow parts, but all around a great trail!
August 7, 2020The first half of the loop, the trail near the lake is through a marshy section of the lake, not the main lake. Did have some turtles on a log, but otherwise that section near the lake is not that scenic. I would just give that section a three stars. The trail on the way back from the lake is better, with a little bridge and going through a riparian environment (looks out for old shoes someone placed on the branches of a fallen tree. Great photos!) and then a blackberry patch. The best thing about this trail is the blackberry field in the second half of the loop on the way back. Lots of pretty prairie flowers in that part of the trail too. That second half of the loop, the portion back to the trail head, I would give a five. Thus three for the first half, near the marsh, five for the second half along the riparian environment, past the shoes, and through the blackberry field, four for the average, for the total.
July 13, 2020This loop trail has a nice view of a lake in the first half with some access down to the water. In the second half, the trail provides a prairie setting with several wildflower patches to view. Overall, a very easy hike with minimal elevation changes but some nice scenery.
July 11, 2020Good trail for getting in a quick hike with views of a small lake when you don’t have a lot of time. The trail is a loop which connects in a few places in the middle so it’s good to have the map handy to avoid turning back early or heading back out on accident (or on purpose).
June 17, 2020Good trail with fun wildlife sightings and a few different landscapes- just watch the map closely, seems to be a few trails that cross paths. Very buggy for me in the evening, but that’s just summer in Illinois
June 1, 2020Hiked it yesterday . Great weather. Not too many bugs. 90% dry but there were muddy parts in low areas (bring a bucket to put your hiking shoes/boots in for the ride home). All in all a really good quick hike to get in shape.
May 27, 2020One of our favorite trails. The only downside is that one of the bridges was out but you do have another bridge nearby so it’s not a big deal. We are doing this trail a lot.
May 7, 2020April 2, 2020Very nice trail. Easy. The only downside was the noise from the interstate in the background.
April 21, 2019Today it was slightly muddy but still walkable. Nice views of river. Definitely doing this one again.
April 19, 2019It’s really muddy.. but great trail with pretty views and it’s marked! Favorite trail in comlara so far .
