Running trails in Lombard, IL
Lombard has 13 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 5 with a stated distance, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 10 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 6,734 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Lilacia Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,570 reviews
Historic public garden specializing in lilacs (200+ varieties) & tulips (50+), with a picnic area.
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,111 reviews
This tranquil destination features trees & ponds, plus kayaking, fishing, hiking & picnicking.
Lombard Park District - Madison Meadow
4.6 ★★★★★ 844 reviews
Scenic recreational area with a small lake offering a disc-golf course, playground & softball field.
Lombard Common
4.6 ★★★★★ 532 reviews
Spacious park featuring baseball fields, basketball courts, soccer fields and a disc golf course.
East Branch Forest Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 509 reviews
This natural resource features 525 acres of wetlands, plus areas for fishing, picnicking & dogs.
Four Seasons Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 503 reviews
Serene park featuring soccer fields, playgrounds and picnic areas, along with a pond.
Knolls Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 274 reviews
Lakeside recreation area featuring exercise equipment, a playground and walking paths.
Terrace View Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 115 reviews
Scenic park with a playground, benches, swings and slides for children and families.
Westmore Woods
4.4 ★★★★☆ 106 reviews
Relaxed man-made park featuring playgrounds, baseball grounds and a 9-hole disc-golf course.
Sledding Hill - Sunset Knoll Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 40 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Lombard
- Match the surface to your legs. Lombard gives you a choice: 1 natural surface and 1 mixed. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Lombard is Westmore Woods at 51 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Lombard is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 13 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Lombard. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 1 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Lombard trails by type
Running trails near Lombard
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.