Running trails in Long Grove, IL
Long Grove has 4 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 1 shaded. 1 of them posts opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 1,250 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.
Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 775 reviews
Scenic parkland offering wildlife viewing, a fishing reservoir & trails for hiking & biking.
Heron Creek Forest Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 426 reviews
242-acre nature preserve featuring 2.3 miles of trails, a playground & over 100 species of birds.
Hayrake Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 6 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Long Grove
- Match the surface to your legs. Long Grove gives you a choice: 1 crushed gravel 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 crushed gravel trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 2 trails here are loops, 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 Long Grove is Heron Creek Forest Preserve at 1 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 1 of the 4 listing carries posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 2 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Long Grove. 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, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 1 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 Long Grove trails by type
Running trails near Long Grove
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.