Running trails in Winnetka, IL
Winnetka has 5 trails in the directory — 1 boardwalk, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 3 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 239 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.
Erickson Woods
4.7 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
894-acre nature preserve with boat access & fishing, plus picnic areas, birds & dog-friendly trails.
Crow Island Woods
4.8 ★★★★★ 49 reviews
Woodsy outdoor area featuring hiking trails and the 1837 Schmidt-Burnham Log House of the Winnetka Historical Society.
Tower Road
4.7 ★★★★★ 28 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Winnetka
- Match the surface to your legs. Winnetka gives you a choice: 2 mixed and 1 boardwalk. 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 mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Winnetka is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 3 of the 5 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in Winnetka. 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 and 2 dog-friendly. 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 Winnetka trails by type
Running trails near Winnetka
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.