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Fourth Lake Forest Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 57 Google reviews · Running trail in Lake Villa, Illinois · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
We have not been able to confirm the surface, distance or shape of Fourth Lake Forest Preserve yet from its own listing, the park's website or runner reviews — so those cells stay blank rather than guess. What is below comes straight from the listing and from reviewers' own words. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Fourth Lake Forest Preserve
“The trail south passes under Grand Avenue and leads to a beautiful grove of oak trees with a short spin off trail to a scenic overlook of Fourth Lake.”
Great park. Trails were good. Even after heavy rains. I go to this park in summer and winter (winter = cold day, and summer = warm or hot day -jk). And the park is changing so much throughout summer that I can go there and see something new. Park is always better than you expect next time you go.
Fourth Lake Forest Preserve is a hidden gem. Trail access starts at the parking lot of the LCFP maintenance building; go north or south to connect to other forest preserves.
If you park at the Operations and Public Safety Facility parking lot where the trailhead is, the first section of this hike is very suburban. Once you get past the underpass at Grant though, you get a lot more of that nature preserve feeling with a trail that winds though thick woods and open, sunny meadows.
It's one of the hike lake county hikes. A little different from other sites as you start at an operations facility, but once you get away from the lot and building you are back to nature.
Trail conditions & character
“The trail south passes under Grand Avenue and leads to a beautiful grove of oak trees with a short spin off trail to a scenic overlook of Fourth Lake.”
“If you park at the Operations and Public Safety Facility parking lot where the trailhead is, the first section of this hike is very suburban.”
Plan your run at Fourth Lake Forest Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Websitelcfpd.org
- Phone+1 847-367-6640
Running trails near Lake Villa
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Millennium Park
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McDonald Woods Forest Preserve
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