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Great Western Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 61 Google reviews · Running trail in Lombard, Illinois · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Great Western Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. 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 Great Western Trail
“Well maintained, well used by locals and regulars (including us); glad there is a safe place to get outdoors and walk.”
“Very peaceful and now that the fall colors are in, it's a beautiful sight to see.”
If only we had a north-south bike trail. Very safe place to go for a walk just avoid this bridge at night and also about half mile East and a mile West is not a good place to be at night for anyone. The trail lighting stops around the city of Lombard and is not lit up going west
I take my son in a bike trailer for rides and this path is good for that. I like fairly close to the path, so there is no need for me to have to drive my car there with bikes. In my area, there are not any designated areas for parking just for the path, but you could probably park on a side street if needed.
It's got a long stretch of terrain that it covers. The scenery on the way is quite decent if you know where to look. As an example, there's a nice duck off pond just south before st. Charles & Meyers. But the flowers and trees could be trimmed down a bit more. Though they were doing some of that last autumn.
We walk this trail for 4 to 5 miles three to four times a week. Well maintained, well used by locals and regulars (including us); glad there is a safe place to get outdoors and walk. We use the trail to go to the Lombard post office and shops and walk it into Villa Park often.
Trail conditions & character
“Very peaceful and now that the fall colors are in, it's a beautiful sight to see.”
“The trail lighting stops around the city of Lombard and is not lit up going west”
“Light services, occasional port-a-potty, map stations, and water fountains.”
Plan your run at Great Western Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- 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.
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadwater — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Lombard
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Lilacia Park
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Lombard Common
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