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LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 327 Google reviews · Running trail in St. Charles, Illinois · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 9 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve'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.
Nature preserve with hiking trails, a nature center, an 1843 house museum & a historic schoolhouse.
What runners say about LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve
“Beautiful and expansive forest preserve, with a river running through it, pond full of frogs and other critters, as well as cliffs that are relatively easy to climb up to.”
Pretty preserve, nice trails. Great variety of mowed, dirt, gravel, and paved paths. Prarie house, school, and nature center are an added bonus. Good for people looking for short trails, biking, or looking for something fun to do with the kids.
Beautiful place for a walk/hike by yourself or with someone. Difficulty is super easy and well paved path. Also a great spot for kids. I took my 3 year old nephew and he loved seeing the barn and the ducks by the water!
Great mixture of sunny and shaded trails. It has a short segment of downhill singletrack if you can find it. Plenty of picnic areas and not overcrowded, but there are some summer camps and buildings mixed it. Lots of photo opportunities and you'll see a lot of family photographers comes here.
Nice park, lots of trails. The barn makes a great back drop for photos.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful and expansive forest preserve, with a river running through it, pond full of frogs and other critters, as well as cliffs that are relatively easy to climb up to.”
“Great variety of mowed, dirt, gravel, and paved paths.”
“Great variety of mowed, dirt, gravel, and paved paths.”
“It has a short segment of downhill singletrack if you can find it.”
Plan your run at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance9 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitekaneforest.com
- Phone(630) 232-5980
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM–7 PM |
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