HomeIllinoisPlano › Little Rock Creek Forest Preserve

Little Rock Creek Forest Preserve

4.5 ★★★★★ 20 Google reviews · Running trail in Plano, Illinois · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Mixed
Loop distance
1 mi
Shape
Loop
Shade
Not reported
Access
Not reported

Confirmed from Little Rock Creek 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.

Mixed1 miLoopScenicDog-friendlyStroller / ADARestroomsTrailhead parkingQuiet

What runners say about Little Rock Creek Forest Preserve

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (20 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

🌾 quiet & peaceful 3 mentions

“Quiet and serene with a few run down bathrooms peppered about.”

Beautiful forest preserve with a trail that meanders through the woods along Little Rock Creek. Pretty short trail (about a mile loop), but if you cross the bridge, the trail connects to Maramech Forest Preserve. The trail was very well groomed and offered nice views of the creek.

★★★★★ — Jeremy , Apr 2025

This is a great place for exploring. Quiet and serene with a few run down bathrooms peppered about. There is a Portapotty and a paved hadicapable spot but the main way has big steps. No benches but logs are about. Wide grass paths. Cool spot. My dog loved it.

★★★★☆ — Carrick , Nov 2023

Cute spot with short wide groomed trails. Good for little kids to explore but will fall short of expectations for more serious hikers. Nice overlooks of the creek and nice variety of nature.

★★★★☆ — Crystal , Dec 2020

This Trail is very healthy for the area. It is a great trail to go on either an early fall before the leaves have fallen or late spring/all of summer. The route can be slippery and during hunting season, the Kendall County Forest preserve District maintains the trails very well, but no part of it is paved.

★★★★☆ — Kevin , Nov 2025

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 20 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🏞️ Scenic views 5 mentions

“Beautiful forest preserve with a trail that meanders through the woods along Little Rock Creek.”

More trails like this →

🐕 Dog-friendly 4 mentions

“I did not encounter any deer or coyotes during my walk with my dogs.”

More trails like this →

🅿️ Trailhead parking 3 mentions

“It features a large hill and a 1 mile loop that has you going down through the valley, and emerging from the valley to the parking lot, which makes it a great trail run.”

More trails like this →

🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 3 mentions

“Quiet and serene with a few run down bathrooms peppered about.”

More trails like this →

🛣️ Paved surface 2 mentions

“The route can be slippery and during hunting season, the Kendall County Forest preserve District maintains the trails very well, but no part of it is paved.”

More trails like this →

🔁 Loop trail 2 mentions

“It features a large hill and a 1 mile loop that has you going down through the valley, and emerging from the valley to the parking lot, which makes it a great trail run.”

More trails like this →

🚻 Restrooms 2 mentions

“Quiet and serene with a few run down bathrooms peppered about.”

More trails like this →

🪵 Boardwalk

More trails like this →

Stroller / ADA accessible

More trails like this →

Plan your run at Little Rock Creek Forest Preserve

The practical stuff

  • AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
  • SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
  • Loop distance1 mi back to where you parked
  • 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.
  • Websitekendallforest.com
  • Social Facebook

Where to find Little Rock Creek Forest Preserve

15238 Burr Oak Rd, Plano, IL 60545

Get directions

Running trails near Plano

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

4.7 ★★★★★ 1,235 reviews

Yorkville, IL

ScenicDog-friendly

1,350 natural acres for fishing, boating, hiking & hunting plus camping, picnicking & winter sports.

1.6 miles away

Foli Park

4.4 ★★★★☆ 102 reviews

Plano, IL

PavedScenic

Park with a pond, trails, a lake and a disc golf course, plus fishing piers.

1.9 miles away

Plano City Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 32 reviews

Plano, IL

Scenic

2.6 miles away

Steward Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 39 reviews

Plano, IL

Scenic

2.7 miles away

Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserve

4.6 ★★★★★ 16 reviews

Yorkville, IL

Loop

2.8 miles away

Subat Forest Preserve

4.3 ★★★★☆ 35 reviews

Plano, IL

LoopScenic

Nature preserve, with a loop trail through the woods and along the prairie, as well as a lookout point.

3.4 miles away

All running trails in Plano, IL →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.