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Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 161 Google reviews · Running trail in Lockport, Illinois · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Lockport Prairie Nature 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.
Illinois Nature Preserve noted for its Midwestern habitat, featuring hiking trails and prairie.
What runners say about Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
“Very clean and well maintained”
“Beautiful and peaceful, a lovely place to go for a short walk and take pictures while enjoying a variety of bird life.”
“Beautiful and peaceful, a lovely place to go for a short walk and take pictures while enjoying a variety of bird life.”
Parking is right on division street. The trail is okay. Natural surface.
Beautiful place that most people don't seem to know about. You will definitely need to be prepared to hike through some heavy vegetation to get down to the river and to get to good photo spots. The abandoned bridge is pretty cool, but stay off. Be careful with your footing by the river.
Beautiful and peaceful, a lovely place to go for a short walk and take pictures while enjoying a variety of bird life. There is limited, unofficial parking to the side of the road, so I usually don't stay more than an hour, but definitely worth a visit.
Really nice Dolomite Prairie that is an Illinois Nature Preserve so leave your dog at home. Only one short trail but good birding and some uncommon Prairie plants.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful and peaceful, a lovely place to go for a short walk and take pictures while enjoying a variety of bird life.”
“Beautiful and peaceful, a lovely place to go for a short walk and take pictures while enjoying a variety of bird life.”
“There is limited, unofficial parking to the side of the road, so I usually don't stay more than an hour, but definitely worth a visit.”
“It is rocky and the vegetation can make it hard to see what you are actually stepping on.”
Plan your run at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- 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
- Websitereconnectwithnature.org
- Phone(815) 727-8700
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–4 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–4 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–4 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–4 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–4 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
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