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Old Plank Road Trail - Washington Street Access
4.6 ★★★★★ 84 Google reviews · Running trail in Joliet, Illinois · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 20 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Old Plank Road Trail - Washington Street Access' 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.
Tree-lined hiking area with paved trails for walking, biking, and running.
What runners say about Old Plank Road Trail - Washington Street Access
“It is well maintained as far as the vegetation being kept cut back along each side.”
“Can walk as long as you want and it is very nicely shaded for the majority of the trail.”
Love!! My favorite trail to walk. Can walk as long as you want and it is very nicely shaded for the majority of the trail. Only downside is that it has only one bathroom, that I've seen, at the Washington Street access.
This is one of our favorite bike trails winding thru wooded areas and some sunny stretches. The trail is blacktop but there are bumps/cracks because of all the tree roots. It is well maintained as far as the vegetation being kept cut back along each side.
Good starting point for the 20 mile Plank Road Trail. With a bit of road biking you can catch the I&M or directly hook up at the East end and ride trails all the way into NW Indiana. Oh and clean up after your pup to keep things nice.
We love walking this trail! It's almost completely covered by trees, so it's perfect for the summer and windy days.
Trail conditions & character
“I love how flat it is as well as being all asphalt & no gravel.”
“This is one of our favorite bike trails winding thru wooded areas and some sunny stretches.”
“I love how flat it is as well as being all asphalt & no gravel.”
“The trail is blacktop but there are bumps/cracks because of all the tree roots.”
“Only downside is that it has only one bathroom, that I've seen, at the Washington Street access.”
“Good starting point for the 20 mile Plank Road Trail.”
Plan your run at Old Plank Road Trail - Washington Street Access
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
- Distance20 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websitereconnectwithnature.org
- Phone(815) 727-8700
Running trails near Joliet
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Joliet Iron Works Park
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Route 66 Park
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