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Palos Park Woods-North
4.7 ★★★★★ 340 Google reviews · Running trail in Palos Park, Illinois · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Crushed gravel
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Palos Park Woods-North'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.
Large forested area offering many multiuse trails, picnic space, boating, fishing & wildlife views.
What runners say about Palos Park Woods-North
“thank You, everybody for being very clean.”
“Great place to walk and explore with beautiful views and relaxing atmosphere.”
“You can either take a peaceful stroll in the trails and enjoy the scenery.”
I love the Hills and trees at this park. This is a flat lander's dream.
What a nice place for a hike. Stairs at swallow cliff are so great with a positive community of active adults. I hope you get to meet there ever friendly Joe from Detroit on the stairs here. What a great guy! Enjoy the climbs and hikes. Cook County has see one great with this location.
Clean, peaceful and scenic. We walked from Grove 1 heading west on the path. The main path is gravel and along the way there are options for a more natural (not man made) paths to walk deeper into the woods. The stream had an option to walk over a bridge or thru water on rocks; which we thought was really cool.
Absolutely amazing! You can either take a peaceful stroll in the trails and enjoy the scenery. Or challenge yourself by climbing the 125 step staircase they have!! My husband and I love this place... today we completed 10 rounds of climbing! That's 1,250 stairs! 🥵😄
Trail conditions & character
“Great place to walk and explore with beautiful views and relaxing atmosphere.”
“The main path is gravel and along the way there are options for a more natural (not man made) paths to walk deeper into the woods.”
“Ravines, creeks, and nice elevation changes.”
“You can either take a peaceful stroll in the trails and enjoy the scenery.”
Plan your run at Palos Park Woods-North
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceCrushed gravel — the rail-trail classic: softer than asphalt, still smooth enough for tempo 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.
- Websitefpdcc.com
- Phone(800) 870-3666
Running trails near Palos Park
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
McClaughry Springs Woods
4.9 ★★★★★ 150 reviews
Nature trail system featuring a ravine and small creek amid hills and woods with picnic tables and birding opportunities.
Forty Acres Woods
4.8 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Nature preserve featuring trails for hikers and runners, as well as picnic areas and horseback-riding paths.
Swallow Cliff
5 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
Swallow Cliff Woods-North
4.8 ★★★★★ 518 reviews
Public park providing a restroom and picnic tables, plus trails for hiking, walking, and biking.
Swallow Cliff Stairs
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,181 reviews
2 flights of stairs with almost 300 steps in total, forming a loop & popular for cardio workouts.