HomeIllinoisCrystal Lake › Wingate Prairie

Wingate Prairie

4.8 ★★★★★ 4 Google reviews · Running trail in Crystal Lake, Illinois · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Mixed
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Not reported
Access
Not reported

Confirmed from Wingate Prairie'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.

MixedStroller / ADARestroomsTrailhead parking

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.

🛣️ Paved surface

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🌲 Natural surface / singletrack

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🚻 Restrooms

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🅿️ Trailhead parking

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Stroller / ADA accessible

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Plan your run at Wingate Prairie

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
  • 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, restrooms — reported by runners
  • Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
  • Websitecrystallakeparks.org
  • Social Instagram · Facebook

Where to find Wingate Prairie

431 Walkup Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60012

Get directions

Running trails near Crystal Lake

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

Crystal Lake Park District Nature Center

4.8 ★★★★★ 146 reviews

Crystal Lake, IL

Park-based education center with year-round programs & events including a summer butterfly house.

under a mile away

Veteran Acres Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 957 reviews

Crystal Lake, IL

MixedLitScenic

Nature center, trails, sports fields, playground & pond featured in a spacious preserve & prairie.

under a mile away

Sterne's Woods & Fen

4.8 ★★★★★ 328 reviews

Crystal Lake, IL

MixedScenic

Preserved forested area with a creek, ponds & walking, biking & cross-country skiing trails.

under a mile away

Lippold Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 978 reviews

Crystal Lake, IL

ScenicDog-friendly

Public park with ball fields, a disc golf course & a skateboard park, plus ponds & hiking trails.

2.5 miles away

The Hollows Conservation Area

4.6 ★★★★★ 210 reviews

Cary, IL

1.3 miMixedScenicDog-friendly

Recreation & wildlife on 478 acres of varied ecosystems, from prairies to woods to basin marshes.

2.9 miles away

Butternut Preserve

4.5 ★★★★★ 33 reviews

Crystal Lake, IL

3.5 miles away

All running trails in Crystal Lake, 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.