The Palos and Sag Valley preserves southwest of Chicago hold the only real singletrack network in the metro — colour-coded loops through Cook County Forest Preserve land, tighter and rockier than the flat prairie around them suggests. Glacial till and clay under hardwood means it holds water, and the preserves close trails when wet. Ridden dry it is genuinely technical, and it carries the riding demand of nine million people.
Right now about 0 of 73 featured Chicago & Palos trails are riding well. Conditions change daily with rain and snowmelt, so the list below shows the live read for each trail, and the chart shows which day ahead is your best bet.
Every featured singletrack trail, sorted by today's real conditions, best first. Refreshed every morning.
Few Chicago & Palos trails are riding well today. The list below is sorted by today's real conditions, best first, and refreshes every morning, so check back soon or open the planner for the best option near you. See live conditions →
It depends on recent rain and each trail's soil. The 10-day outlook on this page shows how many Chicago & Palos trails are expected to be riding well each day, with rain markers, so you can pick the right day instead of guessing. See the 10-day outlook →
Right now 73 of 73 featured Chicago & Palos trails are reading soft or too muddy to ride. Chicago & Palos is mostly loam soil, which drains at a moderate pace, so after a storm some trails firm up within a day while others stay greasy. Riding wet, soft dirt damages trails and leaves ruts, so check the live mud reading on each trail before you head out. Check the live mud reading →
Chicago & Palos has 97 featured mountain bike trails tracked here for conditions, with more searchable on the live map.
Chicago & Palos trails run from about 581–784 ft. Higher trails hold snow later into spring and dry out later than the lower ones, so conditions can vary a lot across the same area on the same day.
See all Illinois trail conditions →
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