North Branch Trail

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North Branch Trail
Length	20 mi (32 km)
Location	Cook County, Illinois
Trailheads	LaBagh Woods Chicago Botanic Garden
Maintained by	Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Website	https://fpdcc.com/places/trails/north-branch-trail-system/
Trail map

The North Branch Trail is a Class I bicycle trail located in northeastern Cook County, Illinois. The trail starts at the western part of Gompers Park in Chicago (41°59′51.4″N 87°46′2.9″W / 41.997611°N 87.767472°W / 41.997611; -87.767472), and from there it continues north approximately 22 miles (35 km) to Glencoe (42°8′15.9″N 87°46′53.6″W / 42.137750°N 87.781556°W / 42.137750; -87.781556). The trail follows a path along the North Branch of the Chicago River, the Skokie River and the Skokie Lagoons.^[1][2]

Along the path, trail users will find themselves passing through city streets and into quiet forests where the sounds of the city quickly fade away. Because the area is located within a forest preserve, many generations of wildlife have lived and died with limited but safe contact with humans. As a result, it is not uncommon to find animals such as deer who have no fear of humans and may even stop and examine trail users as much as the humans themselves. The trail adjoins an equestrian facility at Golf and Harms Roads.

Parking and access to the trail is available in many locations, including Harms Woods in Skokie, where users can link with Skokie Valley Trail and the Tower Road boat launch. The trail is also nearby the Morton Grove, Edgebook, and Forest Glen stations on Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line towards the southern end.

The trail splits at Tower Road, looping around the Skokie Lagoons. This offers an excellent tour of this locally famous conservation effort performed during the depths of the Great Depression. A commemorative plaque can be found honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps work, just east of the Edens Expressway and north of Willow Rd.

Ending at Dundee Road, riders can proceed northward to the Chicago Botanic Garden via the south service entrance. Traversing the Garden and exiting the north entrance allows a brief portage west on Lake-Cook Rd to the southern end of the Skokie Valley Bike Path. In August 2014 the trail was extended along Lake-Cook road from the Botanic Garden eastward to connect to the Green Bay Trail and the Union Pacific/North Line at the Braeside station.^[3]