Green Bay Trail
Encyclopedia
| Location | Wilmette, IL to Highland Park, IL |
| Length | 8.9 miles |
| Trailheads | WilmetteKenilworthIndian HillWinnetkaHubbard WoodsGlencoeBraesideRaviniaHighland Park |
| Use | Bike, Inline Skating, Walking, Cross Country Skiing |
| Difficulty | Easy, level, ADA accessible |
| Surface | Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Concrete |
| Hours | Dawn to dusk, year-around |
| Amenities | Benches, Picnic Facilities, Bathrooms, Parking, Water Fountains, Play Structures, Restaurants, Metra Train Stations, Art |
| Bathrooms | Highland Park, Ravinia, Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, & Wilmette Metra Train Stations |
The Green Bay Trail
The Green Bay Trail follows the old North Shore Electric Line and runs parallel to the Metra North Line for nearly nine miles, from Wilmette to Highland Park. It runs through Chicago’s North Shore in both Cook and Lake Counties, just North of the city of Chicago.
Trail enthusiasts can enjoy walking, jogging, biking, inline skating, cross country skiing, and other non-motorized recreational uses year round. The trail is open seven days a week and 24 hours a day, for those early morning walkers, joggers, and bikers. The trail ends in Highland Park, but the Robert McClory Bike Path picks up immediately following the trail’s ending and continues twenty-five miles to the Wisconsin border. The trail mainly runs parallel to the Metra North Line, but has lots of foliage and parks along side it.
Historical development
Historical SignificanceThe Green Bay Trail has historical significance dating back nearly 12,000 years, when it is presumed that wooly mammoths traveled along it for migration during the Ice Age. This migration made it a destination for hunters of the time who also used to trail their prey. Following the Ice Age, the trail has little confirmed history until the 1600s when French explorers Joliet and Marquette used it in their explorations of the Americas. Prior to that it has been assumed that the trail was used by American Indians for hunting and trading. The American Indian tribe that most likely used the trail was the Potawatomi, who may have used it until the early 1900s. In the beginning of the 1800s, when early settlers moved West towards Chicago, the trail served as a mail route between Fort Dearborn, Chicago, IL and Fort Howard, Green Bay, WI. In 1832 the trail became an official post road by an Act of Congress. Four years after, in 1836, the trail hosted its first stagecoach service between Chicago and Green Bay.
Trail’s History & Evolution
The trail began its modern day service in 1836 when stagecoaches were used to carry passengers from Chicago to Green Bay with intermediate stops. It runs along the track bed of the North Shore Electric line, which runs parallel to the Metra North Line, its modern day partner. The trail was purchased from the railroad in 1962 after residents from Wilmette to Highland Park asked their village boards to gain control of the land for a bike path. Once the trail was purchased, it was leased to the Green Bay Trail Committee to develop it. Today, each town operates and controls their own section of the trail, through village groups and village governance.
Trail Development
Design & ConstructionThe majority of the trail is paved except for one portion between Glencoe and Braeside, which is crushed stone. Running parallel to the Metra North Line, riders can access the train directly from the trail at the following Metra stops: Highland Park, Ravinia, Braeside, Glencoe, Hubbard Woods, Winnetka, Indian Hill, Kenilworth, and Wilmette. The trail is wheel-chair accessible. There is even an elevator at the Winnetka train station that allows access to the trail. For the most part the trail follows a designated path except in Kenilworth where it runs along Abbotsford road. In Glencoe the trail also runs along Old Green Bay Road for less than one mile.The work of the famed Landscape Architect, Jens Jensen, can also be seen at various points throughout the Green Bay Trail.
Trail Amenties
The trail has parking at every trail head, which is also at every Metra station. It also has picnic areas in Shelton Park in Glencoe and in other community park areas in Winnetka, and Kenilworth. Attractively designed benches are strategically placed for resting. In Highland Park the trail goes right through the famous Ravinia Festival. Ravinia Festival is an outdoor music venue that has performances nearly every night of the summer and has been called Chicago’s “sound of summer.”
Community
Trail SupportersThe Green Bay Trail is currently managed by each respective town that it runs through. However, when the trail opened in the 1960s it was managed by The Green Bay Trail Committee. It is common for individual community members to sponsor a bench or drinking fountain along the trail to honor a close relative or friend. Volunteer beautifying projects including flower and vegetable gardens along side the trail are also popular.
Special Events
Currently, the trail hosts events such as Earth Day cleanups. It also is host to Avon’s Annual Charity Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk has taken place on the trail for multiple years, although it represents only a small portion of the entire Charity Walk.