Biking the Fort Hill Trail of Lake County, Illinois

The first section of a planned regional trail collectively known as the Fort Hill Trail was opened to the public on Friday, June 19. This new two-mile stretch of gravel trail connects Gilmer Road to the Lake County Forest Preserves’ Millennium Trail/Lakewood Forest Preserve trail systems at the intersection of Route 176 and Fairfield Road.

The trail travels alongside the dog exercise area (replete with hundreds of new trees and bushes) and then passes through the property of the former Four Winds Golf Course seen below...





A new bridge has been constructed to cross a water feature of the old course...



A future trail tunnel under Gilmer Road will extend the trail east to Ray Lake Forest Preserve. The Fort Hill Trail parking area is located on the west side of Gilmer Road, north of Route 176.

When completed, the Fort Hill Trail, which comprises Lake County Forest Preserve and Lake County Department of Transportation trails, will connect Lakewood and Ray Lake, the Millennium Trail, Fremont School, Mundelein High School, the new Lake County Fairgrounds, Saddlebrook Farms and Prairie Crossing developments, and the Metra Station at Prairie Crossing.

Fort Hill, for which this trail is named, is a high knoll and historic landmark overlooking Peterson Road in Mundelein. Many know the name from the village’s Fort Hill Historical Society.

Along the trail is a turn-off to an area that overlooks a lake and wetland area. A generous donation by Gordon McLean was given in memory of his late wife who was an avid birder and naturalist, and the funds are being used for habitat restoration work on a 600-acre parcel north of Route 176. This project entails planting native trees and shrubs, removing invasive woody species, seeding native prairie, and beginning plans for drain tile removal. The project will expand wetland, savanna, and prairie habitats near existing wetlands to provide critical habitat for grassland and wetland birds. Lake County already boasts the largest concentration of wetland bird habitat in Northern Illinois, and in excess of 100 species already depend on this habitat area all or part of the year. The restoration will increase that number. The overlook, seen in the photo below, has rock seating and a plaque dedicated to the McLeans.