Follow the River: An Active Urban Adventure in Chicago, Illinois

The Trip

Chicago is known for its architecture, vibrant music scene, amazing food, and a city of neighborhoods.  Summer is the perfect time to explore some of the best things that make Chicago special and unique—forest preserves and parks! Hike and bike on miles of unpaved and paved paths that make up the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the Chicago Park Districts. Kayak and canoe on the Chicago River with skyline views of the city. Experience off-the-beaten path and heart-of-the-city options walking or taking public transportation to various points of interest while intersecting the river. This is an active multi-sport trip. There will be designated times outside of planned activities for the group to explore and enjoy Chicago.  Our lodging is located in a neighborhood of Chicago that provides easy access to public transit. Daily travel and activities introduce us to Chicago’s various neighborhoods. Approved participants may wish to arrive early or extend their stay to further explore Chicago. Your leaders can offer suggestions to assist in planning your extended stay.

We will be on the lands of several Native nations including Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi who are related to the Anishinaabe Tribes. These nations lived and traveled here long before non-Native settlers incorporated Chicago. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable is regarded as the first permanent non-Indigenous settler and is recognized as the "Founder" of Chicago.

The itinerary is tentative and subject to change depending on weather, safety, and other conditions. Participants must be flexible and adaptable as conditions may change. For the safety and enjoyment of all, participants are expected to stay together during planned activities.

Day 1: The trip begins on Sunday afternoon. Participants should plan to arrive at our lodging by 4:00 pm. A welcome social hour followed by a dinner of Chicago’s legendary deep-dish pizza and an opening night meeting with an overview of the week’s activities will round out our evening.

Day 2: We start our week by taking public transportation to the Mayfair neighborhood of the city to access the Forest Preserves of Cook County North Branch Trail. We will meet at the trailhead with a Friends of the Forest Preserve leader for a walk and talk. After the walk and talk, we will then continue as a group hiking approximately three miles before stopping for a lunch break. Two miles of hiking will continue through the Gompers Park wetlands to North Park Village Nature Center where we explore the Center and have the option to hike short trails. A two-mile hike back via another part of the North Branch Trail will wrap our day before heading back on public transportation to enjoy dinner at our lodging.

Day 3: Today we will take public transportation to the Streeterville neighborhood of the city to be fitted for bikes and helmets. Our guided tour is on bike paths and protected bike lanes most of the ride, keeping a strong adherence to comfort and safety on a beautiful three-hour lakefront and city ride past Navy Pier, over the Chicago River and Riverwalk with the skyline as our backdrop. After our bike tour, we will eat our packed lunches on the lakefront. In the afternoon, we’ll have the option to explore what the Streeterville neighborhood has to offer. Next, we leave the trail and head to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in the Bucktown neighborhood for an optional “three scoops,” or homemade candies before returning to our lodging for dinner via public transportation.

Day 4: We head downtown via public transportation to our kayak launch site on the Riverwalk spending the morning on the main branch of the Chicago River on a guided tour paddling past urban landscapes and historic spots. After eating our packed lunch, we will explore city highlights around this location which may include visiting the bust of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable that stands at the entrance to the Riverwalk on the north bank of the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue.  We’ll visit the McCormick Bridgehouse and the Chicago River Museum to learn about the relationship between Chicago and its rivers. After returning to our lodging to change for dinner, we’ll enjoy an evening out via public transportation.  Dinner and evening activities are not included in the trip price.

Day 5: In the morning, we’ll take public transportation to the Albany Park neighborhood of the city where we’ll partner with Friends of the Chicago River to assist with a service project in canoes at one of the three Chicago Park District boathouses in the city. After eating our lunch, we’ll explore the River Park natural area that has 0.3 acres of native river edge wildlife wetland habitat within the 30-acre River Park located at the convergence of the Chicago River and canal. Next, we head via public transportation to another trailhead to access the Forest Preserves of Cook County path for another walk and talk with a Friends of the Forest Preserve leader before we head to the Norwood Park neighborhood of the city for a casual dinner at an iconic spot. Dinner is not covered by the trip price.

Day 6: On our last full day, we’ll take public transportation to a hike through Eugene Park meadows for approximately two-plus miles following the Chicago River winding up with brunch El fresco in the North Park neighborhood. After our relaxing break, we’ll reconnect with the Chicago River on the Riverwalk at Ronan Park. This area contains over three acres of native river edge wildlife woodland habitat along the North Branch of the Chicago River. We return to our lodging to celebrate our time together this week with a family-style dinner. Brunch is not covered by the trip price.

Day 7: We will have breakfast together before packing up to move on to our next adventure grateful for our time together following the river and making lasting friendships.

Getting There

Chicago is well served by air, train, and bus transportation options. The CTA can easily get you to the lodging from O’Hare and Midway airports and Union Station. Detailed information regarding using Chicago public transportation will be provided to approved participants. Limited parking is available at the lodging, but can be expensive elsewhere. Please keep this in mind if you plan to drive. Trip insurance is highly recommended.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our home base will be a Chicago home with private and/or semi-private bedrooms and baths that adjoin larger common areas. The entire city is easy to access this home is within walking distance to the CTA Blue line (O’Hare airport, downtown, etc.), a few blocks to the highway, and a short walk/drive/bus ride to other popular Chicago neighborhoods and locations.

Meals at the lodging will be cooked and served buffet-style. The food plan is primarily vegetarian-friendly, generous, and delicious. Participants will share cooking and cleaning responsibilities. Please be aware that meals are prepared for a group and cannot accommodate all individual preferences or extremely restrictive diets.  Discuss any dietary restrictions with the leaders in advance to be sure the trip can accommodate your nutritional intake needs. Two dinners and one brunch are not included in the trip price to offer participants the opportunity to sample a taste of Chicago.

Trip Difficulty

This is an active, moderately difficult, leader-approved trip. Some hiking, biking, and kayak experience is recommended for everyone to enjoy themselves. Safety is a primary concern on all National Outings trips. The group will hike, walk, and bike on relatively flat trails and paved walks; kayaking and canoeing will be on the Chicago River. To be accepted on this trip, you must be physically fit and have an open attitude toward moderately challenging activities. A regular fitness program is essential for your enjoyment and safety. Be kind to yourself; being in good physical condition will enhance your enjoyment of this exceptional opportunity.

Equipment and Clothing

Summer in the city is typically warm to hot and dry. Come prepared for any kind of weather.

Approved participants will be provided a packing list that will include suggested clothing appropriate for hiking/walking, biking, and water activities. Casual clothing/shoes, reusable lunch container(s), a day pack large enough to carry lunch, snacks, water bottles or hydration system, rain gear, and personal items, such as an ouch kit are required.

References

• Forest Preserves of Cook County https://fpdcc.com/

• Friends of the Forest Preserves https://fotfp.org/donate/

• Chicago Park District https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/

• Friends of the Chicago River https://www.chicagoriver.org/

• https://interactive.wttw.com/chicago-river-tour/history-chicago-river

• https://www.architecture.org/land-acknowledgment/

Conservation

The Chicago River flows through the heart of downtown, past forest preserves and parks, and all kinds of urban and suburban communities. It tells a complex and powerful story of Chicago's history and growth, industry and resourcefulness, and environmental progress. The Chicago River stands at the intersection of urban planning, biodiversity, architectural majesty, recreation, transportation, clean water, and commerce.

The river is within view as we explore on foot, bike, and when we’re paddling our kayak. Despite many significant accomplishments, complex challenges still exist that include untreated sewage being discharged during severe storms, pollutants from roofs and pavement that run into the river along with plastics and other trash flowing into the river system during rain events; and, excessive phosphorus and nitrogen that harm aquatic wildlife.

We will hear from environmental experts to learn more about the challenges that impair water quality and what is being done to address these issues.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.