Category: Chicago

Looking for some cool spaces in Chicago to go skateboarding? Chicago has a variety of both indoor and outdoor options for all levels of experience! Check out some of the best places to hit up while you’re in town.

1. Wilson Skate Park

As one of the most popular skate parks in Chicago, Wilson Skate Park offers small bowls connected with a nice free-flowing bowl, a slanted grind box and a flat rail, 3-level manual pad and a bunch of levels and curbs along the wall. This lighted, outdoor skate park caters just to skateboarders, although some roller bladers are known to show up.

2. Asylum Skate Park

Asylum Skate Park was founded by veteran skateboarder Jeff Conyers with the mission to provide a safe place for skateboarding, BMX and in-line scooter ring for all ages. Asylum Skate Park offers bowls, stairs, ramps, rails and drop ins for all levels of experience. There is also a Skate shop attached to the facility which is open the same hours as the park. The park also hosts events!

3. Audubon Skate Park

Located in Elk Grove Village, Audubon Skate Park is an 11,000 square ft. indoor facility. The park offers launch ramps, quarter pipes, mini pipes, and plenty of ledges and rails.

4. Burnham Skate Park

This outdoor skate park is located just south of 31st Street and Lake Shore Drive. It features 20,000 square ft. and offers a variety of spine, pyramids and a bowl as well as stairs and rails. The best part is that it’s free!

5. Logan Square Skate Park

This skate park, located on W Logan Boulevard underneath the Kennedy Expressway, offers 1.5 acres of flatbars, a ramp section, manual pads, and a bowl corner with a spine. The park is shared by skateboarders and BMX riders.

Summers in Chicago can get pretty hot. What better to do than head to the beach! Luckily Chicago is right on Lake Michigan so there are plenty of options. With 28 miles of manmade lakefront shoreline and 24 beaches, Chicago beaches are a wonderful escape from the windy city. Check out this guide to the best beaches in Chicago!

1. Oak Street Beach

Conveniently located at the northern end of Michigan Avenue, Oak Street Beach is just a short walk from downtown Chicago! This popular beach is a great option for visitors who want to relax and cool off after a long day exploring the sights in downtown Chicago.

2. North Avenue Beach

Another favorite spot, North Avenue Beach features a beautiful skyline and expansive sands for tanning. Be sure to check out Castaways, a beach house shaped like a boat, for drinks and live music! If you’re in Chicago from August 20-21, make sure you catch the annual Air and Water show.

3. Foster Avenue Beach

As the most family friendly beach on this list, Foster Avenue Beach offers a less crowded space with very attentive lifeguards. The beach offers outdoor showers and a bike rental hut for a nice family bike ride on the boardwalk.

4. Ohio Street Beach

Located next to Navy Pier offers just a small sliver of beach, but is way less crowded than other beaches in the area making some days feel like you’re on your own private beach. Not to mention if you forget to pack a cooler, you can quickly walk over to Navy Pier for a quick snack.

5. Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach is another great one for families. Located in the South Chicago neighborhood, Rainbow Beach is also connected to the Rainbow Beach Park. Pack a picnic and escape the hot sun for a midday lunch in the shaded park!

 

 

 

To make up for the lack of mountain ranges, Chicago provides plenty of rock climbing adventure with its many indoor climbing and bouldering gyms. the list below is just a handful of what Chi-town has to offer!

1. Vertical Endeavors

Located just 40 minutes outside of Chicago, Vertical Endeavors has garnered a reputation for being one of the best indoor rock climbing facilities around. It features 40 top ropes across two 30 and 42 ft walls and 21 auto-belays. The 18,000 square foot gym can accommodate 120 people and provides clinics and private lessons for beginner climbers!

2. FFC Old Time

This 20 foot wall is located right in Chicago. Although it isn’t huge it offers 40 bouldering problems and 60 routes and is wide enough to support 12 ropes.

3. Lakeview Athletic Club

Lakeview Athletic Club is an awesome 50-foot climbing wall complete with 6 top ropes each consisting of 4-6 different routes. This wall is great for practicing your technique as it features a crack that spans from one end to the other. The gym also features a bouldering area with about 40 routes and a 65 foot overhang.

4. Hidden Peak Climbing Gym

This 1,500 square ft bouldering gym shares a space with a gymnastics gym. Although it is not as big as other gyms on the list, Hidden Peak fosters a skatepark-like feel where climbers can jump right in and take turns.

5. First Ascent

Designed by Chicago climbers for Chicago climbers, First Ascent features over 26,000 square ft. of climbing terrain for all levels of climbing experience. The facility offers top rope and lead walls complete with overhangs, roofs, slabs, and cracks. There is also 5,000 square ft. of bouldering with caves, prow, top outs and overhangs. At the end of a great day full of climbing stop by the cafe for a snack!

Let’s Climb, Chicago. from First Ascent Climbing & Fitness on Vimeo.

Chicago doesn’t immediately make you think of mountain biking, but because it’s so close to states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, there are some great trails throughout the surrounding suburbs.

1. South Kettle Moraine John Muir Green Loop

South Kettle Moraine is a popular recreation area just two hours away from Chicago. The John Muir Green Loop is a moderately challenging 7 mile trail that features beautiful wildflowers and amazing wildlife. The trail is accessible all year round with camping space available in the recreation area!

2. Cap Sauers and Swallow Cliff Loop at Palos

Located in Cook County, Palos features tons of trails with rolling hills through forested area. These trails provide fun and challenging rides for a variety of levels of experience, however, it can be easy to get lost so definitely bring a map.

3. Des Plaines River Trail

This 26 mile out and back trail takes about 2 hours to complete and is great for all skill levels. This wide, mostly unpaved trail features an elevation gain of 757 feet and although it floods sometimes under the bridges, it is still shallow enough for riders to pass through.

4. Saw Wee Kee Trail

This 5.2 mile trail is located near Yorkville, Illinois and is ranked as one of the more difficult trails on this list. It provides tons of rolling hills with twists and turns mixed in making it a fun but challenging course for hiking or even trail running and mountain biking.

5. Rock Cut State Park

Located near Loves Park, this 10-mile loop offers some good technical challenges with parts of flowy singletrack.

Although Chicago isn’t particularly known for it’s mountainous terrain, the windy city still offers some scenic and historic trails that every visitor must check out!

1. Chicago Lakeshore Path

Located right in the windy city, the Chicago Lakeshore Path is a great day hike for those looking to take in some of the Chicago scenery. This 10 mile path extends from 31st street to Montrose Harbor with a brief break between Navy Pier and the intersection of Michigan Avenue and East Wacker.

2. Moraine Hills State Park

The Moraine Hills in northern Illinois, formed after the Wisconsin Glacier receded, became a popular hiking location in Illinois for its rolling hills and wetlands. The 48-acre lake Defiance serves as the centerpiece of the park with some mild hills along the 3.2 mile loop surrounding the lake. This is a great day hike for those looking to also see wildlife and take in the scenery.

3. Tekakwitha Woods

This area of land serves as a great location for hikers to get in touch with a little bit of history. It was named after Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk saint who lived in the 17th century and was previously owned and operated by the Catholic Sisters of Mercy, the Tekakwitha woods are now a part of the Kane County Forest Preserve District. This area features the Fox River Trail, a 3 mile forested loop surrounded by the Fox River. Cross the Fox River bridge and check out the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin for a 2-mile ride on the electric trolley through the forest preserve.

4. Rock Cut State Park

Rock Cut State Park is a great spot for hikers looking to experience all the wildlife the area has to offer. The trails here offer opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and even horseback riding. There are 40 miles worth of hiking trails, some of which are shared with bikers and riders, but all offer something for everyone whether you are looking for an easy walk or something more challenging.

5. Waterfall Glen

Located in the DuPage County Forest Preserve, this 9.5 mile trail surrounds the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The trails features a small waterfall which is accessible from the Rocky Glen trail, a ⅕ of a mile extension off the main trail.