Dam No. 1 Woods-East Horse Trails
621 W Dundee Rd
Wheeling, IL 60090
United States
Year-round, conditions permitting.
Trail closures - Cook County
Trail closures - Lake County
All horses must wear a horse tag affixed to the left-hand side of the bridle and be clearly visible when on Cook County Forest Preserves trails and Lake County Forest Preserve trails. Lake and Cook County horse permits are not interchangeable.
Lake County Day Pass $5 for Lake County resident and $10 for non-resident.
North
Trail continues one-way for 28 miles north to Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway. Starting 1.2 miles to the north at East Lake Cook Road trail is managed by Lake County Forest Preserve.
South
Trail continues one-way for 7.7 miles south to Kloempken Prairie. There is no trailer parking between Dam No. 1 Woods - East and Kloempken Prairie.
DO NOT CROSS RAILROAD TRACKS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF KLOEMPKEN PRAIRIE.
The Des Plaines River Trail can be resumed for 1 mile by trailering to Big Bend Lake. An unpaved, privately owned, horse-prohibited portion of the trail exists south of Big Bend Lake. The unpaved horse-friendly southern portion of Des Plaines River Trail begins again at Algonquin Rd. in Camp Ground Road Woods Forest Preserve but there is no horse trailer parking available in the Cook County Forest Preserves for the remaining 11 miles of the southern portion of the Des Plaines River Trail. The Des Plaines River Trail from Sunset Bridge Meadow to Camp Ground Road Woods Forest Preserve is local ride in-access only.
Additional Spur Trails
Additional trails that spur off of the 35.7 mile Des Plaines River Trail can be found at Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve, Old School Forest Preserve, and Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest.
Designated horse trailer parking.
Additional Des Plaines River Trail designated horse trailer parking can be found at Half Day Forest Preserve, Old School Forest Preserve, Sedge Meadow Forest Preserve, and Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway.
31.4 miles of the Des Plaines River Trail are managed by Lake County Forest Preserves and 22 miles by Cook County Forest Preserves.
Annual pass $35 for Cook County residents and $50 for non-residents.
Annual pass $50 for Lake County residents and $100 for non-residents. Reduced rate passes available Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.
All horses must wear a horse tag affixed to the left-hand side of the bridle and be clearly visible when on Cook County Forest Preserves trails and Lake County Forest Preserve trails. Lake and Cook County horse permits are not interchangeable.
The first northern 8 miles of the Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County from Des Plaines River Trail and Greenway to Sedge Meadows Forest Preserve run along the Canadian Pacific Railway. Please be aware that trains do not have a set schedule. Portions of the trail may run within sight or hearing distance of trains. Use caution with horses that have limited exposure to railways.
Dundee Rd, east of Milwaukee Ave
Des Plaines Trail Map - Cook County
Des Plaines Trail Map - Lake County
HORSES CANNOT CROSS RAILROAD TRACKS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF KLOEMPKEN PRAIRIE.
