Which route: North Shore Trail or North Branch Trail?

I'm leading a ride from Albany Park to The Chicago Botanic Gardens on April 30th. To those of you who have biked up that way before, which route do you prefer, Northshore trail or or North Branch Trail?

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Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on March 17, 2011 at 1:42pm
By "Northshore Trail" do you mean the Green Bay Trail as in the path that runs beside the UP North Metra line?

The NBT is nicer but I usually do a loop NBT up and GBT back.
Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on March 17, 2011 at 4:40pm

nbt but ah you can follow the metra back with the gbt/lfp 

 

Permalink Reply by koala on March 18, 2011 at 12:28am

I think that the OP was referring to the Northshore Channel Trail, from Ravenswood Manor up through Evanston.  It is a nice ride with the sculpture park and all in Skokie.  Street crossings at the north end can get dangerous (cars turning from McCormick don't look for bikes).  On the plus side, California has just been resurfaced, so it is a nice ride getting to/from the southern end of the trail.  A the north end, Green Bay is a little busy at first, but calms down north of Wilmette.  And you can always hop on the Green Bay trail at Kenilworth.  The Green Bay trail is flat, straight, nothing to see here, keep moving.

 

I like the North Branch Trail.  It winds through the forest preserve, and is more scenic than the GBT.  It has been resurfaced recently.  There are several parks along the way with opportunities for restroom breaks.  The Botanic Gardens are at the end of the trail, so it is a natural choice.

 

If you do a loop, and  use both trails, as H3N3 correctly notes that the ride down Lake Cook from Green Bay rates a "wheeeee!", not so much fun going back the other way.  Take the NSCT on the way up, NBT on the way back.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 18, 2011 at 3:05am

I'm a North Branch girl myself :))

 

I take Pulaski west through Sauganash to the trailhead. Looking forward to what you decide!

Permalink Reply by Alex on March 18, 2011 at 3:41am

North Branch! But also nice to go there one way, maybe come back another way, NBT on the way there and GBT/North Shore on the way back makes a nice loop, with the shorter leg on the way back. Also, if you come back on the North Shore Channel Trail, you can take a short detour on Dempster and eat lunch at Pita Inn on your way back. Which is really a pretty good way to end a ride.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Chucko on March 18, 2011 at 6:15am
Ha! I live in Albany Park and I commute by bike to my office which is just on the other side of the highway from the Botanic Garden. I'd go with the North Branch Trail with a group. It's easy to stay together, and the route isn't as hard to follow for first timers. The only way to do the North Shore Channel Trail involves some street time in Evanston, which if you don't know the route can be annoying and confusing. Plus there are a ton of street crossings, which slows things down. The North Branch route is farther, but faster for me.
Permalink Reply by Chucko on March 18, 2011 at 6:16am
Oh, and to get to the North Branch from my place, I go west on Montrose to Elston, and take Elston up to Milwaukee and pick up the trail at the intersection of Milwaukee and Devon, right by Super Dawg.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on March 18, 2011 at 7:19am

You take a north-south street going west?

 

Julie, you just broke the space-time continuum!

 


Julie Hochstadter said:

I'm a North Branch girl myself :))

 

I take Pulaski west through Sauganash to the trailhead. Looking forward to what you decide!

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