Illinois trails · Fox River Trail (2.0 mi)
Fox River Trail (2.0 mi)
A 2.2-mile out-and-back in Illinois, with 18 ft of climbing. Reaches Black Tern Marsh Viewing Platform Form and other viewpoint destinations.
Elevation profile
Essentially flat — no sustained climb anywhere along its 2.2 miles.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Black Tern Marsh Viewing Platform Form (viewpoint)
- Wetland Scenic View (viewpoint)
Getting there
Lake Defiance Trail access. About 12 min drive (5 mi) from McHenry. 42.31358, -88.23502 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:36 a.m., the sun rises at 7:04 a.m. and sets at 6:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:41 p.m. (CDT) — 11 h 09 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 4.4-mile round trip takes roughly 1 h 39 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 8:43 a.m. — 9 h 29 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- Poplar Creek Red Paved Trail — 18.5 mi
- Busse Forest Trails Red Paved — 23.2 mi