River Bend Trail (Silver Glen Trail)

Illinois

3 Reviews

The 4.4-mile River Bend Trail is so named for the loop of Fox River along which it follows on its eastern end. It's here that you can connect to the scenic Fox River Trail to travel 43 miles along the waterway.

The River Bend Trail is also known as the Silver Glen Trail, as it runs parallel to a road of that name on its way west towards suburban housing subdivisions. Along the way, you'll pass through Vasa Park, a 25-acre open space dotted with oak trees; this is a nice place to stop for a picnic as it offers pavilions, grills and restrooms. Farther west, the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve offers fishing, bird watching and a beautiful natural waterfall.

To continue your journey, at Randall Road, you can head south on the Randall Road Bike Path, which will take you down to the 17-mile Great Western Trail.

Parking and Trail Access

Parking can be found on the eastern end of the River Bend Trail in the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve (just east of the intersection of State Route 31 and S. McLean Boulevard), as well as at the south end of Vasa Park (off Bonnie Street).

Peaceful Walk with a beautiful waterfall

May 2024 giocalabrese3

Nice peaceful trail! Majority shaded with some great views. We had higher expectations, but overall not a bad walk.

Nice, scenic, shaded, some hills!

July 2020 martegras

Nice, well maintained trail. Lots of shade. Lots to look at. Access to other trails at one end. Some fun scenery along the way. Be forewarned, there are some hills. And the shade wanes once you cross silver glen. One other note for those on road bikes - it is not 100% asphalt. There’s a decently long section of lime screening - it’s fine when dry, but could be a little sloppy/tricky when wet.

Family Bike Ride

June 2020 hrickdourian

Although a short trail, it was perfect for our Boys of 7 & 5. It was just long enough for everyone and great views... Part of the trail was behind nicer homes in South Elgin. You will find a lot of walkers and riders on this trail. You will see the river most of your time on the trail as well... I definitely recommend it for Families.