Illinois · Hiking

Brown West Trail

1.5 mi
one way
43 ft
climb
743 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Apr, Jun
best months

Brown West Trail is a short, easy hike in Red Gate Woods, a regional agency land unit in Illinois. The trail is about 1.45 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 43 feet, and it runs from a low point of 693 feet to a high of 743 feet. The route is a point-to-point path, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.73 miles in, with a grade of 6 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 73°F and October highs around 65°F, while July averages about 90°F. The trail is open to bikes and horses, and it is not wheelchair accessible. Several other trails sit close by, including the Orange Unpaved Loop about 0.4 miles away and the Yellow West Single Track at about 0.5 miles. The Red Paved Trail is about 0.6 miles off, and the Canyon Creek Falls Walls climbing area is roughly 4.6 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr, Jun

    Best time to visit Brown West Trail

    Best months: April, June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      33° / 15°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 18°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      49° / 28°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      62° / 39°

      12 wet

    5. May

      73° / 50°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      84° / 60°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      90° / 64°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      87° / 63°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      80° / 55°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 43°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 31°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      38° / 21°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Little Red School Hse, IL, 2 mi away at 715 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Orange Unpaved LoopPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Orange Unpaved Loop

Next door

4-mile unpaved point-to-point trail through Illinois countryside.

Yellow West Single TrackPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Yellow West Single Track

Next door

3.05-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 477 ft elevation gain

Yellow LoopPhoto: Darek214, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Yellow Loop

~5 min drive

8.06-mile loop trail in Illinois with 766 ft elevation gain.

Green Unpaved TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Green Unpaved Trail

~1 min drive

0.49-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 78 ft gain and 151 ft loss.

Main TrailPhoto: Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Main Trail

~6 min drive

9.49-mile loop trail in Illinois with 675 ft elevation gain.

Blue North TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Blue North Trail

~1 min drive

A 2.4-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with easy terrain.

HIKE

Red Paved Trail

~1 min drive

Red Paved Trail is a 5.54-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 104 feet of elevation gain.

Red South Single TrackPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Red South Single Track

~2 min drive

Compact point-to-point single track through Illinois woodland.

HIKE

Yellow East Trail

~3 min drive

A 5.95-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with moderate distance.

Black Unpaved TrailPhoto: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Black Unpaved Trail

~2 min drive

4-mile point-to-point trail in Illinois with 367 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors