![](/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2024/08/12/cycling-to-work_1400x787.jpg?itok=R_b6zHr8)
![](/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2024/08/12/cycling-to-work_1400x787.jpg?itok=R_b6zHr8)
Petals upon Pedals
Biking to the Garden
What if you could trade your commute by car—the honking drivers, traffic jams, and roadblocks—for a bike ride, where you keep an eye out for hawks, old oaks, and wild bergamot?
That’s what I’ve been doing in my 11-mile cycling commute on the North Branch Trail to the Chicago Botanic Garden, where I work as a senior graphic designer. Life is just better when you start and end your day outside on a bike.
My favorite part of the commute is riding into work past the three islands of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. I’m in awe every time I see it. The grace of the Scots pines, the sun shimmering on the still water…you get a slow-motion perspective—the kind you get in a nature documentary—that you don’t get by walking. By the time I get to my desk, I’m not tired; I’m energized. It’s a great way to start the day.
If you’ve never tried the North Branch Trail, fall is a great time to give it a go. I’m already looking forward to the golden hues of the black cherry trees and bronze shades of the hickories. Hope to see you on the trail!
Here are some tips on riding the North Branch Trail:
The trail
You can get on the 36.7-mile North Branch Trail in Chicago, Glenview, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie, and Winnetka (see map); picnic areas and restrooms are available at Bunker Hill in Niles and Linne Woods in Morton Grove. The northern end of the North Branch Trail connects to the Green Bay Trail.
If you’re riding past Blue Star Memorial Woods, heading north, there’s a bit of an uphill climb around E. Lake Avenue.
The Forest Preserves of Cook County has a list of great tips on how to #SharetheTrail and preserve plant and wildlife habitats while cycling.
Prep
Any bike in good working condition—your own or a ride-sharing or rental bike—should be suitable for the trail. Make sure to take a water bottle, a kit to fix a flat tire, and a charged cell phone. Although much of the trail is shaded, it helps to wear sunscreen; don’t forget your helmet.
Keep an eye on the weather. After a big rain, the trail can get slick and muddy.
The Garden
The North Branch Trail winds around the perimeter of the Garden. Look for bike racks at the Regenstein Learning Campus, Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, and the Stone Family Picnic Glade.
To access the main part of the Garden, nonmembers pay an admission fee. (There’s no admission fee to stop at the picnic glade.) You can find drinking fountains, restrooms, and benches throughout the 385-acre campus; pick up a map at the Visitor Center.
All photos courtesy of Erica Torelli, except for the Japanese Garden and bike rack photo, shot by Robin Carlson
Erica Torelli is a senior graphic designer at the Chicago Botanic Garden.