Accessing the Lakefront Trail from Millennium Park

The Chicago Park District recently started construction on Maggie Daley Park and has fenced off a section of North Grant Park that many people had been passing through to access the Lakefront Trail.

We've heard from a few people who are now finding it difficult to bike to the Lakefront Trail from Millennium Park and the McDonald's Cycle Center, so we checked in with the park district and CDOT. The park district is recommending a detour via the Lakeshore East development and the Riverwalk to bike to the Lakefront Trail (see map below), and is working on detour signage to help you find your way.

Find a PDF of additional alternative route options for biking and walking here.

Since Maggie Daley Park is a multi-year construction project, we also asked about improvements to make the detour more accomodating. The park district says it's working with CDOT on signs to improve the connection under Lower Wacker and to clarify the traffic flow for people driving, biking and walking. CDOT is also looking into improving the path surface where Lower Wacker connects to the Riverwalk. What other improvements would you like to see on this route?

In the long-term, the rebuilding of North Grant Park will also provide an opportunity to create a more seamless and direct bike connection between Upper Randolph and the Lakefront Trail.

View Lakefront Trail Access in a larger map