Outdoor writer Tim Renken of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch correctly predicted that Illinois Hiking and Backpacking Trails by Walter G. Zyznieuski and George S. Zyznieuski would "become the definitive trail guide for Illinois hikers". Now the brothers Zyznieuski have teamed up again and, following the same procedures that produced their classic hiking guide, have produced the definitive guide for the rapidly growing sport of mountain biking. The Zyznieuskis tell you all you need to know about mountain biking in Illinois. They note that mountain bike trails exist throughout the state, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area. The forty-eight trails they explored for this book run from three to seventy-eight miles long (the Hennepin Canal State Trail) and range in difficulty from extremely easy to challenging. Along with a map and a complete description of each trail, this illustrated book is packed with practical information. The brothers discuss the various surfaces: dirt, mowed grass, limestone screenings, and old railroad beds. And they advise riders as to what they need to take on the trip, stressing safety necessities such as a helmet. The appendixes discuss the Grand Illinois Trail, provide information on where to order maps, and list mountain bike clubs, trail organizations, International Mountain Bicycle Association rules of the trail, and Illinois bike rules. As they did with Illinois Hiking and Backpacking Trails, Walter and George have explored every trail they mention in this illustrated guide.

Grab your paddle and enjoy Illinois' beautiful rivers. This comprehensive guidebook--the only one for Illinois--features 64 trips on 33 rivers. Rivers covered include Cashe, Des Plains, Embarras, Fox, Galena, Mackinaw, Middle Fork, and Spoon. This is the ultimate guide for canoe or kayak enthusiasts of all abilities.

Chicago & Cook County Illinois Fishing & Floating Guide Book Over 967 full 8 ½ x 11 sized pages of information with maps and aerial photographs available. Fishing information is included for ALL of the county’s public ponds and lakes, listing types of fish for each pond or lake, average sizes, and exact locations with GPS coordinates and directions. Also included is fishing information for most of the streams and rivers including access points and public areas with road contact and crossing points and also includes fish types and average sizes. NEW NEW Now with a complete set of 23 full sized U.S.G.S. Topographical Maps for the entire county that normally cost from $12.00 to $14.00 each but are included on the disk for FREE. These maps are complete full sized 7.5 minute series quadrangle maps in 1:24,000 scale maps. Contains complete information on NEW NEW Completely revised, corrected, and updated With dozens of new listings and maps for fishing available in Chicago, the suburban areas and Cook County Written and edited by: Jim Maccracken and the staff at Recreational Guides Includes: Arrowhead Lake* Ashbourne Park Lake Auburn Park Lake Axehead Lake* Beck Lake* Belleau Lake* Belly Deep Slough* Big Bend Lake* Black Bear Park Pond Bode Lakes* Bristol Park Ponds Bullfrog Lake* Bussee Lake* Calumet Rivers (F) Campanelli Park Pond Centennial Park Pond Orland Park Centennial Park Pond Tinley Park Centennial Park Pond Wheeling Cermak Quarry Lake* Charlemange Park Lake Chestnut Park Lake Chicago Rivers (F) Colony Park Lake Columbus Park Lagoon Community Park Ponds Deer Creek Deer Grove Lakes Derda Park Pond Des Plaines River (F) Dolphin Lake Donut Lake Douglas Park Lagoon Eagle Park Lake Emity Park Lake Evergreen Park Lake Flatfoot Lake* Flick Park Pond Galley Park Lake Garfield Park Lagoon* Glenbrook Park Lake Gompers Park Lake Goose Lake Park Lake Gouwens Park Lake Gray Form Park Green Lake* Hanover Park Community Park Pond Helen Park Pond Heritage Park Lake High Point Park Lake Highland Park Pond Horsetail Lake* Humboldt Park Lagoon* Humbracht Park Pond Ida Lake* Indian Ridge Park Pond Jackson Park Lagoon Joes Pond* Johnson Park Pond Juniper Park Pond Kelly Park Lake Kermits Korner Park Lake Kingsport Park Pond Kiwanis Park Pond Kollar Park Lake Lake Arlington Lake Calumet Lake George* Lake Katherine Lake Michigan Lake Opeka* Lake Shermerville Lake Terremere Lakeshore Park Pond Lincoln Park Lagoons* Lindberg Park Pond Little Calumet River Maple Lake* Marley Creek Park Pond Marquette Park Lagoon* Martin Park Pond McGinnis Slough McKinley Park Pond Midlothian Creek Midlothian Reservoir* Mill Creek North and South Ridge Park Ponds Oak Brook Park Lake Oak Grove Park Pond Oak Lawn Memorial Park Pond Papoose Lake* Parkhill Park Lake Parkview Park Pond Penny Road Pond Peregrine Park Lake Plum Creek Plum Grove Reservoir Potawatomie Lake Powderhorn Lake* Prairie Lakes Ponds Prairie Park Pond Prairie View Park Pond Ranger Park Pond Richard Kelly Park Lake Riis Park Lagoon Robert Jackson Clearwater Park Lake Sag Quarry Lakes* Saganaskee Slough* Salt Creek (F) Schussler Park Pond Sherman Park Lagoon Shiller Pond* Shoe Factory Road Lake Skokie Lagoons* Skokie River (F) Spring Creek Estates Park Pond Sunny Side Park Pond Surrey Woods Park Lake Tampier Lake* Thorn Creek Tinley Creek Tree Top Park Pond Tuma Lake Turtlehead Lake* Volkening Lake Wampum Lake Washington Park Pond Wheeling Central Park Lake Whispering Lake Park and Wolf Lake* Lakes with an asterisk (*) have structure maps Streams and Rivers with an (F) are floatable

The very best Chicagoland spots for running, biking, kayaking, and other outdoor or gym activities are revealed by an ETHS graduate from the class of 1987.