The 6 Things You Need to Know About the 606 Trail

One of the best things about Chicago (especially to runners) is the lakefront path. Unfortunately, by virtue of being “lakefront,” the western neighborhoods of the city have a little more of a hike to go for a run on an uninterrupted path stocked with water fountains.

606 Trail beginning

Hike no more, Chicagoans. The 606 Trail (also called the Bloomingdale Trail) has opened and runs through Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park. Named for the first three digits of all zip codes in Chicago, the 606 Trail is a 2.7 mile long trail with 12 access points, making it easy to hop on and hop off at your preferred places. Here’s everything else you need to know before you take your first run on the 606:

Map of the Bloomingdale Trail

1. Leave the water bottle at home.

I mean, I guess you can hold onto one if you really want to, but considering the 606 has seven water fountains along a 2.7 mile stretch … I think you’ll be okay.

2. Need a restroom?

The 606 doesn’t have bathrooms directly on the path, but there are plenty of places to hop off the trail and find a bathroom to use nearby.

3. Bad knees, rejoice.

The 606 has a rubbery surface on either side of the path, giving runners and walkers a softer surface to run on if you’re prone to shin splints and other bone/joint pain.

4. Watch out for families.

One of the things that stood out to me the most about the 606 Trail was that it’s much more family-friendly than the lakefront path (probably because it goes through neighborhoods known for their high stroller population). That means that if you’re sprinting intervals, you risk running over a kid on a scooter or tripping over a child walking a dog. Keep your eyes peeled.

Families on the 606 trail

The bright side of the family-friendly trail? There aren’t many cyclists biking at breakneck speed- it’s much more of a casual Divvy crowd. Still, remember to check over your shoulder before cutting across the path.

5. I. Love. Mile Markers.

The 606 has mile markers every tenth of a mile so you know exactly how far you’ve gone and how much further you have to go. So if you do decide to run half-mile intervals, you can leave the Garmin at home.

6. This infographic is everything

Post-run pizza at Piece, anyone??

Endurance Move

About Kristen Geil

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Kristen moved to Chicago in 2011 and received her MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse from DePaul while trying to maintain her southern accent. Kristen grew up playing sports, and since moving to Chicago, she’s fallen in love with the lakefront running path and the lively group fitness scene. Now, as a currently retired marathoner and sweat junkie, you can usually find her trying new workouts around the city and meticulously crafting Instagram-friendly smoothie bowls. Kristen came on to A Sweat Life full-time in 2018 as Editor-in-Chief, and she spends her days managing writers, building content strategy, and fighting for the Oxford comma.

3 thoughts on “The 6 Things You Need to Know About the 606 Trail

  1. I love this! I recently moved to Logan square (from lakeview so I lost the lakefront!) and have already enjoyed the 606 several times. Would definitely be up for a local meet-up run if anyone is ever interested. and definitely ending with Piece!

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