more stats
4,432 ft
Distance
-9 ft
Descent
00:09:12
Avg time
-7 ft
Altitude change
585 ft
Altitude min
594 ft
Altitude max
594 ft
Altitude start
587 ft
Altitude end
-0.1%
Grade
-2.4%
Grade max
2.8%
Grade min
581 ft
Distance climb
1,171 ft
Distance down
2,677 ft
Distance flat
00:09:12
Avg time

XX (RED) Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
    • Nordic Ski
  • Riding Area
    Palos Forest Preserve
    Willow Springs, Illinois
  • AKA
    Red
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 60 in Trail Running
    • 70 in Hiking
    • 5 in Snowshoeing
    • 5 in Nordic Skiing
    • 5 in Winter Fat Biking
    • 5 in Adaptive Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #69638 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #153856 in Trail Running
    • #134143 in Hiking
    • #18139 in Snowshoeing
    • #25504 in Nordic Skiing
    • #4959 in Winter Fat Biking
    • #1829 in Adaptive Biking
  • State Ranking
    #242 in Mountain Biking · Illinois [+]
    • #877 in Trail Running
    • #993 in Hiking
    • #407 in Snowshoeing
    • #1,200 in Nordic Skiing
    • #25 in Winter Fat Biking
    • #9 in Adaptive Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC, DJ, Fat, Adaptive MTB
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Sometimes hard to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Land Owner
    Forest Preserve District of Cook County

XX is a rugged trail built on the excavated rock from the construction of the nearby canal. Momentum is key to cleaning many of the features. Note that this trail will intersect with Canal Trail and even shares one short segment of trail. Stay on the more rugged looking trail if you want to stay on XX.

NOTE: DO NOT MODIFY THE TRAIL - This is a BLACK DIAMOND rated trail and is difficult on purpose. If you cannot clean a feature, allow time for your skills to grow so that you can ride that feature.

Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Black Rating: Advanced obstacles exist, some trail obstructions.
Tags
Faint trail

Trail Supporters

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 15 miles average
6 Months
  • 56 rides
  • 14 miles avg distance
All
  • 541 rides
  • Last: Oct 24, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

XX (RED) Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jun 6, 2025 @ 6:17am
Jun 6, 2025
 Very overgrown. Lots of poison ivy.
Oct 6, 2024 @ 3:49pm
Oct 6, 2024
May 6, 2024 @ 2:18pm
May 6, 2024
Dec 7, 2023 @ 7:34am
Dec 7, 2023
Visit https://www.cambr.org/trails_and_conditions.php for updates
Dec 7, 2023 @ 7:06am
Dec 7, 2023
 Visit cambr.org/trails_and_conditions.php for updates
more »
Status:
on Jun 6, 2025
Variable
Avg: 4.1 (3 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (2,689)
close
      Directions to xx-red trailhead (41.695480, -87.921360)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      6 more »
      mtb
      138 |
      Sep 18, 2023 @ 5:02am
      Sep 18, 2023
      mtb
      124 |
      Sep 18, 2023 @ 5:02am
      Sep 18, 2023
      mtb
      340 |
      Feb 18, 2014 @ 4:49pm
      Feb 18, 2014
      mtb
      375 |
      Dec 7, 2014 @ 5:55pm
      Dec 7, 2014

      Videos

      10 more »
      Palos Upper Canal: Surreal and XX
      mtb
      6:52 | 511 | May 3, 2022 , Willow Springs
      youtuber XX, XX Extension, and Bloodshed Trails | Palos...
      mtb
      5:51 | 946 | May 11, 2021 , Willow Springs
      XX - Palos Mountain Bike Trails
      mtb
      8:49 | 621 | Nov 23, 2020 , Willow Springs
      Rock Gardens of Palos (Dynamite and XX)
      mtb
      24:04 | 536 | Nov 22, 2020 , Willow Springs

      Routes with this trail

      96
      Palos with Canal Loop
      ★ 5.0 • 15 miles • 935 ft • 26 •
      Dynamite and XX Extension are rocky and very difficult, the rest is a mix of intermediate and advanced.
      28
      South Palos Singletrack and Canal
      9 miles • 405 ft • 3 •
      South Palos Singletrack and Canal trail
      4.4 ★★★★★
      3 Ratings
      5 ★ 67%
      4 ★
      3 ★ 33%
      2 ★
      1 ★

      1 Review & Comments

      MinnesotaTopps MinnesotaTopps
      READ THIS BEFORE YOU RIDE SURREAL OR XX:
      A madman clearly built this trail, and I for one am glad he could see the potential for this route! But it's a tough ride, especially for this flat Midwest area. Reminds me of some great rocky trails up north and out west. I've ridden these two trails several times now, and here are my ideal tips for success. 1) Ride this with flat pedals, do not go clipless or you could end up with that slow-mo sideways fallover. You'll be on and off the pedals quite a bit. 2) If you have a 29er this is the route for it. 3) Tighten up the travel on your front fork. Seems counter-intuitive maybe, but less travel up front will give you more stability on rolling over some of these crazy rock gardens, and you're less likely to flip or stall. 4) The Canal trail is about 20 yards to the south right along the canal and is easy to find if these trails get the best of you.

      We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

      Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

      Create a Free Account

      Nearby Trails

      Palos Forest Preserve

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is XX (RED) located?
      XX (RED) is located in Palos Forest Preserve, Willow Springs, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Palos Forest Preserve trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 41.69548, -87.92136.
      ▼ How hard is XX (RED)?
      XX (RED) is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 0.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for XX (RED)?
      The trail has 9 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 585 ft to 594 ft.
      ▼ Is XX (RED) a point to point trail?
      XX (RED) is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is XX (RED)?
      XX (RED) is 4,432 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on XX (RED)?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on XX (RED). Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride XX (RED)?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride XX (RED) are:
      • November (39 activities)
      • April (31 activities)
      • May (31 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access XX (RED)? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to XX (RED) are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride XX (RED)?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride XX (RED). The trail is 4,432 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is XX (RED)?
      XX (RED) is a very popular trail. There have been 2,566 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,689 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

      Hit the Trail

      Open in App

      Get this trail on your phone instantly.
      open trail in app

      Download Trail

      Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
      save the trail

      Find Related Routes

      Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
      find routes for this trail

      You must enter a description before submitting.