Morton Arboretum Day Ride

Join us for a Friday Day Ride to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. If you haven’t visited the Arboretum, it is a true gem in our local region! The Arboretum is home to a variety of native trees, public gardens, and walking paths. We are thrilled to be partnering with arboretum docents to offer a guided tree walk and tour of the research center: Gateway to Tree Science.

We'll start in Oak Park, roll down the Illinois Prairie Path and stop in Glen Ellyn for breakfast on the way to the Arb. Our route is a simple out-and-back. After our tour of trees at the Arb, we'll head back to Oak Park.

• Total mileage: 44
• Pace: 10-12 mph
• Trail conditions: Road
• Type: Adult (21+)
• Start: Oak Park
• End: Oak Park

• Your bike!
• Helmet
• Photo I.D. and Emergency Contact Info
• Cash/Debit/Credit Card for your food and drinks
• Two spare inner tubes and tools to replace a flat (guides will be able to assist)
• At least 2 full water bottles
• Lock for your bike
• Sunscreen
• Snacks
• Welcoming, adventurous, can-do attitude!

• Entry into the Arboretum is free for our group. Please consider making a donation as thanks!
• Supportive guides leading you from the start to the endpoint
• Education about our local history and nature

• Breakfast

Our guides are part of a community of volunteers who believe in adventure and helping others find adventure right out our front door. They exude a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive spirit, which are foundational values at Out Our Front Door. They love and appreciate their home and like sharing knowledge about that home with others, thus helping the riders develop a stronger sense of gratitude for our local history and nature.

The guides will be set with the route, and they have set up breakpoints along the way to ensure you can go the distance. So, if this is your first time out on a longer ride, you’ll be surprised by how far you can go. They will stick with you, and if you must end the ride early for any reason, they will help direct you to the nearest train and way to return to the city.

Guides will have the tools necessary for most simple maintenance issues that might arise. *If you have your tools or supplies, especially any unique to your bike, please bring them along.* Though guides will have extra tubes and patches, you should bring at least 2 extra tubes for your bike. If a roadside repair is not possible, then a trek to the nearest Metra Station or the best mode of public transportation may be the best option (we’ve even had folks call a friend or an Uber).

At Out Our Front Door, we believe in the radical inclusion of all people on our bike camping trips. Regardless of your race, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status, or even the types of bikes you ride, we want you rollin’ with us. We want everyone to feel welcome. As an Out Our Front Door event participant, you inherently agree to Ride and Let Ride.

We welcome riders of all abilities. If you are interested in learning about the extra support available for riders with adaptive needs, please reach out: [email protected].

If you exhibit any micro-aggressions observed by leaders, such as being judgmental of another’s bike, touring experience/skill, mansplaining, or generally being unfriendly, you will be politely yet firmly corrected by OOFD leaders. If you commit any serious offense, such as repeated unwanted flirtation, sexual harassment, overt racism, etc., you will be asked to leave the tour without a refund and will no longer be welcomed on future rides.

We're the Out Our Front Door Organization. A bike camping community for Chicagoland.

See Our Full Schedule Of Events Here

As a community organization, Out Our Front Door’s mission is to immerse, educate, and preserve the history, culture, trails, and native habitats of the Lower Lake Michigan Basin Area through exploratory adventures.

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