The 606 Bloomingdale Trail

The 606, also known as the Bloomingdale Trail, is a 2.7-mile elevated trail built on a former rail line on Chicago's Northwest Side in Illinois. It runs through Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park, with the eastern trailhead near 1800 N Ashland Ave. The trail opened in 2015 and sits several feet above street level, giving views of rooftops, neighborhood streets and the distant downtown skyline. Along the route are public art installations, planted landscaping, benches, seating areas and several small parks, including Julia de Burgos Park at the west end. Access ramps and stairs connect to street level at multiple points, and the paved path is used by walkers, runners and cyclists. Side streets near the access points have cafes, restaurants, shops and murals, so many visitors combine a walk along the trail with a meal in Wicker Park or Logan Square. The full length takes about one to two hours on foot, and shorter segments work well for a stroll. The trail is busiest on weekend afternoons and summer evenings, when cyclists and families fill it, and quieter on weekday mornings and afternoons. Saturday morning is another comfortable time to visit, before the afternoon crowd. For photographs, the views toward the skyline from the Ashland end and the sculptural pieces along the way are popular. The nearest transit is the CTA Blue Line to Damen or Western stations, followed by a roughly 10-minute walk, and Divvy bike stations are nearby.