Scenic Drive on Sheridan Road Through Chicago's North Shore

Sheridan Road winds north out of the city through the old North Shore — a canopy road past lakefront estates, wooded ravines and college quads, with Lake Michigan never far.

Chicago · Drive · about 35 min · 12 miles · Pleasantness: High

Why this route is pleasant

• Tunnels through the canopy of the leafy North Shore
• Curves past historic lakefront estates
• Wooded ravines dropping to the lake
• The Northwestern lakefill and quads
• A slow, residential alternative to the expressway

What you'll see

• Northwestern University's lakefront campus in Evanston
• The Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette
• Lake-bluff mansions and ravine bridges
• Glimpses of Lake Michigan between the estates

Best time to go

Mid-to-late October for the North Shore's fall color under the old trees.

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