From Long Grove and Buffalo Grove to Wauconda are three good roads for serious cyclists: Gilmer Road, Fairfield Road and Old McHenry Road.
The three northwest/southeast roads have become key routes in southwest Lake County — for cars. But their shoulders are decent enough for road cyclists, and Old McHenry Road in particular is rather scenic.
Almost hiding among the three roads are two more that link them closer to Wauconda: Schwerman Road and Milton Road.
The two roads not only seem like shortcuts — great for making a loop or just for heading to other suburbs like Lake Zurich — but they’re also pleasantly scenic themselves. On them you can lose yourself through the quiet countryside that keeps increasingly busy suburban territory at bay.
Schwerman Road runs 2 miles between Gilmer and Fairfield roads. But about 1.25 miles from its east end, it meets with the east end of Milton Road. There’s kind of a quarter-mile offshoot of Milton between Schwerman and Fairfield.
After a little jut on Fairfield, Milton continues west about 1.75 miles to Old McHenry.
Of the two roads, Schwerman feels wider and more open. On the east end, it runs along a north border of Hawthorn Woods, with its spacious subdivisions. It leads west to a roundabout at the entrance of the Hawthorn Woods Country Club.
But then it gets into unincorporated area with homes on big lots and trees increasing — because ultimately it lands in forest preserve territory. It clips the south end of the Lakewood Forest Preserve, even intersecting with the gravel Millennium Trail within the preserve.
I rarely make it there if I’m coming from the east, because my attention turns to Milton Road, a shortcut I’ve favored when I’m doing my Long Grove-to-Wauconda-to-Lake Zurich favorite ride.
It’s a short but pretty stretch between Schwerman and Fairfield, with homes amid nearly a canopy of trees. Old Oak Lake hides to the north.
Then you have to make the little dash on Fairfield to the offset Milton Road heading west. There you’re immediately in more open land, even as some trees line the road. It’s actually farmland on the south side.
Soon the trees increase and it feels more dense — or actually cozy. There are horse stables on the south side. The road curves a tiny bit and very slightly rolls.
Then you’re split between more Lakewood Forest Preserve land to the north and more Hawthorn Woods subdivisions to the south — both still masked by the trees.
The west end will feel more suburban with open space as Milton Road comes upon a solid left turn. It’s the final little stretch to Old McHenry Road.
The few miles total feel longer than the 15 minutes or so they may take. But they’re such a peaceful respite from the big three main roads.
You could sneak through the Hawthorn Woods neighborhoods on their curvy roads to get to Old McHenry; that’s all lovely, too. But you just might miss out on all the quiet Milton and Schwerman roads can provide amid the sprawl.
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