From Riverwalk Steps to Lake Michigan, One Warm Stop
The State Street stairs drop you straight to the water, and the riverwalk carries you east until Lake Michigan opens up at Navy Pier. Both stops are free; the walk runs about 1.4 miles, half an hour at an easy pace. Sunset arrives at 4:45 p.m. on November 1 and 4:30 p.m. by mid-month, so the second half happens under the lights.
🗺️ Two Stops, One River Mouth
🌉 Stairs Down at State Street
The stairs at State and Wacker drop you from street level onto the riverwalk, the continuous path that runs from Lake Street to the lake front. Tour boats load on one side; on the other the lift bridges sit close enough to read their steel, and the current keeps breaking the reflections into pieces. It is free and open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Start in the early afternoon: on November 1 the sun is down by 4:45 p.m., and by mid-month it is 4:30 p.m.
🎡 Where the River Meets the Lake
Past the Wabash and Michigan Avenue bridges the channel straightens; the Columbus Drive bridge throws its shadow across the water, and the towers on both banks start switching their windows on. The path ends at the lake front, where Lake Shore Drive cuts across; from the State Street stairs to the pier gate is about 1.4 miles, roughly 30 minutes at an easy pace. Keep going past the river mouth and the lake is suddenly in front of you, wider than the river ever was.
🌡 The Warm Half of the Walk
Entry to the pier is free, and the gates keep seasonal hours: Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. On Christmas Eve it closes at 5 p.m., and the pier is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Centennial Wheel turns daily, but the outdoor Pier Park rides shut for the winter, which leaves the indoor shops and food court as the warm stop on this route. Give the pier the last of the light, then walk back along the river with every bridge lit.
