If you want to avoid people, go early (especially on the weekends). If you get lost in this park, you deserve it. This park has a great website and forest preserve map - the trail signage is excellent. If you’re not from the area, it’s a location that you could spend all morning at, grab lunch somewhere, and then do another family-friendly activity easily before heading home. This park is super accessible for any skill level or ability, and it’s very family/stroller friendly. It wasn’t buggy at all, though you get close to water at times. Beautiful, open forests with old trees and wildflowers…you finally feel like you’re not in the suburbs anymore.Įven in a busy area, there was still lots of wildlife - we saw deer, turtles, birds, and butterflies. There’s a lot to do! You can hike, you can get some distance running in, you can bring your bike and ride the extensive trail system throughout the forest preserve…and then some.īetween miles 3 - 6, the trails really hit their stride. We made it in the exact time our GPS said we would, on a weekend. It was a simple drive, and you’re far enough from the city, so you don’t hit any traffic. Most folks aren’t out there for the full 9.5 loop, so you lose a lot of human interaction the further you get from the parking areas. The trails had a mix of walkers, runners, and cyclists using them, and they tended to be busiest around parking areas. This isn’t a trail system where you need to be concerned about covering up, but the crushed limestone is hard on your feet - much harder than grass and dirt. Pro-tip: wear great shoes and comfy socks. The trails are wide and in great shape, with garbage and recycle bins, bathrooms, and parking areas spread every 3 - 6 miles throughout. The 9.5 mile loop, and a majority of the trails, are on crushed limestone. There are rolling hills, but no major elevation changes. You can get it extra mileage if you check out some of the marked detours and inner-preserve trails. The longest trail is a 9.5 mile loop around the entire forest preserve. But, you can’t proclaim to be an awesome hiking blog and avoid areas just because you’re a picky human! So, Adam and I did a little online online recon, and we found a lovely and large forest preserve in the Chicagoland area, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, located in Lemont, Ill. We tend to avoid Northeastern Illinois (sorry Chicago friends and family), because we want to avoid other people.
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