waterfall glen forest preserve hiking chicago

From craggy cliffs and sprawling prairies to cascading waterfalls, boulder fields, and amber waves of grain for days, the Prairie State’s rural expanses are almost as photogenic as its metropolitan skyline. Visitors on foot can explore the narrow, unmarked footpaths that crisscross through Waterfall Glen, but these paths are not marked and may not meet with the marked paths.Don’t let Illinois’ reputation as the second flattest state in the country fool you-in addition to Chicago’s towering architecture, you needn’t venture far to immerse yourself in captivating nature. Hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders and cross-country skiers can enjoy some of Waterfall Glen's scenic areas via four mapped trails, which contain almost 11 miles of limestone- and turf-covered routes. The main trail is 9.5 miles long, 10 feet wide and made of crushed limestone. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, at which time it was given its current name.

In 1973, the forest preserve added over 2,200 acres of surplus land from the U.S. Rocky Glen soon became the site of the preserve's well-known tiered falls, which the Civilian Conservation Corps reconstructed in the 1930s near the original mill site. In 1925, the Forest Preserve District purchased its first 75 acres at Waterfall Glen, the Signal Hill and Rocky Glen areas. By the late 1800s, the Ward Brothers’ mill was turning out lumber on Sawmill Creek, and Edwin Walker's three quarries were yielding tons of quality limestone for projects like the landmark Chicago Avenue Water Tower and Pumping Station. Long before Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet paddled through the area, American Indians were living along the surrounding limestone bluffs, including today's Signal Hill, which served as a communications vantage point. Herds of deer, wolves, and coyotes roam freely and can be seen on the savanna during the warmer months. Larger fish and crustaceans can be found further downstream, closer to the Des Plaines River. Sawmill Creek, which runs through the savanna, hosts a large crayfish population during the spring season. Ephemeral ponds make the savanna an essential habitat for amphibians such as salamanders, frogs and snakes. With Waterfall Glen being a wooded area having older trees, birds like pileated woodpeckers, scarlet tanagers, ovenbirds, wood thrushes, broad-winged hawks, and barred owls, are attracted to the area and some species breed there. Individual black and white oaks, shagbark and bitternut hickories, and black walnuts range from 180- to 215-years-old. Many native insects, including giant grasshoppers and black window spiders, are known to nest in these shrubs. Tall grass, ferns, and wild lilac bushes are common shrubbery found growing on the savanna. Waterfall Glen is one of highest ranked conservation areas in the county, it contains 422 native plant species, including one state threatened and 36 of special concern. Waterfall Glen's 773-acre 'Bluff Savanna', which roughly covers the southern part of the preserve between Argonne National Laboratory and the Des Plaines River, is a natural Midwestern oak savanna. Over 300 species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles and another 300 species of invertebrates use the forest preserve, either year-round or during their migrations. Waterfall Glen's tallgrass prairies, bogs, and Midwestern oak savannas contain 740 native plant species, 75 percent of all the plants known to grow naturally in DuPage County. Patrick Cemetery nestled deep in the preserve. Hikers can also make the interior trip to St. It is also home to a popular model airplane field, located in the southwest section of the forest preserve. It completely surrounds Argonne National Laboratory. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps helped restore the waterfall to its naturally tiered state, after years of erosion due to runoff from a nearby mill. Rocky Glen Falls, the largest waterfall in the preserve, is actually a natural dam in the valley glen. It contains several waterfalls on Sawmill Creek as it empties into the Des Plaines River. Waterfall Glen is a forest preserve in Downers Grove Township, DuPage County, Illinois, between the towns of Darien and Lemont, covering 2,492 acres (1,008 ha). Sawmill Creek Waterfall, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Lemont, Illinois

Waterfall glen forest preserve hiking chicago