Take a Hike

Take a Hike by Patricia Hayden

Welcome to “Take A Hike”, a new monthly blog where I’ll be exploring various forest preserves, trails, and wilderness areas throughout DuPage County. I’ll share information about each site along with my experiences at these different locations to encourage you to Take a Hike!

  • Take a Hike: York Woods Forest Preserve
    This month I visited the York Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook. At this site, there are several trails and picnic areas.
  • Take a Hike: Burlington Park Forest Preserve
    This month I visited the Burlington Park Forest Preserve in Naperville. At this site, there is a short trail along with a picnic area.
  • Take a Hike: Maple Grove Forest Preserve
    This month I visited the Maple Grove Forest Preserve in Downers Grove. At this site, there are two main trails (with parks at both ends) to explore and a variety of secondary trails.
  • Take a Hike: Morton Arboretum
    This month I visited the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. While there is so much to do and see, for this trip, I visited three different locations on the east side, all conveniently close to one another.
  • Take a Hike: Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve
    This month I visited the Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve in Addison. At this site there are two looped trails to explore. The site also offers fishing and picnicking.
  • Take a Hike: Oldfield Oaks Forest Preserve
    This month I visited Oldfield Oaks Forest Preserve in Darien. At this site there are two looped trails to explore as well as an off-leash dog park.
  • Take a Hike: Spring Creek Reservoir
    This month I visited Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale which offers a looped trail around the reservoir as well as an up-close look at the spillway controlling the flow of water into the reservoir. This site also offers the opportunity to fish and picnic.
  • Take a Hike: Hidden Lake Forest Preserve
    My visit this month was to Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove which offers two main trails: Eagle Lake Trail and Round Meadow Lake Trail (each approx. 1 mile in length). The trails wind past several bodies of water and the multiple bridges offer good views of wetland plant life. In addition to the walking trails, the preserve also offers the opportunity to picnic, boat, and fish.
  • Take a Hike: PrairieWalk Pond
    My winter visit to PrairieWalk Pond in Lisle was very enjoyable. The location is near the busy intersection of Rt. 53 and Ogden Avenue and although I heard some traffic noise, when you are walking the path, it is very tranquil. The road leading to the parking lot is just north of the intersection of Burlington and Garfield and there are signs for both free and handicapped parking.