They say April showers bring May flowers. But warmer temperatures in the Chicago area this year mean many spring flowers are already popping their heads up out of the ground.
We don’t know about you, but there’s something about seeing brave little plants emerging from the warm ground – and the colorful blooms that unfold – that inspire us to get out there and live life ourselves.
You don’t even have to travel far to spot them. Cook County offers over 70,000 acres of nature preserves, gardens and outdoor areas that are often much closer and more accessible than you might think.
Whether you prefer a leisurely walk or are up for a longer hike, here are some top places to stop and smell the flowers in Chicagoland this spring.
Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve
This 82-acre Illinois Nature Preserve in the western suburb of Westchester is the largest Illinois tallgrass prairie remaining in the Chicago area. The Wolf Road Prairie is home to 360 native plant species (and tons of wildlife), but spring means wildflowers on the savannah. Fragrant hyacinths, in particular, are abundant in May.
Narrow walking-only trails prevail here, but some sidewalks are a remnant of a 1920s-era housing development that – lucky for us – was never built.
Crabtree Nature Center
Wildflowers carpet the woodlands each spring at the Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington. In early spring, blooms might include spring beauty, white trout lily, purple cress, and cut-leaved toothwort.
To catch a glimpse, the Red Bur Edge Trail is an easy, unpaved loop (1.2 miles) that takes you around Bulrush and Sulky Ponds. If you’d enjoy a guided spring flower walk, you can join the Cook County Forest Preserves on April 13 and more wildflower walks.
Schubert’s Woods
Becky Collings, senior resource ecologist for Cook County Forest Preserves, also recommends Schubert’s Woods for spring flowers. She says mid-spring blooms may include rue anemone, bellwort, swamp buttercup, and trillium. Use the paved Thorn Creek Trail to access the woods.
You’ll find the parking entrance on Sauk Trail Road near Ashland Avenue (near Park Forest and South Chicago Heights). Making a day of it? Fishing is available at nearby Sauk Lake.
Sag Valley Trail System
In fact, there’s a vast ecosystem of trails connecting many forest preserves throughout Southern Cook County. For spring flower viewing, Collings recommends the yellow trail that travels through Paddock Woods, McClaughrey Springs, and Swallow Trail Woods. It’s an unpaved path that makes an 8.1 mile loop near Palos Park.
This map of the Sag Valley Trail System shows several places you can access the trail. Late spring blooms may include woodland phlox, violets, geranium, and Solomon’s seal.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Last but not least, the Chicago Botanic Garden in north suburban Glencoe offers 385 acres of flowers, plants, bushes and trees in an open and walkable setting. Spring flower displays include beds of tall tulips, temporary English-style troughs around the Heritage Garden, and the fragrant blooms of crabapple trees surrounding the Great Basin.
To find the best spring flowers when you visit, make sure to check their website or download their app. The site has the latest events and prices. Tram rides are also available.