Have you ever wanted to time travel? You can roam through the past all across Suburban Cook County. Our Illinois landscapes chronicle history both geological and personal. Get a glimpse the glacial movements that gave shape to our cities and into portage sites used for thousands of years by local Native American groups. Then, see what it was like for families in somewhat more recent times living in the area a mere century or two ago.
Sand Ridge Nature Center (South Holland)
The rare dune-and-swale* landscape at Sand Ridge developed along the shores of a glacial Lake Chicago across thousands of years of human history. Through interactive exhibits and programs, the 585-acre Sand Ridge Nature Center guides you through an exploration of how the geography makes this Calumet Region special.
You can set out on walking trails to spot all the species of birds and colorful wildflowers as you observe the interplay between native plants and animals along the way. Meet a hawk or a turtle or simply immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the woodlands, prairies and wetlands. Bust out your binoculars at two scenic overlooks and stay the night at adjacent Camp Shabbona Woods.
*A swale is a shallow, often wet depression in the ground.
Paintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve Area (Markham)
The soils of Paintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve were formed in the Chicago Lake Plain during the last stages of Wisconsinan glaciation about 75,000 to 11,000 years ago. The 468-acres of the greater Indian Boundary Prairies — a mosaic of natural communities that includes Paintbrush Prairie — connect mesic*, wet-mesic and wet prairies, plus a sedge meadow and even an old field.
Bird watchers and butterfly fans delight as the objects of their attention continue to enjoy the bounty of more than 200 native plant species documented here, including some threatened and endangered ones. Ninety-seven bird species have been recorded across the linked prairies including the Virginian rail, lesser and great yellowlegs, savanna sparrows, sandpipers and the state-threatened Henslow’s sparrow.
*Mesic refers to an environment or habitat containing a moderate amount of moisture.
Chicago Portage National Historic Site (Lyons)
The Chicago Portage National Historic Site marks the western end of the critical portage linking the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. The site includes a section of the Salt Creek Trail System where paved and unpaved trails for cycling and hiking run along the Des Plaines River and Salt Creek up past Brookfield Zoo. You can get expansive views of a glacial valley, gravelly moraine and Salt Creek’s unique pool and riffle environment.*
Used for thousands of years by the local Native American groups, the portage provided an overland route bridging the gap between the Chicago River to the east and the Des Plaines River to the west. In 1673, French explorer Louis Jolliet and missionary Father Jacques Marquette were led through the portage by the Native Americans, inspiring the idea of a permanent navigable canal.
Years later, that connection became the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a crucial catalyst for Chicago’s strategic location and growth as a gateway city for the American west.
*Pool and riffle refer to deep and shallow portions of an undulating stream bed.
Grove National Historic Landmark (Glenview)
Dr. John Kennicott relocated his family from New Orleans to this beautiful expanse of land in Glenview in 1836. They first lived in a humble log cabin before building the Kennicott House in 1856. Kennicott’s son Robert was inspired by the landscape and became a pioneer naturalist and explorer.
Named to the National Register of Historic Places, The Grove includes tours of the house and nearby nature museum, as well as trails through the oak-hickory savanna and wetland pools busy with wildlife. You can also learn about Native American tribes and pioneer settlers who lived on this land long ago and the tremendous impact they had on the community.
Schmidt Burnham Log House (Winnetka)
Get a feel for the real deal and meander through the oldest log structure in Cook County. The Schmidt-Burnham Log House, constructed around 1837, was the longest occupied home in northern Illinois until the daughter of Anita Willets-Burnham gifted it to the Winnetka Historical Society in 2001. The house was relocated to Crow Island Woods and added to the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the engaging exhibits and surrounding walking paths any Sunday from May to November.
Charles Gates Dawes House (Evanston)
The magnificent Châteauesque mansion of former U.S. Vice-President and Nobel Prize winner Charles Gates Dawes overlooks handsome Lake Michigan. Dawes purchased the property (which was built in 1894) in 1909, living here with his family for more than 40 years before bequeathing it as a center for Evanston history. The faithfully-restored museum opened in 1960 (becoming a National Historic Landmark six years later) and showcases the family’s remarkable 1920’s collection of furnishings and artwork.
Tour through the magnificent Great Hall, gracious reception parlors, expansive library, galleried dining room and historic kitchen. You can also sign up for one of the lively, seasonal docent-led walking tours of Evanston neighborhoods, downtown and the lakefront with fun and fascinating insights into the city’s history, architecture and cultural landscape. Venture out to the eponymous Dawes Park with its beautiful lagoon, boat launch and Greenwood Beach for a relaxing stroll or a swim.
Deer Grove (Palatine)
The turn of the 20th century saw a rise of interest nationwide in creating and protecting green spaces to counterbalance our growing cities. Cook County was at the forefront of this initiative when it established the Forest Preserves of Cook County and acquired Deer Grove as the very first such protected habitat in 1916.
Landscape architect Jens Jensen recommended that land to include in what they called an “outer belt park.” The site has grown from an initial 500 acres to nearly 2,000 today. In 2017 the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission dedicated 220 acres as the Jens Jensen Grasslands and Woodland Land and Water Reserve.
Stride along hiking trails into the past for almost 10 miles of paved and unpaved paths through dense sections of forest and quiet woodlands on the West side to enchanting wetlands with an in-progress savanna and prairie restoration on the East. A 2.8-mile portion of the Red Paved Loop there is dotted with four Interpretive Areas crafted of stone and metal elements to celebrate the land, sky and water.
Hal Tyrrell Trailside Museum of Natural History (River Forest)
Miles of unpaved walking trails around the Trailside Museum wind through Thatcher Woods‘ beautiful oak woodlands and floodplain forest. Established in 1932, the museum dwells inside a historic 1876 mansion which was reimagined as a school twice before becoming the first public nature education facility for the Forest Preserves.
Check out the displays of live native animals, roam colorful wildflower gardens, and get the skinny about local wildlife and their habitats. Bring your rod and reel for a bit of fishing in the nearby pond.
Showmans Rest (Forest Park)
Situated within Woodlawn Memorial Park, you’ll come across Showmen’s Rest, the final resting place for circus performers from around the world. Distinguished by five towering elephant statues, each trunk lowered in mourning, this unique tribute memorializes a dreadful accident in circus history: the 1918 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train wreck. More than 50 performers and workers lost their lives in the tragic crash.
Experience the tranquility of the site honoring that tight-knit circus community, then liven up your day at Miller Meadow great for hiking, birding and cross-country skiing.