Science & Nature
Hike an Ice Age Trail, Take a Thrill Ride or Build an Expensive Sandcastle: 6 Picks for Outdoor Weekend Fun
It’s going to be another gorgeous weekend, so get out and enjoy it.
This week’s “Pick Six” — our weekly roundup of outdoorsy recommendations in each of the Chicago region’s six counties — ranges from an Ice Age trail to a day at the best beach in Illinois.
COOK COUNTY: Oak Walk
(satori13 / iStock)
Kick off Oaktober on Saturday with a free, guided walk under the ancient oaks at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont.
Learn about the tree’s natural history in the region and why oaks are considered a keystone species — for that matter, learn what a keystone species is.
The walk starts at 1 p.m. Click here for more information.
DUPAGE COUNTY: Follow the Woolly Mammoth Trail
McKee Marsh at Blackwell Forest Preserve. (Forest Preserve District of DuPage County)
It’s hard to picture woolly mammoths lumbering around Illinois, but they did.
Follow in their footsteps at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, where a 13,000-year-old skeleton of a mammoth was discovered at McKee Marsh in 1977. A trail circles the marsh, which was formed by the retreating Wisconsin Glacier.
The mammoth skeleton itself is on display at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook.
Woolly mammoth skeleton on display at Fullersburg Woods. (Forest Preserve District of DuPage County)
KANE COUNTY: Raceway Woods
Cars used to speed around Raceway Woods in Carpentersville, back when this forest preserve was the Meadowdale International Raceway. Today, mountain bikers flock here to test their skills on the preserve’s trails.
Remnants of Meadowdale are still visible to hikers, but nature lovers will find high-quality woodlands and wetlands here, too, with some surprisingly rolling topography.
Click here for more info and directions to the preserve.
LAKE COUNTY: Beach Day
Illinois Beach State Park’s stabilized and replenished shoreline. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
The state just spent more than $70 million to stabilize the shoreline at Illinois Beach State Park — the only natural lakefront left in Illinois.
See what all the fuss is about before everyone else discovers how this once-eroded beach has been beautifully restored.
Click here to read more about the stabilization project.
MCHENRY COUNTY: Restoration Workday
Seed collecting at Kishwaukee Fen. (Friends of Kishwaukee Fen)
Join volunteers on Sunday for a morning of native seed collecting at Kishwaukee Fen in the village of Lakewood. Once the seeds have been processed, they’ll be spread back on the site.
Volunteers will also be hunting down invasive purple loosestrife and clipping the plant’s seeds before they have a chance to do more damage.
The workday runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Click here for more information and directions.
WILL COUNTY: Woods Walk Challenge
(Forest Preserve District of Will County)
The annual Woods Walk hiking challenge is now underway in Will County forest preserves. Complete seven of the challenge’s 10 selected hikes by Nov. 30 and receive a commemorative medallion.
Click here for details on how to get credit for all those steps.
While you’re out in the woods, keep an eye out for mushrooms. Will County naturalists have a fun tip on how to spot the stump puffball mushroom, and the trick to try if you find some.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
