Fall 1997

Miles of gravel trails along the Des Plaines River wind through rich woodlands, prairies, wetlands, and savannas

Lake County, Illinois

The lush valley of the Des Plaines River, which originates in Wisconsin and eventually merges with the Kankakee to become the Illinois River in Grundy County, is a natural highlight of Lake County. In the northern tip of the county, the river cuts a watery course through prairies, wetlands and savannas. As the river slips south, it passes through some of the county’s richest woodlands.

The Forest Preserve District, which owns 88 percent of the land (about 6,957 acres) surrounding the Des Plaines River in Lake County, has been piecing together a parallel river trail since 1981 — a meandering, crushed gravel path that now stretches 22 miles. The trail consists of two parts: a 10-mile-long northern section and a 12-mile-long southern section. The District plans eventually to build a complete 33-mile path. Both sections are free and allow users to hike, bike, ride horses and cross-country ski on all areas of the trail. Trail users will also find in both sections parking, drinking water, restrooms, picnic areas, playgrounds and canoe launches.

The northern section of the trail begins just south of the Wisconsin border at Russell Road and comes to an end at Grand Avenue in Gurnee. At both trailheads, there is ample parking. In Van Patten Woods, trail users will find bike and horse rental concessions and additional miles of trail for hiking, horse riding, cross country skiing and a three-mile area for snowmobiling. Another trail wraps around 74-acre Sterling Lake, which is populated by channel catfish, walleye, muskie, blue gill, and bass. The trail rolls across a hilly savanna and through several oak groves in Wadsworth Prairie in a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve.

In the marshy Wetlands Demonstration Project, you might catch a glimpse of a yellow-headed blackbird in spring or summer, just one of the species which have made themselves at home in this area.

The trailhead of the southern section is at Half Day Preserve, located off Milwaukee Avenue. The north terminus is found in Libertyville at Buckley Road, but parking in this area is best at Old School Forest Preserve, just off St. Mary’s Road in Libertyville, a few miles south of this trailhead. The southern portion of the trail traverses four forest preserves: Old School, MacArthur Woods, Wright Woods, and Half Day; all have extra miles of multi-use trails in addition to the river trail. In the Old School section, find the lookout tower which provides a panoramic view of the prairie and valley below. Just south of Route 60, you’ll find a mecca of stores, restaurants, and even a movie theater in the Rivertree Mall, a short walk from the trail. For brilliant autumn colors, head to Wright Woods near the southern end of the trail, an area dappled with the vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows of sugar maples.

The trails are open between 6:30 a.m. and sunset. For a free, detailed map of the Des Plaines River trail or for more information on parking and how to get there, call the Lake County Forest Preserve at (847) 367-6640.

— Kristin Kloberdanz