Fall 1997

Park features past history of glacial ice sheets: preserved kames

McHenry County, Illinois

Totaling 2,806 acres in northern McHenry County, including 330 acres of dedicated Nature Preserve, Glacial Park is one of the prime recreation and restoration sites of the McHenry County Conservation District. Kames, kettles, moraines, knob and basin, fen and bog: these are a few of the intriguing natural features found at Glacial Park.

Kames, for instance, are huge deposits of sand and gravel built by glaciers and reaching up to 100 feet high. Formed by debris accumulating from glacial rivers of the Wisconsonian ice sheet a mere 12,500 years ago, at least four kames remain preserved at Glacial Park, including the largest — camelback kame — whose name derives from its gentle double humps. Many kames in the region have been excavated for gravel used in construction so the chance to see these intact is rare indeed.

Take the Deerpath Trail (2.3 miles in length) from the Wiedrich Barn parking area through a prairie and oak savanna to a group of kames. The trail winds up the spine of camelback kame whose elevation permits splendid views of scenery in all directions.

A short spur leads to the Nippersink Trail which follows Nippersink Creek two miles north. In the Algonquian language, Nippersink means "place of the small waters" due to the profusion of small springs feeding the creek. The north branch of the Nippersink coming in from Wisconsin is one of three state-rated Grade A streams in the Chicago Wilderness region — a sign of high-quality habitat. Its cobble-and-rock bottom is home to several endangered mussels and a number of silt-sensitive fish. Anglers can cast for smallmouth bass, northern pike, carp, or channel catfish in designated fishing areas within the park. Hiking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and horseback riding are permitted along the trail. All pets must be leashed; bicycling permitted only on roadways or along the northern extension of the Prairie Trail which passes through Glacial Park.

From a parking area off Harts Road, visitors can hike the 1.2-mile Coyote Loop through an oak-hickory savanna, past a bog and marsh (with observation deck and boardwalk). The 1.1-mile Marsh Loop has an observation platform providing a prime waterfowl viewing site.

Glacial Park also has one group campsite (25 people maximum; reservations required) along the Nippersink. Itıs a 1.5-mile hike in and — be forewarned — the bugs can be fierce in summer.

The park itself provides habitat for 18 species of state endangered and threatened plants and birds, including least bitterns, sandhill cranes, upland sandpipers, and northern harriers. Wild turkeys and northern bobwhite as well as hazelnut, New Jersey tea, and lead plants, have been reintroduced to the area.

—Debra Shore