Robinson Reserve Forest Preserve

Map by Lynda Wallis

Fall 2003

Walk or bike the Des Plaines River Trail to explore these woods and prairies


Cook County, Illinois

Two hundred years ago, moccasin-clad feet trod the paths along the Des Plaines River in what is now Robinson Reserve, also known as Robinson Woods. To explore these same woods and prairie remnants today, walk or bike the Des Plaines River Trail in fall, when crisp sunlight brightens the colors of oaks and maples, or cool mists soften their brilliance.

DIRECTIONS

Take I-90 (Kennedy Expressway) to River Rd exit south. To access areas west of the Des Plaines River, follow River Rd 0.5 miles south to a small parking lot on the east/left side of the road. To visit the bulk of the preserve to the east of the river, continue another 0.5 miles south to Lawrence Ave and turn left/east on Lawrence. Follow Lawrence to East River Rd, and turn left/north to the Robinson family cemetery. Or continue one mile north to Catherine Chevalier picnic area parking.

Robinson Woods runs along both sides of the river, from Lawrence Avenue to I-90, southeast of Chicago's O'Hare airport. About half of the preserve's 500 acres were part of the estate of Alexander Robinson, a chief of the combined Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa tribes who himself was probably only one-quarter Indian. The United States government awarded Robinson the land as a reward for aiding survivors of the Fort Dearborn Massacre.

A monument on East River Road, just north of Lawrence Avenue, marks the Robinson family burial ground, where ghost hunters and passersby claim to have sighted apparitions. From the small parking area there, a footpath leads west to an old lane and collapsing barbed-wire fence near the site of the last family residence, now home to numerous bitternut hickories. Robinson's descendants occupied the house under a "life estate agreement" until the 1950s, three decades after the Forest Preserve District of Cook County purchased the land.

Continue on the footpath west to the Des Plaines River Trail, where migrant birds, especially warblers and thrushes, stop to rest and refuel before continuing south. Bottomland hardwoods, including silver maple, black willow, and box elder, dominate the floodplain, blending into mixed oak woods on higher ground. Or follow the old lane north through the forest, where the large, compound leaves of shagbark hickory turn yellow in fall. The adventurous may enjoy exploring a brushy old field between the lane and East River Road that harbors remnant prairie grasses, tick trefoil, and s everal species of goldenrods. Look for orb spiders, monarch and other butterflies, and other small delights in the field.

Visitors can also access these paths from Catherine Chevalier Woods picnic area, on East River Road. Many other trails and footpaths wind through Robinson Reserve, but none are marked — use caution and enjoy exploring.

West of the Des Plaines River, an isolated portion of Robinson Woods contains several small but biologically diverse prairie remnants that have benefited from buckthorn and hawthorn removal, as well as occasional controlled burns. Blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, and golden ragwort bloom here in spring. In summer, nodding onion and white wild indigo give way to a spectacle of ironweed, blazing star, and tall grasses. A significant percentage of the marsh blazing star here blooms pure white, instead of the usual pink. Visitors can access these prairie gems from the Family Picnic Area on Des Plaines River Road, just south of the Rosemont Expo Center. Follow a wide path south past several large bur oaks; a very small prairie remnant lies east of the path, and several larger openings sit west of the path farther south.

The river is a haven for wildlife in all seasons. Beaver live along its length, mallards rest and feed in its waters even in winter, wood ducks may be seen spring through fall, and an enormous spiny soft-shelled turtle swam near the west bank here one June day.

Alexander Robinson's original reserve stretched from Addison Street to Foster Avenue. Most of it is now part of the Cook County Forest Preserves, including the heavily used Schiller Woods picnic groves on Irving Park Road. South of Irving Park, a picnic area bears Robinson's Indian name: Che-Che-Pin-Qua, or "blinking eye," for a pronounced facial tic. The Des Plaines River Trail continues south of Irving Park through forests rich with spring wildflowers and birds in all seasons. While Robinson Woods currently has no active volunteer restoration projects, a small prairie remnant in the northeast part of Schiller Woods is under management. For volunteer opportunities, contact the Forest Preserve District's volunteer coordinator at (708) 771-1334.

For more information on Robinson Woods, call the district at (708) 771-1335, or River Trail Nature Center, (847) 824-8360.

— John Elliott

What is Chicago Wilderness? | Store | Donations | Contact Us | Home