Winter 2000

Time to hit the ski trails

Cook County, Illinois

Camp Sagawau
For beginners and advanced skiers alike, there's no better place to start than at Camp Sagawau. Pending snow conditions, Sagawau Nordic is open 9:30 am to sunset every day starting in late December and running through early March where nearly 4 miles of groomed trail at every skill level await.

Rent skis, poles, and boots for $10, take a lesson for another $10, or do both for $18. Register as soon as the Monday morning immediately preceding a weekend lesson and, as long as the official temperature at O'Hare Airport stays above -10° F, you're good to go. If you've got your own gear and you're ready to glide, just sign in for a free trail pass and hit the trail. Trails at Camp Sagawau (see Map) consist of two loops both starting next to the old farmhouse. An easy 2.5-mile loop brings beginners through a predominantly open prairie, while steep hills run through a more difficult 3-mile jaunt amid oak and maple. Also within Camp Sagawau, you'll find Cook County's only rock canyon. Every Sunday, between January 16 and February 27, a free ski nature tour starts at 1:30 pm. Call (630) 257-2045 for details.

Bemis Woods
Not far from the Brookfield Zoo, along the backwoods of a few charming suburban communities, you'll find a five-mile web of interconnecting trails working their way along the path of a small creek through a maze of short but steep ascents. A compass and map are essential, unless you don't mind getting lost for a little while. Though following the path left behind by another may prove fruitful, it's easy to lose the trail and find yourself bushwhacking back to wider, more well-traveled paths. Bemis Woods is challenging, but not daunting.
— Christopher Percy Collier

Deer Grove
In the summer months, this 1,000-acre preserve (see Map) is one of the more popular places to mountain bike in Cook County. So expect hills. In the western section, across Quentin Rd., find the start of an 8.3-mile multi-use trail ranging anywhere from 2 to 10 feet wide just off the north parking lot. Though much of the western section is wooded, the eastern side has some open prairie where it's not uncommon to spot deer prancing across the fields.

Palos/Sag/Swallow Cliff Woods
After honing your skills at Camp Sagawau, you may want to head out into multi-use trails within the Palos Preserves. There are 18 miles of multi-use trails north of the Cal-Sag Channel and another 17 miles in the southern section. This is also the prime mountain bike destination in Cook County. In fact, it was getting a little out of hand until the District started shutting down trails due to erosion. There are 6.2 miles of groomed trails in the Swallow Cliff Woods area and, if things get too tiring, you can always ski over to the toboggan run for some hot chocolate or a ride down one of its six slides.