Nachusa Grasslands: See Bison, Savor Solitude, and Hike Through Biodiversity Hotspots

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024

Nachusa Grasslands is a wild and wonderful place and an environmental restoration success story. And to top that, it has bison on-site. And there are sandstone cliffs to see and ponds and creeks to explore. What more can you ask for?

The Nature Conservancy had a goal of restoring a large and diverse grassland in Illinois, so it purchased the land that is now Nachusa Grasslands (visitor center: 2075 Lowden Road, Franklin Grove, IL 61031) in 1986. Then its staff and volunteers (including from Friends of Nachusa Grasslands) went to work. They conducted controlled burns to improve habitats for native plants and animals and reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires, collected more than 2,500 pounds of seed from remnant habitats on the preserve (and then planted them), and observed and recorded wildlife to better understand life at the preserve. In all, volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of labor to improve the biodiversity of the site and make it more enjoyable for visitors.

You need to head to Nachusa Grasslands now! OK, maybe not right this moment, but tomorrow, or this weekend. You need to visit especially if you’re a birder, love viewing wildflowers, want to see bison, or are simply the kind of person who wants to wander the natural world (Nachusa encourages you to explore off trail) and make discoveries on your own.

I visited Nachusa on an 80-degree day in April. It was my last stop on a day in which I had visited five nature destinations. I arrived late in the afternoon—4:10 p.m. and stayed till nearly 7 p.m.—which had its pros and cons. My late arrival left me virtually alone in the grasslands (which also features forests and hilly terrain)—alone to wander the trails and almost alone to marvel at the herds of bison in the Bison Viewing Area. I was amazed at the large number of bison in one spot, and the view reminded me of the times I’d seen large herds of bison in Yellowstone National Park.

The con of arriving so late is that I had to race the slowly descending sun to fit in as many hikes as possible before sunset. I didn’t get to try all the trails, but the upside is that I have a very strong reason to return to explore Nachusa when I have more time. Here’s some information on what you can do (and not do) at Nachusa (which is located about 98 miles west of downtown Chicago).

Go Hiking

This is one of the most popular activities at Nachusa. There are five trails:

Stone Barn Savanna Trail: 250 acres of oak savanna (under restoration), restored prairie openings, wetlands, and sandstone cliffs (no climbing). This trail was my first stop at Nachusa, and I loved it! I enjoyed the rolling hills, sometimes demanding hiking, and the beautiful sandstone cliffs, which seemed to jump out of the landscape as I rounded a bend on the trail. It was wonderful to be alone and see these beautiful formations. (Kind of the exact opposite of a weekend, summer day at Starved Rock State Park.)

Clear Creek Knolls Trail: 300 acres of restored prairie, remnant hill prairies, and a creek. The conservancy offers the following advice regarding the creek: “Remove your socks and shoes and enjoy the refreshing water. Wear a swimsuit, for the creek ford is fun to play in on a hot day.”

Meiners Wetlands Trail: 60 acres of wetlands, a portion of Franklin Creek, a remnant prairie, and a pond with a bur oak hillside.

Thelma Carpenter Prairie Trail: 60 acres of prairies, a fallow meadow, and an old farm pond.

Big Jump Trail: 350 acres of oak woodlands, hilly prairie, a creek (which you might need to wade through), cliffs, and crop fields. The Nature Conservancy asks that visitors do not climb the rock faces or walk on any crops. This was my second hike of the day. The early portions of this trail travel through green, rolling hills that reminded me of the hills of Ireland (where I got engaged), a forest area near the creek, and a farm field that was full of many bones of deer and small mammals. This area was like a coyote supermarket. I didn’t get to finish this trail due to time constraints, but look forward to returning one day.

Nachusa’s trails are different from what you might encounter at your local preserve. There is little signage on the trails, and you are encouraged to wander off-trail to explore your surroundings, as well as use the mowed, two-tracks (roads built for Nachusa maintenance staff) to explore. Things to keep in mind:

bring sunscreen and a hat because many areas of Nachusa do not have much shade
bring ample water because the only potable water at the grasslands is found at a hand pump at the visitor center
the visitor center is not a typical indoor facility that you see at many parks—it is an outdoor facility with a few informative educational displays, washroom facilities, a hand pump for water (as I mentioned earlier), and a short nature trail
wear bug repellant: I came home unwittingly with a tick, which was the only bad memory of my visit to Nachusa
wear sturdy shoes because the ground can be rocky and uneven, and long pants because some plants can be thorny and to reduce contact with ticks and other bugs

Click here for more information on hiking and trail maps.

View Bison

Nachusa is one of fewer than 10 places you can see bison in the Midwest (click here for a list of bison-watching destinations). But seeing them won’t be like viewing them at a zoo. Nachusa’s bison herd roams across 1,500 acres of hilly landscape, and they may not be visible from the road. You’ll have to be patient and have a little luck to see the bison. Binoculars will be useful. Note: No hiking is allowed inside the fenced bison unit. Click here for more information on viewing bison.

Check out Blooms and Birds

Nachusa is home to more than 700 native plant species and more than 215 species of birds. The Nature Conservancy provides a helpful guide to what’s in bloom and in which area of the grassland it is located. For example, in July you can see compass plant, wild bergamot, queen of the prairie, purple prairie clover, and prairie blazing star, while in September, rattlesnake master, big bluestem grass, field milkwort, fringed gentian, rough blazing star, and showy goldenrod grace the preserve’s grasslands, wetlands, and forests.

Nachusa Grasslands is a birding hotspot (with 245 species sighted) and during your visit you might see wood, redhead, mallard, and other types of ducks; trumpeter and tundra swans; wild turkeys; American white pelicans; double-crested cormorants; great blue, green, and other types of herons (including state-endangered black-crowned night-herons); hawks, eagles, and other types of raptors; various types of cranes (including state- and federally-endangered whooping cranes); warblers such as Wilson’s warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, and state-threatened cerulean warblers; eastern meadowlarks; bobolinks; indigo buntings; dickcissels; and many other species of birds. Click here for a list of birds that you can see at Nachusa.

Volunteer

You can help make Nachusa Grasslands an even better place by volunteering on Thursdays and Saturdays (except during controlled burn season in March and April). You’ll work alongside and learn from an experienced land steward. Some of the tasks you might be assigned include collecting seeds; pulling, digging, or clipping weeds and applying herbicide; and cutting trees, branches, and shrubs. You can also volunteer to adopt an area for a day, a week, or longer. You’ll receive training on how to combat invasive plants, and then you can do your part to make the preserve a more ecologically healthy place. Click here for more info.

Go Biking

The Ogle County Nachusa Bison/John Deere Loop Bike Trail (32.4 miles) takes riders across the Rock River (twice), past Nachusa Grasslands, and by the historical village of Grand Detour, where John Deere invented the modern plow in 1837. Click here for more information.

Other Activities

Photography
Picnicking
Running/Exercise
Spring Wildflower Viewing
Fall Color Watching
Snowshoeing

Final Thoughts

I spent my last hour or so at Nachusa hiking the Big Jump Trail, which headed directly west toward the slowly setting sun. The hills were a dark green and the late hour in the day created “magic light” that all photographers (including amateur shutterbugs like me) crave, in which the water, trees, and grassland take on an almost otherworldly hue. I was alone (but not lonely) in a stunningly beautiful place, and I was intensely happy that the Nature Conservancy had worked so hard to create such a special place. But at some point, I realized that I needed to head back to my car. All day, I’d been moving forward toward exploring new things, and this was the first time that I had to go backward. I felt both sad that the day had to end, but satisfied that I’d seen so much. I stood atop one of the dark green hills and took it all in— the sunlight, the woods, the wind, the creek, a pair of geese flying overhead, and a few red-winged blackbirds calling to each other from the trees—and savored the moment. And then I turned back the way I came, back toward my car, and a nearly two-hour trip home to the urban wilds of the Northwest Side of Chicago.

Additional Info

No dogs or other pets allowed.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset, year-round

Nearby Nature Destinations: Castle Rock State Park, Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Lowden-Miller State Forest

Bald Eagle (Ron Holmes, USFWS); Black-Crowned Night Heron (Sandra Uecker, USFWS); Blanding’s Turtle (Courtney Celley, USFWS); Common Gallinule (Keenan Adams, USFWS); Doube-Crested Cormorants (Matt Poole, USFWS); Marsh Wren (Tom Koerner, USFWS); Pied-Billed Grebe (Sandra Uecker, USFWS); Yellow-Headed Blackbird (Kimberly Emerson, USFWS)

Main Article Photo: Bison (Shutterstock), Pelican (Shutterstock), Prairie Flowers (Shutterstock), Bald Eagle (Jim Hudgins, USFWS); all other images, copyright Andrew Morkes

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Looking for some great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $18.99. Nature in Chicagoland received great reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Southtown, This Week in Birding blog, and Beverly Review.

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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I have been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. For five years, I served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school.

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 60 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).

Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:

Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
Environment (Getting Started series)
Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)