Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area: A Hiker’s Heaven, a Biodiversity Hotspot, and Opportunities to Learn About Local History

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND

UPDATED JULY 2024

Where do I start when trying to tell you about all the great things you can do and see at Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area? It’s hard to decide because Ryerson Conservation Area (which is also known as Ryerson Woods) is both an Illinois Nature Preserve (one of nearly 400 such preserves that collectively protect the highest-quality areas in the Prairie State) and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1920s, a small number of wealthy families—including the Ryerson, Fisher, and Borland clans—bought land at what is now Ryerson Woods and built log cabins as weekend retreats from city life. In 1942, Edward L. Ryerson, a steel magnate and civic leader, built Brushwood as a summer estate. For decades, the property served as his family’s summer home. In 1966, Edward and his wife Nora donated Brushwood and 257 acres to Lake County Forest Preserves. The other families also donated their land to help Ryerson Woods to grow to its current 565 acres.

Let’s start with the nature-oriented aspects of Ryerson, which my wife, my son, and I visited on an unseasonably warm day in early April. At Ryerson (21950 North Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods, IL 60015), you can find two rare ecosystems. There are flatwoods (a northern Illinois landscape where you can view pretty marsh and meadow plants such as great blue lobelia, gentian, and cardinal flower) and a floodplain forest (which features silver maple and bur oak). While walking in the floodplain forest and other areas, look for blue-spotted salamanders. They are only found in the northeastern part of Illinois but are common in the Great Lakes region. Ryerson is a biodiversity hotspot, with nearly 600 species of flowering plants and more than 220 bird species (according to eBird).

There are more than 6.5 miles of wide, well-managed hiking/walking trails at Ryerson Woods. Some trails travel along the Des Plaines River, while others allow hikers to trek through prairies and forests. Click here for a map.

We parked at the Welcome Center parking lot and first took the 0.4-mile loop trail, which traverses a portion of the river and travels through woodlands on dirt and boardwalk trails. The trees were still bare, but we spotted the first sprouts of spring (trillium, wild leek, false rue anemone, and spring beauty) and a few flowers. By late April/early May, visitors will get the chance to see Dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, sharp-lobed hepatica, white trout lily, mayapple, cutleaf toothwort, spring cress, and marsh marigold. Later in the spring, they can see wild geranium, wild ginger, shooting star, swamp buttercup, Jack-in-the-pulpit, woodland phlox, and other plants.

We next hiked a loop trail that began at the Welcome Center and traveled south along the Des Plaines River for the first half-mile or so. We saw several ducks, as well as two turtles that were as big as serving platters on an episode of Downton Abbey. The loop trail then headed east into the woods, where there were many more flowers than we’d seen on the earlier trail. The trails are situated in such a way that you can tailor them to your preferences (i.e., short loop trail to wander with your young children, medium-length routes that allow you to experience Ryerson’s various ecosystems, and longer trails that will allow you to walk for miles and miles in peaceful solitude).

Aside from the nature-oriented aspects, there is plenty more to do at Ryerson Woods. There is a Welcome Center and a small farm area, where you might see sheep, chickens, and goats; and historic cabins, where you can learn about the early history of the area as well as about Illinois nature history and the Des Plaines River. Additionally, Ryerson Woods hosts popular annual events such as Halloween Hikes and Maple Syrup Hikes.

Be sure to check out Brushwood, the former summer mansion of Edward and Nora Ryerson. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can tour the home and enjoy concerts and art exhibits, take classes, and participate in other cultural activities. Click here for a list of scheduled events. There is a parking lot at Brushwood, which can serve as a starting point for many of the hikes in the central and southern portions of the conservation area.  

In our two hours at Ryerson Woods, we barely scratched the surface of what there is to do at this Lake County gem. I look forward to hiking more of its trails and visiting the Welcome Center, Brushwood, the farm, and the historic cabins.  

Before You Go

Hours:

Grounds: 6:30 a.m. to sunset

Welcome Center: Click here for its hours.

Nature Backpacks for Kids: The Lake County Forest Preserves encourages visitors to “borrow our nature themed backpacks filled with activities for families with children up to 10 years old to help you learn as you explore. The packs are free to use while in the preserve and can be checked out at the Welcome Center. A driver’s license is held as deposit. Choose from four themes: plants, farm, birds and nature.”

No-Nos: No bicycles, snowmobiles, horses, or dogs and other pets are allowed.

Check Out the River Trail: The Des Plaines River Trail, a crushed-limestone multi-use path, is located across the river from Ryerson Woods. The trail travels for 31.4 miles (nearly the entire length of Lake County) as it winds through 12 forest preserves. It is open for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling (between Russell Road and Wadsworth Road only).

What You Can Do There: Birdwatching, Cross-Country Skiing, Educational and Self-Enrichment Programs, Farm, Hiking, Local History, Nature Center, Photography, Picnicking, Running/Exercise, Snowshoeing

Nearby Nature Destinations: Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve, Chicago Botanic Garden, Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, Mellody Farm Nature Preserve, Potawatomi Woods, River Trail Nature Center, Somme Woods

Copyright (text) Andrew Morkes

Copyright (text) Andrew Morkes, except the following images:

Copyright (credited photos) Andrew Morkes

Copyright (main photo): cardinal flower-Courtney Celley/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Marsh Marigold, Courtney Celley/USFWS; Eastern Bluebird, Bill Thompson/USFWS

Copyright (photos in article): Blue-Spotted-Salamander, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department; Red-bellied Woodpecker, Michael Schramm/USFWS; Green Heron, Rick Hansen/USFWS; Scarlet Tanager, Michael Schraam/USFWS; Sandhill Cranes, Courtney Celley/USFWS; Shutterstock; White Trout Lily, Jessica Bolser/USFWS; Marsh Marigold, Courtney Celley/USFWS; Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Courtney Celley/USFWS; Dutchmans Breeches, Jessica Bolser/USFWS

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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.

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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I have been a writer and editor for nearly 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. I’m also 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)