BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
If you’re looking for a vast, often-wild area (2,503 acres) to explore near Chicago, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (in Darien, illinois) is the perfect destination. This site is popular with hikers, runners, bicyclists, and other outdoor enthusiasts, but it is so large (and has so many trails) that it is easy to find peace and solitude. Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve—which surrounds Argonne National Laboratory—was my favorite south suburban hiking destination when I was in my 20s—when I had a lot more free time (i.e., before becoming a father, getting a real job and a boss who wasn’t flexible about work hours).
Here are eight things to do at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve:
See the Waterfall
The preserve’s popular tiered falls, which the Civilian Conservation Corps built in the 1930s, is located near the Rocky Glen waterfall parking lot. The Rocky Glen area, Old Oak Grove, and nearby Signal Hill (an area of limestone bluffs that overlooks the Des Plaines River in which the Illiniwek, Potawatomi, and, later, European fur trappers and traders lit signal fires to communicate across the area) were some of the first sections that were acquired by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (FPDDC) in 1925. In 1973, the preserve received more than 2,200 acres of surplus land from the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, and in that same year, the preserve was renamed Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. There is excellent hiking in this area, especially near Sawmill Creek.
Enjoy a Hike
There are more than 11 miles of trails through prairies, savannas, and forests. These include not only a 9.5-mile, crushed limestone loop trail and the 1.1-mile Tear-Thumb Trail (turf), but also plenty of unmarked side trails that you can use to explore the preserve. Just remember that not every side trail leads back to the main trail (i.e., keep your wits about you and consider using a GPS device!). Click here for a hiking map. In the northeast area of the park, the main trail connects to the Southern DuPage County Regional/Route 66 Trail (see the map at the aforementioned web link for details).
Climb the Bluffs
Climb the bluffs in the southwest corner of the preserve to enjoy stunning views of the Des Plaines River. The ancient dolomite that makes up these bluffs is three times older than the dinosaurs. These trails are steep, so take extra care when hiking.
Savor This Biodiversity Hotspot
Here are some impressive numbers. The preserve has 740 native plant species—75 percent of all the plants known to grow naturally in DuPage County. There are also more than 300 species of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles and another 300 invertebrates use the forest preserve either year-round or during spring and fall migrations. (You can check out a lists of bird species that have been sighted on ebird.com.) Be sure to check out 773-acre Bluff Savanna, which covers the southern part of the preserve between Argonne National Laboratory and the Des Plaines River. The FPDDC says that it is “one of the highest ranked conservation areas in the county; the savanna contains 422 native plant species, including one state threatened and 36 of special concern. Individual black and white oaks, shagbark and bitternut hickories, and black walnuts range from 180 to 215 years old and are some of the oldest in the county.” The forest preserve has also worked hard to restore 120-acre Poverty Prairie (which is located in the southwest corner of Waterfall Glen). It has more than 340 native plant species and resident animals.
Try Your Hand at Orienteering
Orienteering is defined as finding your way in the woods or other locations with a map and compass. There is a permanently marked course in the preserve. Click here for a basic introduction to orienteering and beginner, intermediate, and advanced orienteering maps. This sounds like something fun to do with one’s kids.
Did You Know?
- Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is not named for its beautiful waterfall, but rather named in honor of Seymour “Bud” Waterfall, an early president of the district’s board of commissioners.
- The area was once home to a federal launch site for Nike Zeus missiles.
- Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center that is operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Three of its scientists—Enrico Fermi, Maria Goeppert Mayer, and Alexei A. Abrikosov—have been awarded the Nobel Prize. The laboratory facilities are surrounded by 500 acres of woodlands, 330 acres of grassland and prairie, and 50 acres of wetlands and other habitats. You can learn more about touring the laboratory by visiting this website.
Enjoy Challenging Biking on Hilly Terrain
To protect the fragile ecosystems at Waterfall Glen, cyclists may only use the 9.5-mile loop limestone trail—which isn’t anything to spin your wheels at.
Go Fishing
Waterfall Glen is not known for its fishing, but some adventurous fishers hike down to the Des Plaines River, where they fish for northern pike, largemouth bass, rock bass, and other fish. Several old quarries in the park also provide opportunities for fishing.
Try Other Activities
Enjoy winter activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing.
Before You Go
Where: Located in Darien, Illinois. There are three parking lots at Waterfall Glen. The main entrance is on Northgate Road. From I-55, take Cass Avenue 0.5 miles south to Northgate Road. Turn right on Northgate and go 400 feet to the lot. To reach the Rocky Glen waterfall parking lot, take Cass Avenue 1.5 miles south of Northgate Road to Bluff Road. Take Bluff Road 0.3 miles east to the lot. A third parking lot is on the east side of Lemont Road at 101st Street, one mile south of I-55.
Learn More: Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Hours: Open daily from one hour after sunrise until one hour after sunset
Dogs: Dogs are allowed, but they must be on leashes under 10 feet long.
What You Can Do There: Bicycling, Birdwatching, Cross-Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Model Airplane Field (permit required), Orienteering Course, Photography, Picnicking, Running/Exercise, Snowshoeing, Youth Group Campground
Nearby Nature Destinations: Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve, Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, The Forge: Lemont Quarries, Keepataw Preserve, Red Gate Woods, Tampier Slough Woods
Copyright (text): Andrew Morkes
Copyright (photos): Andrew Morkes, except:
Main Photo: Main Waterfall Photo (Shutterstock, Nejdet Duzen), Pileated Woodpecker (Jim Hudgins, USFWS)
Scarlet Tanager: Michael Schraam, USFWS
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.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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)
One thought on “Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve: 8 Things to Do at This Biodiversity Hotspot”