6 Things to Do at South Shore Nature Sanctuary

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG

South Shore Nature Sanctuary (7059 S. South Shore Drive, 60649), which is located at the historic South Shore Cultural Center (a pretty amazing place in itself), features six acres of dunes, wetlands, a woodland, prairie, pond, savanna, and shrubland habitats. There are many things to love about this tiny nature preserve nestled on the shore of Lake Michigan–the fifth-largest lake (by area) in the world.  

At South Shore Nature Sanctuary, I loved:

• hiking in a natural area filled with wildflowers, dunes, birds, turtles, toads, insects (e.g., butterflies, dragonflies, milkweed bugs), and other sights in a busy urban area
• being alone on South Shore Beach in a city of 2.66 million people; it felt great, but perhaps I was just lucky that day 
• the sounds of the waves rolling onto the sandy beach and later crashing into the piles of rocks near the council rings
• watching the shorebirds forage for food on the beach
• the views of the Chicago skyline from the preserve

Until 2001, what is now the nature sanctuary was a dumping ground for the historic South Shore Country Club. But volunteers and the Chicago Park District began working to change this decrepit area into a nature area. “Construction included the removal of invasive plant growth, installation of a recycled plastic boardwalk and two Jens Jensen-inspired council rings, and the planting of numerous native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers,” according to SouthShoreNatureSanctuary.org. The sanctuary was dedicated on June 31, 2002.

Here are six things you can do at South Shore Nature Sanctuary.

Go Birdwatching

The sanctuary, which sits on a peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan, is the home of a wide variety of year-round avian residents, as well as many bird species that use it as a resting spot during their journeys back and forth on the Mississippi Flyway between cooler and milder climes. Nearly 200 bird species have been sighted at the sanctuary, according to eBird. Species include red-breasted mergansers, golden-crowned kinglets, green herons, ring-billed gulls, semipalmated sandpipers, great blue herons, indigo buntings, prairie warblers, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and downy woodpeckers.

Enjoy the Wildflowers and Other Native Plants

There’s a wildflower for every season (except winter, of course) at the sanctuary—whether its Virginia bluebells and the rare and endangered large beardtongue in the spring; wild bergamot, compass plants, and purple coneflower in the summer and early fall; to asters and other late-blooming plants in the autumn. You might even see prickly pear cacti, which some may be surprised to learn are native to Illinois. Prickly pear cacti can also be found at Illinois Beach State Park, Powderhorn Lake and Marsh, Kankakee Sands, and in my Chicago northwest side backyard (I planted some beautiful prickly pear cacti a few years back, and they’re prospering).

Enjoy the Views

From the sanctuary you can enjoy stunning views of Lake Michigan, of course, but also the Chicago skyline and Indiana. One of the council rings is located near the shore and provides an excellent view of the lake.

Relax on the Beach

The small sandy beach offers a break from the real world, views of the Chicago skyline, and the chance to observe a variety of shorebirds going about their daily lives. 

Go On a Scavenger Hunt

Are you good at spotting purple coneflowers, cardinal flowers, feathers, and other nature-oriented objects? If so, the Chicago Park District has created a scavenger hunt for visitors that you should try with your kids. Click here for the scavenger hunt list; paper copies are also typically available at the sanctuary. 

Volunteer at the Sanctuary

Volunteers collect trash, cut and remove invasive species, and perform other tasks that improve the look and ecological health of the sanctuary. 2024 volunteer stewardship days are held on the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The next volunteer dates are September 21 and October 19, 2024. Click here for more information.

Before You Go:

• Open from dawn to dusk daily.
• Trail surfaces at the sanctuary include a boardwalk, pavement, and crushed gravel.
• Pets are not allowed within natural areas.
• There are special rules and regulations associated with natural areas because they are ecologically sensitive areas. You can read them here.  
• Metered parking is available in the lots north and south of the South Shore Cultural Center.
• South Shore Nature Sanctuary is accessible by public transportation. There are bus and Metra stops within a block of the area. Click here for more information.

Copyright (text/photos): except quoted material (copyright, http://www.southshorenaturesanctuary.org); photo of black-crowned night heron (copyright, Sandra Uecker, 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.

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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 served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years. 

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 70 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)