BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
UPDATED 2025
Tucked amidst miles of peaceful forest preserves, Swallow Cliff Woods-North, in Cook County, Illinois (near Palos Park), has been a busy place for nearly 100 years, if not more. In 1930, the Civilian Conservation Corps installed 125 steps to the top of its 100-foot bluff and built a toboggan slide there. The slide (which I enjoyed with my family growing up on Chicago’s far South Side) closed in 2004. In recent decades, Swallow Cliff-North has become a popular fitness area, and sledding is still available (at Swallow Cliff-South). To address growing crowds and improve exercise traffic flow, Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) added a second set of limestone stairs (with rest areas every 10 steps) in 2016 to complete a unique fitness circuit. So, if you like a challenge, head to the Swallow Cliff stairs to run or walk up the stairs and enjoy some beautiful views of the nearby forest preserves. Some advice: Arrive at Swallow Cliff Woods early in the day—especially on weekends during warm weather—because it’s an extremely popular destination for exercise and relaxation in the south suburbs.
Swallow Cliff Woods is not just a scenic overlook and a fitness and sledding destination. It also features a variety of trails that travel through hills and deep ravines, near rocky creeks, and through pretty forests filled with wildflowers. The fall colors are usually beautiful in these woods.
There’s also excellent birdwatching in the preserve away from the stairs. In fact, eBird reports that 175 bird species have been sighted at the preserve. Some of the birds that have been recorded include Summer Tanagers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-Eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Sandhill Cranes, Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, Tennessee Warblers, Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Belted Kingfishers, Ospreys, Northern Mockingbirds, and American Woodcocks.
There are many hiking trails in the area. From the top of the hill at Swallow Cliff-North, you can head south on the Brown Trail toward Swallow Cliff-South, which has a picnic grove and the pretty Cherry Hill Woods Sloughs. Go west on the Yellow Trail near the Swallow Cliff Woods-North parking lot to reach the spectacular Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, the largest roadless area in Cook County and which features a beautiful prairie and glacial esker. (One of my favorite spots in the area.) Head east on the Yellow Trail at the parking lot to reach the scenic McClaughrey Springs Woods. These and other trails provide access to much of the 42.1-mile Palos Trail System. Here’s a trail map to help you get situated at the woods.
Before You Go, Other Activities, and Random Thoughts
Where: To access the exercise area, enter Swallow Cliff-North, off Calumet Sag Road (Route 83), just west of La Grange Road (96th Avenue), Cook County, IL 60464 (near Palos Park). Additionally, the South Unit can be accessed by entering off La Grange Road, south of 119th Street. If the Swallow Cliff-North parking lot is full, consider parking at the South Unit or at the Teason’s Woods lot (which is located west of the North Unit at Route 83 and 104th Avenue).
Hours: Sunrise to sunset, year-round
Dogs: Allowed (on leash only), but they’re not allowed on the stairs.
Native Americans/Dad Story: The Forest Preserves of Cook County are located on the lands of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Potawatomi—as well as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sauk, and Meskwaki peoples. My father, who was born in 1937, often told a story of a Native American woman still living in the woods at the top of Swallow Cliff into the 1920s. I’ve been unable to confirm this story, but it’s an interesting one. Today, more than 65,000 Native Americans live in the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
Ghost Stories: My dad loved telling my brother and I ghost stories when we were kids. Most were set in the Palos Preserves (which were historically referred to as Mt. Forest Island), a 6,662-acre area of the Cook County Forest Preserves. I’ve shared some of them in my article, “My Personal Ghost Story, Ghosts of Chicago’s Southwest Suburbs, and 13 Spots for Post-Ghost-Tour Fun.”
Picnic Groves: Two picnic groves are located at Swallow Cliff-South. Grove #1 (with shelter) has a capacity of 100 people. Grove #2 (with shelter) has a capacity of 200 people. Here’s a map of the groves, and the picnic and outdoor events permit page.
Swallow Cliff Pavilion: The 40-person pavilion, which was built in 2016, is a great spot for birthday parties, showers, classes, and meetings. It has a wood-burning brick fireplace, a kitchen prep area, refrigerator/freezer, and restrooms, but the building does not feature air conditioning. Click here to learn more about renting the facility.
Consider Volunteering: Volunteers are needed to help return the area to its pre-settlement ecological condition. “Restoration activities include the removal of invasive species like honeysuckle and buckthorn, and the collection and distribution of seeds of desirable native plants,” according to FPCC. Here’s a link to access more information about volunteering.
Nearby Nature Destinations: Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve, Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens, McClaughrey Springs Woods, Red Gate Woods, Sag Quarries, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, Tampier Slough Woods, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Copyright (text) Andrew Morkes; except the quote from FPCC
Copyright (photos) Andrew Morkes (as credited)
Swallow Cliff Stairs (copyright FPCC)
Animal Photos (unless credited to Andrew Morkes): Belted Kingfisher, Michael Schramm, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Golden Eagle, USFWS; Sandhill Cranes, Courtney Celley, USFWS; Red-tailed Hawk, Mark Bohn, USFWS; Coyote, Tom Koerner, USFWS
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Looking for some other 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 $19.99.
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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES
I’ve been writing and editing 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. I also 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)
Love this! I have been there too.
Such a beautiful area!
This looks great. I can’t wait to go. Thank you.