BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
If you’re looking for great hiking, biking, birdwatching, and wide-open spaces, than Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve in Deer Park, Illinois, is the spot for you.
I visited Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve on a sunny, late-September day with unseasonable temperatures in the high 80s. The 782-acre preserve is a gem of the Lake County Forest Preserves (LCFP), with plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature appreciation. Cuba Marsh has very good trail signage so it’s almost impossible to get lost. Much of the area was once farmed, but over the years volunteers and the LCFP have removed drainage tiles, planted 80,000 trees, and removed invasive species with a goal of returning the land to its pre-farming condition. A dry-hill prairie is located on the preserve’s southeast side. A railroad track runs travels through the western portion of Cuba Marsh, so you may (as I did) see/hear a freight train as you traverse the preserve. Cuba Marsh is located at 24205 W. Cuba Road, Deer Park, IL 60010; the entrance is on Cuba Road, west of Ela Road and east of Route 59. Here are seven things you can do at the preserve.
Go Hiking
There are nearly three miles of trails at Cuba Marsh. I hiked a few miles on trails that traveled along the vast marsh (seeing a few birds), through gently rolling hills, and through oak forests and a dense pine forest. Standing in the grove of pine trees was very peaceful, and it made me feel like I was in a nature cathedral—albeit one with many scampering chipmunks. There are wide gravel trails at Cuba Marsh, and I encountered many hikers and runners, as well as a good number of bicyclists. A boardwalk crosses a portion of the marsh. Click here for a PDF trail map and here for an interactive map.
Enjoy the Wildflowers
During my visit, I saw a variety of native plants in bloom, including sawtooth sunflowers, several types of asters, fleabane, many goldenrods, and a few phlox. More than 275 plant species have been reported at Cuba Marsh, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says that these “natural communities also support several wildlife species considered Species in Greatest Need of Conservation.”
Go Birdwatching
According to eBird, more than 210 bird species have been sighted at Cuba Marsh. Examples include bay-breasted, golden-winged, and Connecticut warblers; pied-billed grebes; American coots vireos; marsh wrens; brown thrashers; green-winged teals; and several species of cranes and herons.
Go Biking
The gravel and dirt trails provide an excellent opportunity for biking. On the southwest-most trail, you can connect to Citizens Park in nearby Barrington. The park has a playground, treehouse, tennis and basketball courts, and in-season ice skating rink.
Go Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
The trails and wide-open spaces at Cuba Marsh provide excellent opportunities to enjoy the preserve in the winter.
Volunteer
Restoration workdays are held twice a week at Cuba Marsh. Adults and children aged 10 and older (with an adult and a waiver signed by legal guardian) are welcome. No previous training is needed, just a desire to improve the preserve. According to the Lake County Forest Preserves, volunteer activities vary be season and include:
- Spring: brush clearing, garlic mustard control, planting
- Summer: garlic mustard control, wildlife monitoring, weed management, planting, seed collecting
- Fall: brush clearing, seed collection, tree and scrub planting
- Winter: brush clearing, sowing seed
A schedule of volunteer events can be accessed here.
Before You Go
- Hours: 6:30 am–sunset, daily
- Toilets are available near the parking lot.
- Picnic tables are available.
- Dogs must be leashed and kept on trails (Here’s information on off-leash dog areas in the LCFP.)
- Cuba Marsh is named after Cuba Township (which was originally named Troy Township). In 1850, the name of Troy Township was changed to show support for an insurrection at that time in Cuba.
Nearby Nature Areas:
Copyright (text/photos): Andrew Morkes
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)