BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
White trillium blooms were everywhere in Shaw Woods at Skokie River Nature Preserve in Lake Forest, Illinois. I felt like I could stay there all-day soaking in the blooms and the silence of the woods. I also saw prairie trilliums, bristly buttercups, Virginia bluebells, and shooting stars amidst the white trillium blooms. And there were dense colonies of Mayapples that looked like mini one-foot baby forests under the massive oaks at the preserve. A curious deer joined me as I gazed at the flowers, but she eventually moved on to other curiosities. Shaw Woods and neighboring Shaw Prairie are some of the most ecologically important areas of the 81-acre Skokie River Nature Preserve. “The pristine portion of the preserve was never plowed and only lightly grazed,” according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. Nature properties such as Skokie River are “permanently protected by state law . . . these lands are the last remnants of the Illinois wilderness.”
I visited Skokie River Nature Preserve last Thursday on a partly sunny breezy day in the low-to-mid 50s. It was the kind of Chicago-area spring day in which you question your clothing choices every few minutes (i.e., underdressed!? overdressed!?) based on the amount of sun beaming down, the speed of the wind, and the frequency of the spits of rain.
Regardless, I had a great hike on grass, stone, woodchip, and dirt trails at Lake Forest Open Lands’ oldest and largest nature preserve, which features nearly four miles of trails that travel along and cross the Skokie River and pass through woods and large areas of prairies and meadows. Shaw Woods was the star during my spring visit, but I bet the savanna, prairie, and sedge meadows put on an amazing show during the summer and early fall. “In late summer and early fall, the giant prairie forbs and grasses arch over the footpaths revealing the richness of the prairie,” according to the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. “Compass plant, leadplant, prairie phlox, hoary puccoon, and Indian plantain are some of the many plants found in the preserve.”
There is also great birdwatching, although the only birds I saw were a mob of robins. More than 185 bird species have been sighted at Skokie River Nature Preserve, according to eBird. (So, one down and more than 184 species to go at the preserve for me!) Visitors who have sighted more than robins have seen wood thrush, great horned owl, blue-headed vireo, northern waterthrush, Tennessee warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, and many other species.
I enjoyed the ever-changing habitats at the preserve and crossing its several scenic bridges. The trails along the Skokie River were especially pretty at this time of the year. There is even a swinging bridge at the preserve, which is fun to cross. The original structure dates to 1887. But the current bridge was restored and reopened in December 2008. In certain areas of the preserve, you’ll pass large houses that border the preserve. Walking on the trail below one made me feel as if I was on the estate of a mini-Downton Abbey.
Skokie River Nature Preserve is a splendid place to spend a few hours in any season. After your visit, you should check out one or more of the Lake Forest Open Lands Association’s other nine preserves. Here’s a map of its preserves. The association restores and maintains 930 acres of natural areas.
Before You Go
Per the association’s website: Access to the Skokie River Nature Preserve is at the west end of Laurel Avenue, west of Green Bay Road. Park at the end of West Laurel Avenue and walk on the bike path across the bridge to the wood-chipped trail on the right. The GPS coordinates for the preserve can be accessed here.
The preserve is open year round to the public from dawn until dusk.
There is a small parking lot at the preserve, but no washroom facilities.
The Skokie Valley Bike Path passes the entrance to the preserve.
No bikes allowed.
Per the association: “All dog owners visiting the preserves must be registered members of Lake Forest Open Lands with dog walking privileges and display a current association dog-walking parking decal.”
Hiking Quibble: There is little directional signage on the trails. It would be nice to have some signage at the preserve to help direct wayward hikers. Here’s a trail map to keep you on the right path.
As you hike, look for the delicate white lady’s slipper orchid, a threatened species in Illinois. In 2009, it was rediscovered along a path in the preserve. The orchid only grows in high-quality wet prairie conditions.
The most-eastern trails at the preserve pass Ragdale, a nonprofit artist community.
One of the entrances to the James Field Riverwalk Trail and the 71-acre Derwen Mawr Nature Preserve are located a block or so east of the parking lot at Skokie River Nature Preserve.
Copyright (text, except quoted material): © Andrew Morkes
Copyright (photos): © Andrew Morkes; except all bird photos, copyright US Fish and Wildlife Service
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 a writer and editor 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 80 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, College Readiness: The Vault Guide for High School Juniors and Seniors, the Vault Career Guide to Consulting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series), Lerner Publishing, and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades, Hands-On Careers, Social Media Today, Woman in STEM Careers, Getting Started, and Cool Careers in Science series).
Here’s a list of the environmental- and clean energy-focused titles that I’ve written or co-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)
- Women in Environmental Sciences (Women in STEM Careers)
Articles about my work have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Practical Homeschooling, and other publications. My photographs of musicians, artists, and the natural world have been published in several books. My poetry has been published in Cadence, Wisconsin Review, Poetry Motel, Strong Coffee, and Mid-America Review. As an amateur artist, I’m pleased to say that four of my paintings were included in the 2025 Beverly Art Walk.
