BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
Horner Park is like many Chicago city parks—and then it isn’t, and that’s good news for nature lovers. According to the Chicago Park District, it has nine softball fields, a football/soccer field, three senior baseball diamonds with night baseball on two diamonds, four outdoor basketball standards, five tennis/pickleball courts, a playground, an outdoor fitness course, and a mini soccer pitch.
But Horner Park also has an amazing natural area with beautiful trails, extensive native plantings, and views of the Chicago River and sky that could convince wealthy misers to hand out $100 bills like they were nickels, make the Grinch change his plans about Christmas, and have our often-not-great leaders around the world turn their swords into plowshares.
Perhaps that’s a little bit of hyperbole, but Horner Park Natural Area is special—particularly for a nature area in a bustling city park.
First, let’s set the geographic scene. Horner Park (2741 W. Montrose Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618) is a 58-acre property that’s bordered by Montrose Avenue to the north, the North Branch of the Chicago River, Irving Park Road to the south, and California Avenue to the west. The Horner Park Natural Area is located along the river from Montrose to Irving Park Road.
In addition to all the activities that are available at Horner Park, here are six things you can do at 11-acre Horner Park Natural Area:
Go for a Hike
You can walk a half mile of top and lower trails that parallel one another along the river. At certain points during your hike, you can use connector segments to travel back and forth between the paths. On my visit, I parked on Montrose Avenue, entered the natural area, and then walked south mostly along the lower wood chip path. You’ll pass a series of ecosystems near the water and on the riverbank. The top trail (dirt) passes through oak savanna and other trees. I saw a snake on the top trail, but it moved too fast for a photograph. There are nice views of the river from both trails. Of course, there are 58 acres in the park and a good trail system. So, you can certainly hike greater distances in this vast city park.
Go Birding
More than 200 bird species have been sighted at Horner Park (including in the natural area), according to eBird. Great places to see birds include the dense tree canopies, the shore of the river, and the open water. I saw many red-winged blackbirds (one of whom dive-bombed my head as they’re wont to do), American coots, mallard ducks, and common grackles. Throughout my hike, the birdsong was loud and constant, and it even drowned out the sounds of day campers and boomboxes when I was near the river.
Some other bird species that have been sighted include green and great blue herons; great egrets; sandhill cranes; solitary sandpipers; common yellowthroats; song sparrows; American goldfinches; cedar waxwings, American redstarts; blue-gray gnatcatchers; eastern warbling vireos; blue-headed vireos; eastern wood-pewee, chestnut-sided, black-and-white, black-throated green, Cape May, northern yellow, palm, and Tennessee warblers; northern parulas, and Baltimore orioles. A bald eagle was even recently sighted at the park. It’s so great to see eagles returning to our city. You might see other types of wildlife such as coyotes, racoons, and opossums.
Enjoy the Native Wildflowers
Attention plein air landscape painters! Montrose Point Natural Area is calling your name. The wildflowers along the river on the riverbank were stunning. Ohio and western spiderwort, white wild indigo, red columbine, and yellow sweet clover were in bloom during my visit.
In 2018, the Chicago Park District and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers completed a project to stabilize the riverbank and provide better recreational access to the river. (And there were also subsequent efforts to repair the trails after heavy flooding.) More than 10,000 native plants and trees were planted as part of the project. The park district and volunteers from the Horner Park Advisory Council (https://www.hornerpark.org/natural-areas) and Friends of the Chicago River (https://www.chicagoriver.org) work to maintain the area.
Go Fishing
I saw several people fishing during my visit. When fishing on the North Branch of the Chicago River, you’re most likely to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, and common carp. But you may also catch brook trout, northern pike, black crappie, channel catfish, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white bass, white perch, white sucker, and yellow bullhead. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers a useful guide to many of the fish species that live in the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Here’s a cool graphic that features more than 30 species of fish that are found in the river.
Check Out the Coiled Serpent Mound
The mound, which was designed by indigenous artist X and landscape architect Nilay Mistry, celebrates the effigy and other mounds that were built by Native American cultures who once lived along the rivers and other waterways of the Midwest. Effigy mounds consist of raised masses of earth in the shape of animals, humans, or other symbols. At the mound, which is located in the southeast corner of the park, you can walk up a spiraling path to its top. There’s also a QR code that visitors can scan to participate in an augmented-reality experience that focuses on the past, present, and future of Native Americans in the Midwest.
Volunteer
You can help keep Horner Park beautiful by volunteering with the Horner Park Advisory Council. Volunteer opportunities with the council include one-day park stewardship events and the opportunity to serve on one of its committees (Stewardship, Concerts, Dog Friendly Area, Communications, Farmers Market). Friends of the Chicago River also provides extensive volunteer opportunities.
Before You Go
Chicago Park District natural areas are open from dawn to dusk. The park itself is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
No-Nos in the natural area: No biking, dogs, or wildflower or other collecting,
Public transportation: DIVVY Bike racks are available at the northeast corner and west entrances to the park. The 78 bus runs west and east along Montrose Avenue. You can also access the park from Western (via the 49 Western Bus line).
The Chicago Ornithological Society is a great resource for all things birding in Chicago.
The park, one of the largest on the North Side, is named after Henry Horner (1878–1940), a native Chicagoan who was Illinois’ first Jewish governor, as well as a judge of the Cook County Probate Court.
Additional areas/activities of note at or near Horner Park:
- A Dog Friendly Area (DFA): a “playspace for dogs and humans alike, our off-leash DFA features 25,000 square feet of fun, boasting a water play area, a small dog area, a drinking fountain, natural landscapes and benches,” according to the park district. https://www.hornerpark.org/dog-friendly-area
- Horner Park Brew Fest
- Summer Concert Series
- Horner Park Farmers Market (June to October)
- Horner Park Woodcraft Room
- Nearby bars: Feather & Tail and Crust Tap Room
Copyright (text, except quoted material): © Andrew Morkes
Copyright (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 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.
