Kishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area Offers Great Hiking and Birding and an Excellent Restored Prairie

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

Last week, I spent lots of time roaming McHenry County, Illinois. I saw farms . . . and more farms. Big skies. Horses, sheep, and cows. Lots of American flags. And several amazing nature destinations, where I barely saw a soul. This was great news for a city guy who is used to seeing way too many people and cars, as well as miles and miles of concrete.

I’ll be publishing some articles about excellent destinations in the county over the next several weeks and beyond. I had a destination list for my visit, and Kishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area (enter: US Highway 14 & Dean Street) was not on it. But as I passed it, something told me to turn around and check it out.

I was not disappointed. Kishwaukee Headwaters in Woodstock, Illinois, is a wetland, sedge meadow, and savanna complex that—at this moment—is filled with a bevy of late-summer wildflowers. I saw chicory, compass plant, goldenrod, prairie dock, purple coneflower, prairie ironweed, and milkweed in bloom during my visit.

You will not see a river here, but the beginnings of a great one. The Kishwaukee River is not just a run-of-the-mill river. It’s recognized as one of the most biologically rich river systems in the Prairie State, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources classifies it as a biologically significant stream. “Beginning as a simple trickle or seep, the wetland communities of this site and the area directly to the north supply the initial surface flow of the Kishwaukee River,” according to the McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD), which manages the site. The Kishwaukee River Basin consists of approximately 1,218 square miles, and the mainstem of the river empties into the Rock River about three miles south of Rockford, Illinois.

Just a little over 20 years ago (in 2005), the last crops were harvested from this land (after 150 years of farming), and the area was returned to its original prairie landscape. Interpretive signs at the site provide more information about the prairie restoration.

I visited Kishwaukee Headwaters on a sky blue, 79-degree day. I hiked the south loop trail (0.6 miles) and a small portion of the north loop trail (0.4 miles). The trails (1.45 miles) consist of wide mowed paths that travel at times through gentle hills. There’s little shade, so be sure to wear sunscreen. Here’s a trail map.

More than 110 bird species have been sighted at Kishwaukee Headwaters, according to eBird. Species include blue-winged teals, sandhill cranes, bluebirds, killdeers, red-tailed hawks, eastern meadowlarks, northern flickers, and American goldfinches. I unknowingly walked up to a beautiful American goldfinch on a small oak tree, and it looked just as surprised as me to encounter someone. Both of us had been caught up in our nature reverie, but we soon went our separate ways.

Kishwaukee Headwaters is the kind of place in which nature makes you feel small given the big skies and large stretches of prairie and wildflowers. But feeling humbled by the beauty of nature is sometimes a good thing. Your steps are intentional as the wind moves past you, the birds sing, butterflies dance amongst the blooms, dragonflies swoop down to investigate you, and the warm sun beams down on you and tricks you to think that winter will never come. It’s a place where one can easily lose themselves in the beautiful sights and sounds of nature and forget your troubles, and that’s what happened last week for me during my visit.

Before You Go

Open Daily, Sunrise to Sunset

There are 153 acres to enjoy at Kishwaukee Headwaters.

Enjoy a picnic at the shelter that overlooks the prairie.

There are washroom facilities on site.

The MCCD says that “the term ‘Kishwaukee’ is derived from the Pottawatomie word meaning ‘river of the sycamore.’ The Kishwaukee River delineates the northern most range of the sycamore, a tree species found along the river valleys and used by the Native Americans for dugout canoes.”

Copyright (text): © Andrew Morkes, except quoted material

Copyright (photos): © Andrew Morkes, except the following bird photos: Eastern Bluebird, N. Lewis, National Park Service; Eastern Meadowlark, Jim Hudgins, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Northern Flicker, Jeff Lemons-USFWS; Red-Tailed Hawk, Krista Lundgren, USFWS; Sandhill Crane, Courtney Celley, USFW

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.