Visit Winding Creek Conservation Area for Spectacular Skies, Great Hiking, Birdwatching, and Fishing

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, fall colors, fishing, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG (FOUNDED IN 2017) AND BOOK

I knew Winding Creek Conservation Area (8415 Johnson Road, Hebron, IL 60034) was a winner the moment I pulled into its first parking lot. Blue skies reigned overhead, and you could see clear to the horizon in this wide-open space in McHenry County. It was a beautiful late-summer day in the mid-70s. Much of the prairie was still in bloom. And I had the place to myself.

I parked in the Early Morning Parking (EMP) area (see the map for details). At the conservation area, a 1.7-mile looped hiking trail traverses a restored prairie and woodland. You can also drive past the EMP area to the main parking lot and hike a short trail to the conservation area’s pond.

I hiked south from the parking lot. Copious offerings of purple asters and goldenrod, as well as a few prairie dock and other plants, further brightened the day. The wide, mowed grass trail gradually turned west. The steady sound of crickets—as well as a yellow butterfly that I couldn’t identify—accompanied me as I walked. Stalks of compass plants and large clumps of big bluestem grass towered over me in many spots. Hawks soared above the prairie as I walked, and chipmunks ran across the trail just a few feet ahead. 

I hiked farther, enjoying the bright sun and the visual cavalcade of blooms and grasses. The wind blew suddenly, and I thought that someone had come up behind me. But it was just the big, sandpaper-like leaves of dry compass plants rubbing together (a sound that I heard throughout my hike). I laughed at my concerns and then was further surprised by a flock of finches suddenly alighting from the thick prairie grasses.

There’s great birdwatching at Winding Creek. Nearly 130 species have been sighted, according to eBird. Some of the species that have been recorded at Winding Creek more frequently than their regional average include yellow-throated vireos, magnolia warblers, eastern towhees, Cooper’s hawks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, black-throated green warblers, American redstarts, common yellowthroats, bay-breasted warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, red-eyed vireos, gray catbirds, belted kingfishers, and hairy woodpeckers.

I walked west and gradually moved from the full, hot sun to a shaded wooded area that featured oak and other trees. The temperature seemed to drop 10 degrees, and the number of blooms declined. Perhaps 25 percent of the loop trail travels through woodlands. A high-quality portion of Nippersink Creek is located past the trees to the southwest and west of the trail. I couldn’t see the creek, but perhaps it’s visible when the trees are bare. The McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) says that “future improvements on the site may include adding additional nature trails and secondary loops, and potentially an elevated boardwalk system along the northern bank of Nippersink Creek.”

I walked a bit more and reached a one-acre, “catch and release” fishing pond. A MCCD representative told me that the most-common game fish at the pond are largemouth bass, bluegill, and green sunfish. In 2025, the district stocked the pond with black crappie—the first year it had done so. Each year, the MCCD typically stocks the pond with 100 bluegill and 100 largemouth bass. In addition to fishing, you can take a 0.5-mile loop trail around the water and walk onto the pier and another overlook area. From the pond, you can head east to the main parking lot, where washroom facilities, a picnic shelter, and drinking water are available, or enter the latter portion of the loop trail through more woodlands and prairie.

I walked east on the loop trail. I savored a day that felt more like late August, rather than the second-to-last day of September. I felt happy to be alive. I occasionally stopped and soaked in the beautiful landscape, the blue sky that was now becoming a little cloudy, and all the little live things (e.g., birds, butterflies, dragonflies, chipmunks) that make it special to visit a natural area. I eventually reached my vehicle. It would have been nice to stay longer at Winding Creek, but I had a long trip home (1 hour and 20 minutes) ahead of me. I’ll be back.

Before You Go

Open daily, sunrise to sunset.

Click here to learn more about fishing rules and regulations. https://www.mccdistrict.org/visit___explore/things_to_do/fish.php

In the winter, Winding Creek offers a good spot for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

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

Copyright (photos): © Andrew Morkes, except the photos below:

American Redstart, Michael Sciortino, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); Belted Kingfisher, Alan Schmierer, USFWS; Black-Throated Green Warbler, N. Lewis, National Park Service; Common Yellowthroat, Jeremy Smith, USFWS; Cooper’s Hawk, Lane Wintermute, USFWS; Eastern Towhee, Bill Thompson, USFWS; Gray Catbird, Mike Carlo, USFWS; Hairy Woodpecker, Laurie Sheppard, USFWS; Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Courtney Celley, USFWS

Black Crappie, Sam Stukel, USFWS; Bluegill, Ryan Hagerty, USFWS; Green Sunfish, 20190814092151-Fredlyfish4, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Largemouth Bass, Ryan Hagerty, USFWS

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.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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). Many titles that I have written and edited have received positive reviews in Booklist; Voice of Youth Advocates; Library Bookwatch; CHOICE, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries (a division of the American Library Association); and other publications.

Here’s a list of the environmental- and clean energy-focused titles that I’ve written or co-written:

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. Additionally, five of my photographs were featured in the 2026 Beverly Art Walk.

Leave a Reply