Riis Park Natural Area Offers Birding, Fishing, and Nature Walks on Chicago’s North Side

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, biking, birdwatching, Chicago, chicago park district, Chicago Parks, Chicago Parks District Natural Areas Program, fall colors, fishing, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, sledding, spring wildflowers, volunteering, winter activities

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

I would be a terrible public relations specialist or marketing maven…

Areas of Riis Park Natural Area, and greater Riis Park, are filled with broken glass, empty beer cans, the remnants of fast-food meals, and other detritus of human life. Geese, and their droppings, are everywhere. One of its parking lots is in terrible shape, and graffiti mars several walls and other areas.

But lurking beneath this urban mess is a beautiful, tree-filled park with rolling hills (which families use for sledding in the winter). The Riis Park Natural Area (6100 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639)—with its lagoon, native plantings, and dense tree cover—has become a popular birdwatching spot in the city. The park offers many amenities for residents of the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood and others (which I’ll cover later in this article). 

But despite its drawbacks, the natural area, and the park overall, are filled with “city energy”—people of all ages and many cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds outside enjoying the park and their lives. Riis Park is a place of beauty; a spot for exercise, conversation, or contemplation; and a “pressure release valve” for those who live in cramped apartments or who cannot travel far from home to enjoy larger and better developed natural areas.  

So, it’s fitting that the park is named after Jacob Riis (1849-1914), a journalist and photographer from New York City. According to the Chicago Park District, “Riis drew national attention to the plight of the inner-city poor through his expose, How the Other Half Lives. He advocated the creation of small playgrounds to provide ‘breathing spaces’ for densely-populated urban neighborhoods. His 1898 speech at Chicago’s Hull House inspired local reformers to petition for city playgrounds.”

The 57-acre Riis Park is separated by a steep glacial ridge, a remnant of the shoreline of Lake Chicago. The eastern part of the park contains a Georgian-revival fieldhouse (designed by Walter W. Alschlager) and is surrounded by various athletic courts and fields. The western portion of the park, which includes the natural area, was designed by landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, who also designed the Lily Pool in Chicago’s Lincoln Park; the beautiful Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa; and other beautiful public spaces.

I visited Riis Park and its natural area last week on a partly cloudy day in the high 60s. What struck me about my visit was the high levels of both human and animal activity at the park on a weekday. The park was filled with solo walkers, couples, and intergenerational families enjoying the natural area and the paths of the park. There were bicyclists and runners, as well as some young people using the athletic fields.

In terms of wildlife, squirrels and geese ruled the park—at least on this early October day. In just one small area, there were dozens of squirrels (including several black phase gray squirrels) foraging for food. Some, who were used to being fed by visitors, approached me and looked surprised that I wasn’t doling out unhealthy human food to them. I saw many geese in the two-acre natural area, the lagoon, and nearby groves, including an entire goose soccer team (minus the goalie) on the soccer field. Mallard ducks swam in the lagoon, and I was amazed at how closely a group of thrushes (I think) got to me as they suddenly appeared from above and settled into the bushes to feed near the water. Nearly 170 bird species have been sighted at Riis Park, according to eBird. In addition, eBird reports that some of the species that have been recorded at this spot more frequently than their regional average include northern waterthrushes, rose-breasted grosbeaks, Swainson’s thrushes, gray-cheeked thrushes, bay-breasted warblers, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. You may also see warbling vireos, chimney swifts, spotted sandpipers, cedar waxwings, black-crowned night herons, great blue herons, Cooper’s hawks, and downy woodpeckers.

In addition to birdwatching, a fishing pier is located in the natural area. Bluegills and catfish live in the lagoon, and you may also see turtles (red-eared sliders) and frogs. The Chicago West Belmont Branch Library (3104 N. Narragansett Avenue, Chicago 60634, 312/746-5142) offers fishing kits that can be checked out. A representative from the West Belmont Branch told me that the branch “has fishing rods and beginner tackle packets available to check out for three weeks. They are listed in our catalog as “Fishing Rod and Reel,” so it can be tricky to find. You will need an adult library card to check them out and they must be returned to the same branch. Tackle packets do not need to be returned.”

I enjoyed my walk and explorations at Riis Park and its natural area, but visitors should be prepared to encounter occasional trash (piles of it in some areas) and graffiti at the park. I’m used to the occasional messiness of Chicago life as a city person who has spent 56+ years living, working, recreating, and learning throughout the city. The messiness is not surprising given the fact that 2.7 million residents (plus visitors) are packed into 228 square miles of Chicago living space. Should we do better regarding the trash and graffiti? Absolutely, because who wants to visit a dirty park, and it’s tacky and gross to litter. But long-term solutions are beyond the focus of a short article about a city park (but I certainly have my ideas). But instead of just complaining, I picked up a few pieces of garbage (not the piles of discarded chicken wings) and disposed of them properly. Perhaps you could do the same during your visit. The Chicago Parks District’s Natural Areas Program hosts stewardship days for cleanup and restoration of its 100 natural areas, including Riis Park Natural Area. Click here for a list of stewardship days. Additionally, the Riis Park Advisory Council advocates for park facility upgrades, youth sports programs, and cultural summer festivals at the park. It holds meeting every first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.

Before You Go

The natural area is open from dawn to dusk.

No dogs or other pets are allowed in the natural area.

Feeding wildlife is prohibited

No use of motorized vehicle use is allowed in the natural area, except for mobility devices used by those with physical limitations.

Swimming and wading are forbidden in the natural area.

Windy City Bird Lab hosts free birding series at Riis Park.

The Facebook group, Nature in Riis Park (Chicago), is a great place to view photos of birds and other wildlife at the park.

Riis Park offers many recreational opportunities. The Chicago Park District reports that the “park features a newly renovated fieldhouse equipped with a gymnasium, an assembly hall with a stage, teen center, and multi-purpose rooms. Visitors can enjoy a water park designed for young children, a large swimming pool with a changing area, and a track for running or walking. Sports enthusiasts can watch a soccer match on the artificial turf field or play on one of the park’s 10 tennis courts.”

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

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

Bay-breasted Warbler, Alan Schmierer, USFWS; Black-crowned Night Heron Sandra Uecker, USFWS; Cedar Waxwing, Bill Thompson, USFWS; Great Blue Heron, George Gentry, USFWS; Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Courtney Celley, USFWS; Spotted Sandpiper, Jim Hudgins, USFWS; Swainson’s Thrush-Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust; Turtle-Red-eared Slider, Steve Hillebrand, USFWS; Warbling Vireo, Dave Menke, USFWS; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yazoo NWR, 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.

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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). 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, six of my photographs were featured in the 2026 Beverly Art Walk.

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