Category: biking

Goodbye 2023…Hello 2024!

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, bouldering, camping, canoeing, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, climbing, conservation, cross-country skiing, Des Plaines River, fall colors, farms, fens, fishing, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, glacial kames, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, nature centers, prairies, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" I want to thank my "Nature in Chicagoland" readers for visiting my blog in 2023. Last year, my blog received the most reader views and visits in its nearly seven-year history, and I'm grateful to those who take the time to read my stories and … Continue reading Goodbye 2023…Hello 2024!

More Than 25 Illinois Nature Preserves to Visit to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, canoeing, canyons, conservation, cross-country skiing, Des Plaines River, eskers, fall colors, fens, fishing, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, glacial kames, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, nature centers, prairies, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, volunteering, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND In 1963, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, which created the means of protecting the state’s rarest and most endangered landscapes. The act established the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) to “preserve, protect, and defend natural areas and endangered species … Continue reading More Than 25 Illinois Nature Preserves to Visit to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission

Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve: Enjoy a Challenging Hike on a Glacial Kame, Go Sledding, and Search for the Mysterious Face on a Tree

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, glacial kames, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND The forested hills of Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve (41W600 Hughes Road, Elburn, IL 60119) reminded me of some sort of nature castle above the mostly flat farm fields that surrounded it. As I drove toward the preserve on a late-April day, farmers were at work … Continue reading Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve: Enjoy a Challenging Hike on a Glacial Kame, Go Sledding, and Search for the Mysterious Face on a Tree

10 Thoughts About Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve and Fall in Chicagoland’s Forest Preserves

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, eskers, fall colors, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I spent more than three blissful hours at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve last Tuesday. I hiked more than 6 miles and, if you can believe the 1s and 0s, my phone told me that I’d walked up the equivalent of 32 floors during my … Continue reading 10 Thoughts About Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve and Fall in Chicagoland’s Forest Preserves

Steelworkers Park: Opportunities to Climb a 30-Foot Ore Wall, Learn About Chicago’s Industrial History, and Enjoy Nature

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, bouldering, Chicago, chicago park district, Chicago Parks, climbing, conservation, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, Lake Michigan, local history, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Industrial, smoke-belching dragons once loomed along the southern shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. These steel mills were tended by tens of thousands of workers who manufactured the steel that was used to build the bridges, buildings, Pullman rail cars, and other structures of America. … Continue reading Steelworkers Park: Opportunities to Climb a 30-Foot Ore Wall, Learn About Chicago’s Industrial History, and Enjoy Nature

17 Things to Do Outdoors in Chicagoland This Summer 

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, conservation, Driftless Region, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, gardening, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake Michigan, local history, museums, National Park Service, nature art, nature centers, prairies, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Summer officially began at 9:58 A.M. this morning, although I'm sure you've been enjoying our beautiful weather for awhile. But, despite global climate change, summer remains short in Chicagoland. In just a few months, our kids will be back in school, and a month or … Continue reading 17 Things to Do Outdoors in Chicagoland This Summer 

Buffalo Rock State Park: Awesome Views of the Illinois River, Earth Art, and Tranquility

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, camping, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, nature art, prairies, settlers and Indians, snowshoeing, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I was looking for the 650-foot-long turtle, but what I was really seeking was state park solitude.   I'd visited two other Illinois state parks in LaSalle County earlier in the day. The first two were jammed with people enjoying the trails, deep sandstone canyons, … Continue reading Buffalo Rock State Park: Awesome Views of the Illinois River, Earth Art, and Tranquility

Celebrating the Six-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, Chicago stories, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, kayaking, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake Michigan, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, National Park Service, nature centers, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Today is the six-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland, and I'm so happy to have written more than 225 articles about the woods, wetlands, prairies, lakes, and other natural areas that make up Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. I'm pleased that Nature in Chicagoland has … Continue reading Celebrating the Six-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

Pine Dunes Forest Preserve: Birding, Biking, and Easy Hiking

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, fall colors, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Looking for a place where you can: view as many birds as possible have the chance to hike several miles on a loop trail enjoy some solitude visit someplace new If so, you should visit Pine Dunes Forest Preserve, which is located in Antioch, Illinois, … Continue reading Pine Dunes Forest Preserve: Birding, Biking, and Easy Hiking

Goodbye 2022…Hello 2023!

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, books, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, conservation, conservatories, fall colors, fens, fishing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, National Park Service, nature art, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2022. I continue to love writing this blog, and wish I had more time in my daily life to do so. I visited many nature destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West … Continue reading Goodbye 2022…Hello 2023!