Great hiking and fantastic views of the Missipppi and Apple Rivers Beautiful, secluded beaches, towering sand dunes, and top-notch hiking trails just 50 miles from Chicago A beautiful nature center on the DuPage River that has easy hiking trails, live animals, a play area for children, and much more 8 places to see bison in … Continue reading The 8 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in July 2019
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN 2019; THE LEGO EXHIBIT HAS CLOSED. What would life be like without LEGOs (or LEGO® bricks as The LEGO Group likes to call them)? Well, the floors of my house would be cleaner and I’d have fewer cuts on … Continue reading LEGO Exhibit at Morton Arboretum Helps Kids Connect With Nature
An excellent destination if you're tired of the flat, boring topography of most of Chicagoland More than 200 Native American burial mounds in what many consider to be one of the most beautiful areas of the Upper Mississippi River Valley A beautiful nature area with easy trails, a nature center with live animals and a … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in June 2019
Where: 7402 W. Lake Katherine Drive, Palos Heights, IL, 60463, 708/361-1873, Facebook, Map Open: Nature Center: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park is open daily from dawn until dusk. Quick Review: A beautiful nature area with easy trails, a nature center with live animals and a play … Continue reading 11 Things to Do at Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens
The story of a fun journey from Chicago to Washington, DC, by train The wildest nature spot in Cook County The remnants of the Manhattan Project…and some great hiking and biking opportunities One of the best places to see spring flowers in Chicagoland A personal ghost story and tales of Resurrection Mary and other ghosts … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in May 2019
Spring is here in Chicagoland—at least if you look at the calendar, but not the thermometer. Warmer weather is on the horizon, and summer will be here in no time. But before the hot, stifling days of summer are upon us, here are 15 things you should do outdoors this spring in Chicagoland: Photo courtesy … Continue reading 15 Things to Do Outdoors This Spring in Chicagoland
Willa Cather, one of my favorite authors, once described the Midwest (especially Nebraska) as a "Sea of Grass." But farms, miles of pavement, and cities and suburbs have replaced much of this vast ecosystem. This is especially true in Illinois, which is misleadingly known as the "Prairie State." Approximately 60 percent of Illinois, or about … Continue reading Author Discusses the Joys of the Tallgrass Prairie
Ghosts of ChicagolandBison! The wildest nature spot in Cook CountyThe remnants of the Manhattan Project…and some great hiking and biking opportunitiesA spring road trip idea for bird loversA book about a conservation pioneerAnd those crazy trolls that everyone loves at The Morton Arboretum These were the topics of the seven most-popular articles last month at … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in March 2019
Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland. In the last 730 days, I’ve published nearly 80 articles about the great outdoors. I've covered everything from eagle watching and views of the mighty Mississippi River at Mississippi Palisades State Park, to remnants of the Manhattan Project and great wildlife viewing in Red … Continue reading Celebrating the Two-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland
Chicagoland is currently playing the lead actor in a bomb of a play called "Polar Vortex." While you may not be able to take a long hike or go camping (unless you like risking frostbite after spending 30 minutes outdoors), there are many natured-oriented places, museums, and even an auto museum you can visit to … Continue reading 15+ Museums, Nature Centers, and Other Destinations to Visit in Chicagoland on a Teeth-Chattering Winter Day