Finding peace and enjoying time with my son via neighborhood walks during COVID-19 The wildest place in Cook County 85+ places to visit in the Chicagoland area and beyond A good spot for hiking, running, biking, and otherwise recreating during COVID-19 Great hiking and biking and remnants of the Manhattan Project An interview with one … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in April 2020
40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a fishing pond–all in a Chicago neighborhood Ghost stories of Chicago's southwest suburbs and my own ghost story Thoughts on hoarding, kindness, and COVID-19 12 wonderful, interesting, and fun things about my mom 75+ places to visit in the Chicagoland area and beyond Wild woods, local history, … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in March 2020
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Today is the three-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland. In the last 1,095 days, I’ve published more than 120 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 … Continue reading Celebrating the Three-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland
An excellent destination if you're tired of the flat, boring topography of most of Chicagoland A story of three funeral directors (one of whom was my father) 8 places to see bison in Chicagoland and the Midwest My endorsement for commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago The wildest nature destination in … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in February 2020
40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a fishing pond–all in a Chicago neighborhood 12 tips for a great winter hike 20+ museums, nature centers, and other destinations to visit in Chicagoland on a winter day 14 beautiful National Park destinations–start your spring and summer trip planning Great hiking and biking and remnants of … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in January 2020
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND It's a snowy weekend in Chicago, but that's no reason to stay at home. A 10-mile winter hike = NO! Camping = NO! But you can still get out and take a short walk or, more realistically, enjoy one of our area's many natured-oriented places, museums, and … Continue reading More Than 20 Museums, Nature Centers, and Other Destinations to Visit In Chicagoland on a Winter Day
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank all my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2019. In nearly 35 blog posts and more than 59,000 words (I didn’t count them, so I’ll have to trust my data analytics software), I’ve covered everything from an adventurous trip down … Continue reading Goodbye 2019!…Hello 2020
A beautiful, hilly area of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota that will have you saying, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in the flat Midwest anymore.” A story about a company that puts its employees and protecting the environment ahead of profit 40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a pond–all in Chicago's Bridgeport … Continue reading The 8 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in November 2019
North Park Village Nature Center, Chicago, Illinois (copyright Andrew Morkes) UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024 For the 10 straight year, outdoor gear and sporting goods retailer REI has announced that it will close its 181 stores in the United States on Black Friday (November 29, the biggest shopping day of the year), process no online sales, and … Continue reading Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of REI’s #OptOutside Movement and 10+ Chicagoland Nature Spots to Visit on Black Friday and Beyond
Ghost stories of Chicago’s southwest suburbs and my own ghost story The wildest nature destination in Cook County The story of a 100-year-old home gobbled up by developers The only open-water quaking bog in Illinois 2,500 acres of rolling hills and towering cliffs above the confluence of the great Mississippi and Apple Rivers 8 places to … Continue reading THE 10 MOST-POPULAR STORIES AT NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND IN OCTOBER 2019