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
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
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED JULY 2024 Bright sunshine. Vast skies loaded with white, fluffy clouds. Warm gusts of wind. Butterflies and dragonflies. Absolute solitude. No 24-hour news cycle. In short: I had nothing to complain about during my visit last week to 320-acre Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve in … Continue reading 7 Things to Do at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG UPDATED JUNE 2025 Spending outdoors is great unless the weather is life-threatingly cold or hot or other conditions (e.g., wildfire smoke) exist that make it unsafe. But on some days, we just need to stay safe. The good news: there are many nature … Continue reading More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Boiling Hot Day
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024 Nachusa Grasslands is a wild and wonderful place and an environmental restoration success story. And to top that, it has bison on-site. And there are sandstone cliffs to see and ponds and creeks to explore. What more can you ask for? The … Continue reading Nachusa Grasslands: See Bison, Savor Solitude, and Hike Through Biodiversity Hotspots
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Nestled near steel processing plants, a massive landfill, and busy railroad lines and roads lies a beautiful nature area that is an oasis for both resident and migrating birds. Hegewisch Marsh Park (13200-13298 S. Torrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60633) features 129 acres of native marsh, … Continue reading Hegewisch Marsh Park: Great Birdwatching and Hiking and an Inspiring Story of Ongoing Environmental Restoration
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
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
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!
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND The Forest Preserves of Cook County feature 70,000+ acres of beautiful public land. Its prairies, forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams, and savannah provide excellent opportunities for hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, horseback riding, running, cross-country skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, swimming, and other forms of outdoor recreation. It … Continue reading 8 Reasons You Should Vote Yes for the Cook County Forest Preserves on Election Day and 11 Spots to Visit