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Posts Tagged ‘Will County Forest Preserves’

Winter Fun in Will County Forest Preserves

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Nature and Stress, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. Photo by Sue Shekut

For my birthday in November, my boyfriend took me to a lovely gentle hike at Goodenow Grove near the  Plum Creek Forest Preserve in Crete township. Now that the first snow has fallen, it’s a great time to bundle up yourself and your kids if you have kids) and head to Plum Creek for a cold hike or a sledding adventure!  Plus Creek has a fantastic nature preserve complete with stuffed owls, live snakes and a project area for kids to learn about nature and make artwork. The Plum Creek Nature Center is part of Will County Forest Preserves and it looks like Will County has spent their conservation budget well. The trail is well maintained, the sledding hill is large and wide enough for many people to spend the day sledding on and the nature center guides are knowledgeable and friendly. Check out more about the nature center here.

Goodenow Grove has about four miles of hiking trails that crisscross the preserve. The Trail of Thoughts is  a 0.5-mile paved loop, leads around a pond filled with a cattail marsh to a wildlife observation deck.. The Pine Grove Trail, a 1-mile loop with a natural surface, provides you with a scenic overlook from the highest point in the preserve. For info on the Goodenew Grove Nature Preserve or Plum Creek Nature Center link here.

Will County Forest Preserve Winter Activities

Ice Skating
There are ice skating ponds at both Goodenow Grove and Monee Reservoir open to the public when conditions allow. Ice thickness is checked daily and conditions are posted on the website.

Sledding
There is a 40-foot high sledding hill at Goodenow Grove. Bring their own plastic sleds (no runners allowed), or rent a tube  at Plum Creek Nature Center. (Nature center is located within Goodenow Grove. Tube rental requires a driver’s license or state ID and $1.00/day/tube fee. after sledding you can warm up inside the Nature Center by the fireplace and enjoy a variety of nature-related exhibits. Goodenow Grove sled hill conditions are posted on the website.

As of 2010 a new new sledding hill is open at Butcher Road in the Forked Creek Greenway in Wilmington. This natural hill is not monitored for sledding conditions.

Snowshoeing
Enjoy snowshoeing  the winter trails in the Monee Reservoir’s 2.5-mile trail. You can bring your own or rent snowshoes at the Monee Reservoir concessions building. Then warm up by a wood-burning stove after your trek.

Cross-Country Skiing
Bring your cross country skills to Monee Reservoir, Goodenow Grove, and many other preserves to enjoy the quiet of nature in the winter and burn a lot of calories tredging along the trails..

Our Fall Hike Pics November, 2010 of Goodenew Grove and Plum Creek Nature Center

Plum Creek Nature Center. Photo by Sue Shekut

Trails at the Goodenew Grove Nature Preserve are well mapped and well marked.

Hiking Trails at Goodenow Grove. Photo by Sue Shekut

It’s difficult to get a perspective of how high the sledding hill is from the photo. But is’ a decent sized hill, high and wide enough for sledding.

View of the Sledding Hill from the Top at Goodenow Grove. Photo by Sue Shekut

The Hiking/Snowshoeing Path Sneaks Around a creek

Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. Photo by Sue Shekut

The nature center at Plum Creek is top notch!

Inside Plum Creek Nature Center. Photo by Sue Shekut

Snakes are one of the many animals kids can meet at the Plum Creek Nature Center. The Guide holds a gentle snake and let me pet it. Kids can too!

Plum Creek Nature Guide Showing off gentle snake. Photo by Sue Shekut

You know a forest preserve is a place to see and be seen when the rap community deems it a good place to shoot a video!

A Young Rap Artist Shooting a video on Goodenow Grove sledding hill! Photo by Sue Shekut

My boyfriend and I prefer to let our shadows leave our mark, instead of littering or damaging nature preserve property on our hike.

Goodenow Grove Forest Presrve in the Shadows! Photo by Sue Shekut

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Fitness in the Forest-Part I

Posted in Fitness, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 25, 2009| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Licensed Massage Therapist, ACSM Personal Trainer, Certified Wellness Coach, Owner, Working Well Massage

Some people go to the gym to workout, which is great. These days, between working many hours and long commutes, it’s tough to find time to workout and relax and still spend time with your loved ones. Why not combine your fitness routine with a little nature, add your family and or friends and explore the peace and fresh air afforded you by spending time in the forest.

In the Chicago area, there are approximately 50-60 different forest preserve trails within an hour or so of the downtown area. Many people enjoy the lakefront, but that’s the problem–many people. If you want a quieter bike ride, hike or even a horseback ride, the Forest Preserves are less crowded, much more wooded and often actually quiet!

Biking in the Forest Preserves
Biking in the Forest Preserves can be a great workout and a nice way to relax, enjoy the company of family and friends and see something other than buildings, concrete and cars. Speed training or racing is not permitted so you are less likely to get run over by a fast-paced bike racer!

Biking in the Forest Preserves

Families with small children can take their little ones along on bike rides with a bike trailer such as the Childrens bike trailers shown here.

On one our of forest preserve bike rides, we came across a family that brought along the bikes for mom and dad and the eldest daughter, then packed up their two little girls in the bike trailer for the dad to pull. In this way, the whole family got to ride together and dad got a super workout (especially up hills!)

Family fun on bikes in the Forest

Info on bike carrier safety for children here.

Cook County Forest Preserves
Cook County Forest Preserves provides 100 miles of paved bicycle trails and over 200 miles of multi-use trails in the Forest Preserve for bikers, joggers, walkers (and in winter, snow shoe-ers and cross country skiers!) to enjoy. Cook County Trail System Maps here.

And did you know that in Cook County, there are 27 lakes, ponds, quarries, reservoirs and sloughs to enjoy! Check out the listing of water sources in Cook County here.

View of Lake from biking trail

DuPage Forest Preserves
DuPage Forest Preserves offer over 145 miles of on-foot explorations from seldom-traveled footpaths to wide limestone trails.

DuPage Forest Preserves trail listing and hiking maps here.

DuPage County Forest Preserve Locator Map here.

Lake County Forest Preserves
Lake County Forest Preserves offers Forest Fitness sessions which are “Fast-paced group fitness hikes feature a different preserve each week.” For more info click here.

Lake County Forest Preserves Map here.

Will County Forest Preserves

Will Country Forest Preserves trail system list.

Will County trail Systems Map here.

Where ever you live, there are likely forest preserves and national parks in your area. Take advantage of this free (no membership needed!) natural gym for you and your family. And get your fitness in the forest!

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