Chicago, IL: Blackwell Forest Preserve
Link a DuPage county high point, oak and hickory woodlands, a marshy pit-stop for migrating birds, and the hiding spot for a woolly mammoth on this 6.1-miler west of Chicago.
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
The Blackwell Forest Preserve is home to DuPage County’s first wetland restoration project: McKee Marsh. Now the centerpiece of the preserve, the large marsh hosts dozens of species of migratory birds including herons, egrets, bluebirds, and bobolinks. This 6.1-mile lollipop loop links the multi-use regional trail through the park’s southern side with the 2.3-mile interpretive loop around the marsh itself.
Begin at the lot just north of Butterfield Road and head west around White Pine Pond, skirting Mt. Hoy’s western edge (after this hike, trek up the 150-foot slope on its eastern side for 30-mile views of downtown). The wide, gravel path ducks into oak, hickory, and elm groves headed north across Springbrook Creek before crossing Mack Road.
Less than 2 miles in, turn right onto the Bobolink Trail for a 2.3-mile loop; first through wildflower-sprinkled prairie grasslands, then around the west side of McKee Marsh. Early and late in the day, you’re likely to see deer browsing goldenrod, milkweed, aster, and other prairie plants along this stretch. Look for interpretive signs explaining local wildlife and the area’s glacial history as you complete the loop and begin backtracking south toward the trailhead.
-Mapped by Ted Villaire
Trail Facts
- Distance: 10.0
Waypoints
065
Location: 39.3628519, -106.3116558
29-SEP-09 3:56:25PM
066
Location: 39.3595267, -106.3188057
29-SEP-09 4:10:54PM
067
Location: 39.358882, -106.3198545
29-SEP-09 4:21:10PM
068
Location: 39.3568656, -106.3209587
29-SEP-09 4:26:01PM
069
Location: 39.3547371, -106.3259125
29-SEP-09 4:32:59PM
070
Location: 39.3539227, -106.3398316
29-SEP-09 4:51:25PM
071
Location: 39.3522068, -106.3496393
29-SEP-09 5:06:43PM
072
Location: 39.3507501, -106.350006
29-SEP-09 5:16:15PM
073
Location: 39.3478751, -106.3588101
29-SEP-09 5:44:20PM
074
Location: 39.3473657, -106.360081
29-SEP-09 5:48:35PM
075
Location: 39.3446014, -106.3598578
29-SEP-09 5:55:16PM
076
Location: 39.3439687, -106.3761556
29-SEP-09 6:19:38PM
077
Location: 39.3420071, -106.3785343
29-SEP-09 6:34:31PM
078
Location: 39.340991, -106.3822141
29-SEP-09 6:40:27PM
079
Location: 39.3396522, -106.3858835
29-SEP-09 6:48:20PM
080
Location: 39.3348049, -106.3904565
29-SEP-09 7:01:37PM
081
Location: 39.3341944, -106.3929872
29-SEP-09 7:05:15PM
082
Location: 39.332982, -106.3964481
29-SEP-09 7:11:47PM
083
Location: 39.3318699, -106.3979355
29-SEP-09 7:15:51PM
084
Location: 39.3310019, -106.3997679
29-SEP-09 7:19:30PM
088
Location: 39.3268018, -106.4088364
30-SEP-09 10:04:47AM
089
Location: 39.3193393, -106.4103337
30-SEP-09 10:44:05AM
090
Location: 39.317444, -106.4079562
30-SEP-09 10:52:30AM
091
Location: 39.3078778, -106.405225
30-SEP-09 11:32:59AM
092
Location: 39.3072428, -106.4075451
30-SEP-09 11:39:21AM
093
Location: 39.3025814, -106.4112404
30-SEP-09 11:48:51AM
094
Location: 39.3013471, -106.4155555
30-SEP-09 11:56:43AM
095
Location: 39.2994905, -106.4175974
30-SEP-09 12:06:43PM
096
Location: 39.2984978, -106.4203234
30-SEP-09 12:15:27PM
097
Location: 39.2973959, -106.4227806
30-SEP-09 12:20:55PM
098
Location: 39.2953961, -106.4326236
30-SEP-09 12:47:28PM
099
Location: 39.2953982, -106.4326182
30-SEP-09 12:47:33PM
100
Location: 39.2938928, -106.4339416
30-SEP-09 12:52:52PM
101
Location: 39.2881637, -106.4395857
30-SEP-09 1:16:27PM
102
Location: 39.2852379, -106.441589
30-SEP-09 1:26:38PM
103
Location: 39.2849603, -106.4441486
30-SEP-09 1:31:15PM
104
Location: 39.2853039, -106.4460704
30-SEP-09 1:34:38PM
