![]() Now, more than 1,700 acres and 222,000 plants fill the space, and visitors are encouraged to learn about and appreciate our natural surroundings we so often seem to take for granted. ![]() Morton ArboretumĮstablished in 1922 by Joy Morton, the arboretum set out to create a museum of the outdoors. So, fill up your water bottle, lace up your shoes and learn to take the path less traveled. And although Chicago may not boast features like Colorado's Rocky Mountains or New England's endless hiking routes, it does include many trails and state parks close by. While some of these spots may require a bit of a drive on your end, we promise you-it's worth it. All three have pit toilets and water pumps.No matter if you're an experienced hiker or someone who only heads outdoors when they need to run errands, it's hard not to appreciate natural beauty and a sunny day. Lots of parking in three access locations, can get totally filled up during summer weekends. There is also a significant natural water fall in the SW corner that's off trail an hard to find. There is a tiny manmade water fall - not the reason for the name. The county forest preserve personnel get out there and groom/track the snow, sometimes. In the winter when there is a descent snow fall it's good for cross country skiing, until the god walkers and fat tire bike riders get out there and demolish the snow surface. High school track teams training that add to the scenery :-) and sometimes you see deer, snakes, etc. It gets quite crowded on summer weekends. The main attraction is a 9.5 mile crushed limestone path great for walking, running, and biking and cross country skiing in the winter. Roughly 4 square miles of forest preserve. It's not in any particular town - unincorporated DuPage County between Darien and Lemont. This is the major outdoor activity place in the area. If you don't want to walk very far to see the Rocky Glen Waterfalls then there is a Waterfall Parking lot that's off of Bluff Road from Route 83 and I believe you will see signs pointing tot he Rocky Glen Waterfalls off of the Rocky Glen Trail Further down I also saw the Sawmill Creek Bluff Overlook, which is an interesting site to see. ![]() Yes three miles is a hike however was rewarded in seeing the actual waterfalls and enjoying watching families relaxing and playing in the water. It was a good opportunity to hike and walk along the Main Trail, which is comprised of crushed gravel and enjoy the lush green trees along the way. Fortunately there are maps available at the Information sites and I ran into a lady walking her dogs who pointed me in the right direction, also there were signs pointing in the direction of the waterfalls. The Rocky Glen Waterfall was three miles from where I parked and it took me awhile to find it. There are a few ares within the forest preserve where you can park, I decided to park in the parking right off of Northgate, which is Mile 0.0. It is a very well-maintained forest preserve.įirst time visiting Waterfall Glen so decided to check it out. But, all in all, Waterfall Glen has a fantastic trail system providing great enjoyment of the outdoors. One negative about the trail is the one major road crossing at busy Cass Avenue at Mile marker 9 (almost the end of the loop). Another nice feature in the preserve is a model-airplane field at Mile 3. There is a Des Plaines River overlook at Mile 5, but the view is mostly shrouded by trees. Miles 5-7 are quite hilly and have more bugs. About the loop trail, I would say the best stretch is the first five miles starting from the main parking lot at Cass Avenue and I-55. The beautiful Sawmill Creek Bluff Overlook is not too far from here also. The waterfall is a prime attraction in the forest preserve so the small lot gets pretty full. This parking lot provides the closest access to Rocky Glen Waterfall (half mile walk). ![]() There are several access points for the loop trail with ample parking space, except the parking lot on Bluff Road. The scenery is beautiful all through with varied vegetation. The main trail is the loop trail which is about 9.4 miles long, and traverses through level meadows and challenging hilly sections. Occasionally, informative placards are posted along the trails about local history and biodiversity. The well maintained and well marked trails are wide enough so that two way traffic is not an issue. The trails are paved with fine crushed stone. I have biked and hiked the beautiful trails here quite often. Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien is an awesome place for recreation in nature.
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