Its official. Fall is here, and it’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy the crisp air according to Nan Buckardt, director of Education for the Lake County Forest Preserves (LCFP).
“The temperatures are cooler, fall colors add extra beauty, and insects typically subside,” she says.
LCFP offers plenty of opportunities to take advantage of these and other health benefits, especially through the Hike Lake County program. The 17-year old tradition challenges the community to complete seven of 12 designated trails on foot between now and Nov. 30.
Out of 186 miles of trails in the preserves, it’s a struggle each year to select the 12 trails to highlight because they all offer their own great adventure. “Lake County has an amazing array of ecosystems and we are proud to display them in our program,” says Buckardt. “We hope that if people see a Monarch emerging from a chrysalis, or the way the water flows in a stream, that the time they spend in the preserves will become more meaningful.”
The trails are easy to follow and well-marked stating distances so that even beginners will gain confidence from navigating them. In fact, some guided hikes, which provide natural and cultural history, are available to help you start your journey.
The director suggests bringing (along with water) a walking buddy. You can even bring along up to three of your favorite canines. Each person (or dog) who completes the hikes earns a commemorative shield, sketched, and designed each year specifically for the program.
“This year’s design is to commemorate the pending completion of the Des Plaines River Trail,” according to the director.
To get more information on how to get your hikes started; how to take them mobile; and to learn safety tips and yielding etiquette as well as hours and a list of trails, visit LCFPD.org/HLC.
2015 Hike Lake County Challenge Trails
Captain Daniel Wright Woods Canoe Launch, 1.8 miles.
Cuba Marsh, 3.4 miles*.
Fox River, 1.1 miles.
Grant Woods—South, 1.9 miles.
Heron Creek, 1.6 miles.
Lyons Woods, 1.9 miles.
McDonald Woods, 3.1 miles*^.
Nippersink, 1.3 miles.
Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch, 3.2 miles*.
Old School, 1.4 miles.
Van Patten Woods, 2.4 miles*.
Waukegan Savanna, 1.8 miles^.
Wild Card You pick. Choose a 2-mile walk at any Lake County Forest Preserve trail.
* Counts as two trails.
^ Section or entire trail not wheelchair accessible.
