About the Preserves
Long before there was a Cook County, this region where tallgrass prairie meets eastern forest was home to a breathtaking mosaic of landscapes. By the turn of the 20th century, with a great city growing here, civic leaders like Dwight Perkins and Jens Jensen recognized that it was essential to preserve these native landscapes for people to enjoy for centuries to come. They worked for years to establish the nation’s first – and now largest (70,000 acres) – forest preserve district.
In more recent history, the forest preserves have encountered a great deal of abuse and neglect. Invasive brush turned thousands of acres into impassible thorn thickets, preserve land was sold, and trash littered the landscape. A new group of civic leaders, people just like you, formed Friends of the Forest Preserves in 1998 to rescue these treasured lands, knowing that to maintain their vast rewards and ensure they’re here for all of us to enjoy, we’d have to work just as hard as the visionary citizens who protected them more than a century ago.
Take a deep dive into the forest preserves right now!
Watch one or all of the videos from “The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves” webinar series. Each video is approximately one hour and chock full of insider information on what you’ll find in each region, where to explore, and tips on how to plan your visit.
The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves: An Introduction
Calumet Region: The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves
North Branch: The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves
Palos Preserves: The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves
Spring Creek: The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves
The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves: Cool Mushrooms and Frozen Fungi
The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves: Spaces to Heal
The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves: Wonderful World of Seeds
The Hidden Life of the Forest Preserves: A Dazzling Diversity of Insects
Plants and Wildlife
Some of the best remaining examples of native Illinois ecosystems are right here in the forest preserves in Cook County. About 55,000 acres of the 70,000 acres of preserves are in a natural state (the other 14,000 is used for parking lots, picnic groves, nature centers, and such). The forest preserves in Cook County contain thousands of plants and animals that are unique only to this area. Check out some of our favorite flora, fauna, and locations in the preserves.
Outdoor Recreation
The Friends community fights for the forest preserves so we all can enjoy them. From hiking to sledding to fishing, the forest preserves are waiting for you – and it’s all free (well, you have to pay to use a campground or rent a boat and such). Here are some of our suggestions for great recreational opportunities in the forest preserves of Cook County.
