Lake County Forest Preserves

31/10/2026

🌙 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

Starting tomorrow, November 1, two solar-lit trails stay open until 9 pm daily.
✨ Old School in Mettawa: 1.3-mile trail
✨ Lakewood in Wauconda: hilly 1.65-mile stretch of the Millennium Trail

Small solar lights mark the way. Bring a flashlight or headlamp to help you see your footing. Evening adventures continue through March 14, 2027.

Plan your visit: LCFPD.org/Solar-2026
📷 Thomas G. Wilson

30/10/2026

🌳 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘀!

Over the past two years, our Board has approved 𝟮𝟯 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 totaling 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟴𝟯𝟭 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘀. Your overwhelming support of the November 2024 referendum is making it possible!

🌱 There’s more ahead as we buy land, restore habitats and build connections for wildlife and people.

📍Check out the land purchases: LCFPD.org/adding-land

📷 (Top) Tim Elliott at Oriole Grove in Lake Bluff, (left to right) Justine Neslund at Cuba Marsh in Deer Park, Liz Rose Fisher at Fort Sheridan and Lake Forest, Tim Elliott at Ryerson Conservation Area in Riverwoods.

29/10/2026

🦋 𝗔 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱. 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝘂𝗼.

Community Engagement Specialist 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮 𝗭𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 dressed as a monarch butterfly and Environmental Educator 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘇 as butterfly milkweed. They handed out treats to 300 children yesterday at Heart of the City's Trunk or Treat in Waukegan.

Their costumes were a natural match. Milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars eat. Candy, however, was the crowd favorite. 🍫

Learn about milkweed: issuu.com/lcfpd/docs/horizons-summer_2024/14

26/10/2026

🍁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟱? ☀️

With sunshine, temperatures in the mid-70s and fall colors putting on quite a show, today was a gift!

📷 We soaked up the scenery at Van Patten Woods in Wadsworth. 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻! Did you get outside and enjoy this gorgeous weekend? Drop your favorite fall photos in the comments! 🍂

23/10/2026

❤️ 𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲. 𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

The newest 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 podcast episode explores Lakewood in Wauconda, its natural and cultural history and the life of former Forest Preserves Commissioner 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘀 (1944–2023).

His wife of 42 years, Teresa Hall Bartels, made a generous gift to dedicate the 1.6-mile paved, accessible Chuck Bartels Learning Trail at Lakewood in his memory—and to support this podcast.

🎧 Listen before you visit or as you explore: LCFPD.org/WOTW-SE
📸 Top right photo © Teresa Hall Bartels

22/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗱𝘀. 🍂

🦋 Butterflies, fireflies, moths and other beneficial insects survive winter by hibernating as eggs, larvae, pupae or adults inside leaf litter.

A 2023 study from Maryland showed that removing leaf cover can reduce butterflies and moths in your yard by almost 50%.

🍁 Insect-friendly fall gardening tips: xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

Happy .
📸 Tim Elliott

19/10/2026

The Dunn Museum and General Offices in Libertyville and the Operations and Public Safety Facility in Lake Villa will be 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟵 𝗮𝗺–𝟭𝟮:𝟯𝟬 𝗽𝗺.

Purchase permits online or visit the permit office from 8–9 am and 12:30–4:30 pm.
➡️ Permit details: LCFPD.org/permits

Visit the Dunn Museum from 12:30–4:30 pm.
🏛️ Plan your visit: LCFPD.org/planyourvisit

19/10/2026

📇 Before smartphones, there was the Rolodex. And 𝗔𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗶 𝗘. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗜’s had quite the contact list!

Former first ladies 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘁 and 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 are among famous names tucked into this treasure, preserved at his historic home in Mettawa.

🎥 Take a look at this little 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗧𝗩 video with some very big names: youtu.be/rhq5Zx1w17I

🧡 Proudly sponsored by the 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

Who can you find in Adlai E. Stevenson’s rolodex? Learn about this ...

16/10/2026

𝗔 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗻. 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱. Nearly 𝟯𝟵 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘀 are on their way to becoming part of your forest preserves!

🌳 At Raven Glen in Antioch, 37 acres will connect existing preserve land, creating a wildlife corridor once restored.

🌿 At Lakewood in Wauconda, a smaller addition will provide more protection for habitat near Broberg Marsh Nature Preserve.

Learn more: LCFPD.org/land39

16/10/2026

𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻. 🍄

Volunteer photographers have been busy photographing fungi friends. We'd love to see your pictures of mushrooms in the preserves, too!

1️⃣ False turkey-tail (𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢)
2️⃣ Giant puffballs (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘢)
3️⃣ Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms (𝘖𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴)
4️⃣ Variable pholiota (𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢)

🍄‍🟫 Happy .
📸 Liz Rose Fisher; Thomas G. Wilson