The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a governmental commission in

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

, that owns and manages a network of open spaces, containing

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

, streams, and

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

s, that are mostly set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, and is the center of the most densely populated urban metropolitan area in

the Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

. The Forest Preserve lands encompass approximately , about 11% of the county, providing open space within its urban surroundings. It contains facilities for recreation, as well as a zoo and a botanic garden.

Background

Most often being left more in their natural state, the Forest Preserves have a different purpose from

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Pe ...

s; also they generally do not contain organized recreational facilities such as

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be ...

s or softball diamonds. They do contain

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

, and riding trails, as well as facilities for nature and group activities, and they are heavily used for

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as precedi ...

king. They are administered by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, a special taxation district that crosses municipal boundaries. The districts headquarters is located in River Forest near Harlem Avenue and Lake Street. While the Forest Preserve District as a unit of government and municipal corporation is legally separate from Cook County, the latter's board of commissioners, the county board's president, commissioners and clerk hold the same offices ''ex officio'' concurrently, making up the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. In 1905, at the instigation of the

Cook County Board of Commissioners The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, is the Uni ...

and private nature groups partly guided by prominent landscape architect Jens Jensen, Illinois adopted a forest preserve act. However, defects in the law caused it to be declared inoperable. The Forest Preserve District Association was formed in 1911 and a new state law was adopted; however, the courts declared the 1911 law unconstitutional. Finally in 1913, the State adopted a Forest Preserve Act that survived legal challenge. The 1913 law allowed a county board: A Cook County referendum required by the 1913 law was passed by voters in 1914, establishing the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and the first Board meeting was held in February 1915.

Operations

In addition to owning and managing tens of thousands of acres of forest, meadow, and wetlands, both the

Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo, also known as the Chicago Zoological Park, is a zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. It houses around 450 species of animals in an area of . It opened on July 1, 1934, and quickly gained international recogni ...

(managed by agreement with the Chicago Zoological Society) and the

Chicago Botanic Gardens The Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands in the Cook County Forest Preserves. It features 27 display gardens in four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shor ...

(managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located on district land. The Forest Preserve District also maintains eleven public

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The ...

s. There are six nature centers used for programming and education, five campgrounds, and three swimming centers. In 2016, a tree-top zipline course was opened in west Cook County's Bemis Woods.

National sites

The Ned Brown Forest Preserve contains ''Busse Woods'', a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. The District also administers the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. In addition, the District's

Red Gate Woods Red Gate Woods is a forest preserve section within the Palos Forest Preserve, a division of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois. It is located near where the Cal-Sag Channel meets the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. In the ...

was the war-time home of the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

's first nuclear facility.

Conservation

Biologists with the district monitor the health of area wild life, lands, and water. This includes monitoring such populations as the number of fish in area rivers, and the return in the 21st century after a century of absence of such apex predators as the river otter. Twenty-two sections of district land, which contain high quality conservation resources, have been designated as Illinois Nature Preserves allowing greater management and protection. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) conservation program designated the Forest District's Palos Preserves an Urban Night Sky Place. After review, the IDA determined that within the context of its substantial urban setting, the preserve's "planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of significant artificial light."

Trail systems

There are thirteen trail systems within the preserve district, they are the: *Arie Crown Forest trail system *Burnham Greenway trail system *Busse Woods bicycle trail *Centennial and I&M Canal trail system *Deer Grove trail system * Des Plaines River Trail system * North Branch Trail system *

Palos Trail system The Palos Forest Preserves are 15,000 acres of forest preserves in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, located principally in Palos Township, Illinois. During the 1930s, the area of the Palos Preserves south of Archer was known as th ...

*Poplar Creek trail system *Sag Valley trail system *Salt Creek trail system *Thorn Creek trail system *Tinley Creek trail system

Facilities by region

Region 1: Northwest Cook County

Poplar Creek Division Includes: Spring Lake Preserve, Crabtree Preserve, Arthur L. Janura Preserve Activity Areas Barrington Road Pond Beverly Lake Bluff Springs Fen Bode East Bode Lake Crabtree Nature Center Great Egret Family Picnic Area Old Stover Trailhead Penny Road Pond Poplar Creek Bicycle Lot Poplar Creek Equestrian Parking Poplar Creek Model Airplane Flying Field Shoe Factory Road Woods Spring Creek Valley Headwaters Spring Lake Nature Preserve Trail Systems Crabtree Preserve (Paved) Poplar Creek (Paved) Poplar Creek (Unpaved) Spring Lake (Unpaved)

Region 2: Northwest Cook County

Northwest Division Includes: Deer Grove Preserve, Jens Jensen Preserve, Paul Douglas Preserve, Ned Brown Preserve Activity Areas Baker's Lake Overlook Baker's Lake Younghusband Prairie Busse Forest-Central Busse Forest-North Busse Forest-South Busse Forest-West Busse Forest Elk Pasture Busse Forest Main Dam Busse Lake Beisner Road Access Busse Lake Boating Center Camp Alphonse Camp Reinberg Deer Grove Deer Grove-East Deer Grove-West Deer Grove Lake Grassy Ridge Meadow Highland Woods Driving Range Highland Woods Golf Course Ned Brown Meadow Woodland Meadow Trail Systems Busse Forest (Paved) Deer Grove (Paved) Deer Grove (Unpaved) Paul Douglas (Paved)

Region 3: North Cook County

Indian Boundary Division, Des Plaines Division Includes: Seymour Simon Preserve Activity Areas Allison Woods Axehead Lake Beck Lake Belleau Lake Big Bend Lake Blandings Grove Family Picnic Area Blue Beach Family Picnic Area Camp Baden Powell Camp Dan Beard Camp Ground Road Woods Camp Pine Woods Catherine Chevalier Woods Che-Che-Pin-Qua Woods Chippewa Woods Dam No. 1 Woods-East Dam No. 1 Woods-West Dam No. 2 Woods Dam No. 4 Woods-East Evans Field Fullerton Woods Fullerton Woods Family Picnic Area Harry H. Semrow Driving Range Indian Boundary Family Picnic Area Indian Boundary Golf Course Iroquois Woods Irving Park Road Canoe Landing Jerome Huppert Woods John E. Traeger Family Picnic Area Kloempken Prairie Lake Avenue Woods-East Lake Avenue Woods-West Lions Woods Massasauga Family Picnic Area Northwestern Woods Potawatomi Lake Potawatomi Woods River Bend Family Picnic Area River Trail Nature Center Robinson Homestead Family Picnic Area Robinson Woods-South Schiller Model Airplane Flying Field Schiller Playfield Schiller Pond Schiller Woods-East Schiller Woods-South Schiller Woods-West Sunset Bridge Meadow Trail System Des Plaines (Unpaved)

Region 4: North Cook County

North Branch Division, Skokie Division Includes: William N. Erickson Preserves, George F. Nixon Forest, Frank Bobrytzke Forest, Clayton F. Smith Preserves, Roman Pucinski Preserve Activity Areas Billy Caldwell Golf Course Blue Star Memorial Woods Bunker Hill Caldwell Woods Calvin R. Sutker Grove Camp Adahi Camp Glenview Chick Evans Golf Course Chipilly Woods Edgebrook Golf Course Edgebrook Woods Erickson Woods Forest Glen Woods Forest Way Grove Glen Grove Equestrian Center Glenview Woods Harms Woods-Central Harms Woods-North Harms Woods-South Irene C. Hernandez Family Picnic Area LaBagh Woods Linne Woods Little House of Glencoe Mary Mix McDonald Woods Mathew Bieszczat–Volunteer Resource Center Miami Woods Perkins Woods St. Paul Woods Sidney Yates Flatwoods Skokie Lagoons Somme Nature Preserve Somme Prairie Grove Somme Woods Thaddeus S. "Ted" Lechowicz Woods Tower Road Tower Road Boat Launch Turnbull Woods Watersmeet Woods Wayside Woods Whealan Pool Aquatic Center Special Activity Site Chicago Botanic Garden Trail Systems North Branch (Paved) North Branch (Unpaved)

Region 5: West Cook County

Salt Creek Division Activity Areas Andrew Toman Grove Bemis Woods-North Bemis Woods-South Brezina Woods Brookfield Woods Callahan Grove Cermak Family Aquatic Center Cermak Quarry Cermak Woods Cummings Square (General Headquarters) G.A.R. Woods Hal Tyrrell Trailside Museum LaGrange Park Woods Maywood Grove McCormick Woods Meadowlark Golf Course Miller Meadow-North Miller Meadow-South National Grove-North National Grove-South Ottawa Trail Woods-North Ottawa Trail Woods-South Plank Road Meadow Boat Launch Possum Hollow Woods Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area Salt Creek Woods Schuth's Grove Silver Creek Family Picnic Area Stony Ford Canoe Landing Thatcher Woods Thatcher Woods Glen Thomas Jefferson Woods Twenty-Sixth Street Woods-East Twenty-Sixth Street Woods-West Westchester Woods White Eagle Woods-North White Eagle Woods-South Wolf Road Prairie Zoo Woods Trail Systems Salt Creek (Paved) Salt Creek (Unpaved) Salt Creek Greenway (Paved) Special Activity Sites Brookfield Zoo Chicago Portage National Historic Site

Region 6: Southwest Cook County

Salt Creek Division, Palos Division Includes: Palos Preserves Activity Areas Arie Crown Forest Belly Deep Slough Buffalo Woods-Central Buffalo Woods Family Picnic Area Buffalo Woods-North Buffalo Woods-South Bullfrog Lake Camp Kiwanis Equestrian Staging Area Columbia Woods Country Lane Woods Cranberry Slough Crawdad Slough Crooked Creek Woods Dan McMahon Woods Henry De Tonty Woods Hickory Hills Woods Hidden Pond Woods-East Hidden Pond Woods-West Joe's Pond John Husar I&M Canal–Bicycle Trail Parking Lot Lake Ida Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center Maple Lake Boating Center Maple Lake-East Maple Lake Maple Lake Overlook Morrill Meadow Palos Fen Paw Paw Woods Pioneer Woods Pulaski Woods Pulaski Woods-East Pulaski Woods-South–Mountain Bike Staging Area Red Gate Woods Saganashkee Slough-Central Saganashkee Slough-East Saganashkee Slough Boat Launch Spears Woods Sundown Meadow Theodore Stone Forest Tuma Lake White Oak Woods Willow Springs Woods Wolf Road Woods Trail Systems Arie Crown (Unpaved) Centennial (Unpaved) John Husar I&M Canal (Paved) Palos (Unpaved)

Region 7: Southwest Cook County

Sag Valley Division Includes: Black Partridge Preserve, Cap Sauer's Preserve, John J. Duffy Preserve, Edward M. Sneed Forest Activity Areas Bergman Slough Black Partridge Woods Cap Sauers Holding Cherry Hill Woods Forty Acre Woods Horsetail Lake McGinnis Slough McClaughrey Spring Woods Orland Grassland Orland Grove Paddock Woods Palos Park Woods-North Palos Park Woods-South Papoose Lake Sag Quarries Sagawau Environmental Learning Center Southland Volunteer Resource Center Swallow Cliff Woods-North Swallow Cliff Woods-South Tampier Greenway Family Picnic Area Tampier Lake Boating Center Tampier Lake-North Tampier Lake-West Teason's Woods Trail Systems Centennial (Unpaved) Sag Valley (Unpaved)

Region 8: South Cook County

Tinley Creek Division Includes: South Green Belt Preserve Activity Areas Arrowhead Lake Bachelor's Grove Woods Bartel Grassland Bobolink Family Picnic Area Bremen Grove Bur Oak Woods Camp Falcon Camp Sullivan Carlson Springs Woods Catalina Grove Family Picnic Area Coopers Hawk Grove Family Picnic Area Elizabeth A. Conkey Forest-North Elizabeth A. Conkey Forest-South Flossmoor Road Bicycle Lot George W. Dunne National Driving Range George W. Dunne National Golf Course Goeselville Grove Family Picnic Area Midlothian Meadows Midlothian Reservoir Rubio Woods St. Mihiel Woods-East Tinley Creek Model Airplane Flying Field Tinley Creek Woods Turtlehead Lake Vollmer Road Grove Yankee Woods Trail Systems Tinley Creek (Paved) Tinley Creek (Unpaved)

Region 9: Southeast Cook County

Calumet Division, Thorn Creek Division Includes: Plum Creek Preserve Activity Areas Beaubien Woods Beaubien Woods Boat Launch Brownell Woods Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve Burnham Woods Golf Course Calumet City Playfield Calumet City Prairie Calumet Woods Clayhole Woods Dan Ryan Woods-91st Street Dan Ryan Woods-Central Dan Ryan Woods-East Dan Ryan Woods-North Dan Ryan Woods-South Dan Ryan Woods-West Dixmoor Playfield Eggers Grove Flatfoot Lake Glenwood Woods-North Glenwood Woods-South Green Lake Family Aquatic Center Green Lake Woods Indian Hill Woods Joe Louis "The Champ" Golf Course Joe Orr Woods Jurgensen Woods Kickapoo Woods King's Grove Lansing Woods Little Calumet Boat Launch Michael J. O'Malley Preserve North Creek Meadow Plum Creek Play Meadow Powderhorn Lake River Oaks Golf Course Sand Ridge Nature Center Sand Ridge Prairie Nature Preserve Sauk Lake Sauk Trail Woods-Central Sauk Trail Woods-East Sauk Trail Woods-North Sauk Trail Woods-South Schubert's Woods Shabbona Woods Sweet Woods Thorn Creek Model Airplane Flying Field Thornton-Lansing Road–Nature Preserve (Zander Woods) Wampum Lake Wentworth Prairie Whistler Woods Woodrow Wilson Woods Trail Systems Burnham Greenway (Paved) Major Taylor (Paved) Plum Creek (Unpaved) Thorn Creek (Paved) Thorn Creek (Unpaved)

References

External links

Forest Preserve District of Cook County - official website

Forest Preserve Map

Forest Preserve Golf

Cook County Forest Preserve Photographs
- digital images from the UIC Library collections {{Authority control Forest Preserves Nature reserves in Illinois Forests of Illinois 1914 establishments in Illinois