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

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

, that owns and manages land containing

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

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 semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

s, and

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

s. These land holdings are primarily managed as undeveloped natural areas and for

outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

. The Forest Preserve District encompasses approximately of land or approximately 11% of the land in Cook County, which contains the city of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and is the most densely populated urban

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

in the Midwest. The Forest Preserves also owns the lands on which the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden operate, and its Chicago Portage area preserve is also affiliated with the United States

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

. 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, Illinois, Cook County, which includes the City ...

also serves ex-officio as the board for the district. The Forest Preserve District headquarters is located in

River Forest, Illinois River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 11,717. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University (Ill ...

Background

Forest preserves serve a different purpose than

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

s and are typically maintained for the conservation and restoration of

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

. Forest preserves may contain nature centers and other facilities,

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''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 su ...

groves, and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, biking, and equestrian trails, but, apart from public

golf courses 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". ...

, do not typically contain land set aside for other sports activities. The forest preserves are administered by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, which operates within a special purpose taxation district across municipal boundaries. While the Forest Preserve District as a unit of government is legally separate from Cook County, the Cook county board of commissioners, the county board president, and county clerk hold the same offices ''ex officio'' concurrently, making up the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners.

History

In 1905, at the instigation of the

and private nature groups (partly guided by prominent landscape architect Jens Jensen), Illinois attempted to pass a forest preserve act, but the act was not signed by the governor. The Forest Preserve District Association was formed in 1911 after a new state law was adopted in 1909; however, the courts declared the law unconstitutional in 1911. In 1913, Illinois adopted the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act that was signed by the governor and 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

The Forest Preserve District operates six nature centers used for programming and education, five campgrounds, and three swimming centers as of 2023. The Forest Preserve District also maintains ten 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 teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

s. In addition to owning and managing tens of thousands of acres of forest, meadow, and wetlands, both the Brookfield Zoo (managed by Chicago Zoological Society under an agreement with the District) and the Chicago Botanic Gardens (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located on district land. In 2016, a tree-top

zipline A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide''Who Really Benefits from Tourism'', Publ. Equations, Karnataka, India, 2010. Working Papers Series. "Canopy Tourism"page 37/ref>Jacques Marais, Lisa De Speville, ''Adventure Racing'', ...

course was opened in west Cook County's Bemis Woods. Eight significant waterways flow, at least in part, through lands in the Forest Preserve District: the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). The river is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chic ...

, the

Des Plaines River The Des Plaines River ( ) is a river that flows southward for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois''American H ...

, the

Little Calumet River The Calumet River is a system of industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the South Side, Chicago, south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River ...

, Salt Creek, Poplar Creek, Thorn Creek, Crooked Creek, and Tinley Creek.

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 e ...

. The District also administers the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. In addition, the District's Red Gate Woods was the war-time home of the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

's first nuclear facility.

Conservation

A team of district biologists and resource management professionals monitor

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

and

plants Plants are the eukaryotes that form the kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with cyanobacteria to produce sugars f ...

(including

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

, and other features within the district. Monitoring may include counting population numbers and

tracking Tracking may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Tracking, in computer graphics, in match moving (insertion of graphics into footage) * Tracking, composing music with music tracker software * Eye tracking, measuring the position of ...

the presence of animals across the district and assessing habitat needs for

rare species A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce, or infrequently encountered. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and is distinct from the term ''endangered species, endangered'' or ''threatened ...

. Through monitoring, it was discovered that river otters had returned to the district after nearly a century of absence. The Forest Preserve District owns 22 sites containing high-quality conservation resources that have been designated as Illinois Nature Preserves ensuring increased management and protection. The District's oldest nature center is in a preserved rural one-room schoolhouse built in 1886 and is located in the Palos Division. The

International Dark-Sky Association DarkSky International, formerly the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), is a United States–based nonprofit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional astronomer, and Tim Hunter, a physician and amateu ...

(IDA) conservation program designated the Forest Preserve 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 Forest Preserve District: *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 *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; Powderhorn Prairie and Marsh Naure 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