There’s more to explore in Genoa.
If you find yourself with nothing to do on a beautiful day, consider exploring all of the amazing outdoor trails and parks in Genoa. You could easily spend hours on all of the well maintained and groomed paths that wind through different areas in Genoa while getting your steps in.
On the west end of town is 126-acre Russell Woods Forrest Preserve.
Russell Woods offers many recreational and environmental opportunities. At Russell Woods you can take an 0.8-mile loop trail. This is generally considered an easy route, and you are sure to see some birds while on this hike. If you follow the trail that is at the bottom of the sledding hill at Russell Woods and head west it will take you all the way to South Bench Prairie with a bench to overlook prairie lands just before Pleasant Hill Road. This is a wide grassy path that does have some mulched areas. Instead of heading west while at the Forrest Preserve, you can follow the rocky path just south of the parking spaces next to the Natural Resources Education Center and you will pop out into a grassy field of walking paths behind Riverbend Subdivision.
The Grassy Paths behind Riverbend is called the Genoa Prairie.
The Genoa Prairie offers walking paths that follows the south branch of the Kishwaukee River to the walking bridge that leads to Carroll Memorial Park on Madison Street in Genoa. You have many different options of paths to take from Russell Woods to Carroll Memorial. There are wooded paths with mulch, grassy paths and limestone trails to choose from. You are bound to see butterflies and many wild flowers on your adventure.
Carroll Memorial Park and Russell Woods Forrest Preserve both have shaded areas to rest as well as benches. They both also have Kishwaukee River access and river bridges. The river is shallow enough to stand in at both places most of the time.
The Genoa Park District also maintains many parks with walkable trails including Kiernan Park, Chamberlain Park and Lions Park.
Kiernan Park is a little off the beaten path but can be found at the end of the gravel road where Locust Street ends. This 43-acre park has four soccer fields, a baseball field, a playground and a shelter in the front. Once you walk past all of that there is a beautiful creek with a bridge that you cross that leads to miles of different nature-filled wooded walking paths. The paths are cleared and wide with all kinds of wild flowers and wildlife. When you are back there you can’t hear anything but the nature around you and it is magical.
Just before Keirnan Park is Chamberlain Park. This park is 36 acres with huge old shade trees that cover playgrounds, a soccer field, four softball fields, a skate park, two basketball courts, three bags courts, a bocce ball court, a sand volleyball court, two pickleball courts, a gaga ball pit, shelters and an aquatic center!
Chamberlain Park is also the home of the park district’s Pre-School, Recreation Center and Administration Offices at 400 E. Second St. Along with all of those amenities, Chamberlain Park has an amazing walking outdoor path that is paved. Most of it is in the sun which is great on a crisp fall day. Along the paved path are numerous workout stations that you can stop at and use to get body weight training in.
Finally, Lions Park, located at the corner of Madison and Walnut Street in Genoa. This 6-acre park includes a playground, shelter, open recreation space, landscaping and benches. It also has a well-maintained walking path that goes around the back of a creek and a small pond. The trees in the center of the path make you feel secluded while the openness of the field on the other side is nice to get some stretching in.
The Park District also maintains other park spaces which include playground equipment with many others acres of open space in the Riverbend, Derby Line and Genoa Woods subdivisions, along with Dunham Park.
The last area of trails in Genoa is the newer 103-acre Riverwood Forest Preserve set along the south branch of the Kishwaukee River at the end of Royal Oak Road and Ellwood Greens. This is where the old golf course sat and is now being transformed into a natural area with walking paths. Some of the paths along the diverse landscape will be handicap accessible.
Conservation work is in progress and includes restoration of former fairways which will be converted from turfgrass to colorful prairie pollinator meadows. The southern areas will be oak savannah and prairie restoration projects. The Riverwood Forest Preserve connects to Knute Olson Forest Preserve.
Your four-legged furry friends are welcome to join you at all of the parks listed. Be sure to keep them leashed and bring a bag to clean up after them. Garbage bins are provided for your convenience.
Genoa has some wonderful areas to discover and explore and we hope you will get out and enjoy them as much as we do.
After you’re done with your walking adventure be sure to stop back in town for a coffee, a glass of wine, a cocktail or an ice cream!
To find a list of places to stop please visit the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce Business listings on our website: www.business.genoaareachamber.com/list . If you would like more information or some trail maps emailed to you, please email info@genoaareachamber.com.
- Krissy Johnson is the executive director of the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce.