Lake County Forest Preserves

At a special meeting Dec. 2, the Board of Commissioners elected Jessica Vealitzek (District 10) to serve as president of the Lake County Forest Preserves. The Board also elected Gina Roberts (District 4) to serve as vice president.

Starting Nov. 3, you can enjoy nature after dark by exploring two Lake County forest preserves with illuminated trails.

The Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners approved the 2025 fiscal year budget during their Oct. 9 meeting.

At its Oct. 9 meeting, the Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of about 13.2 acres to expand Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago.

The Lake County Forest Preserves is holding its popular OAKtober Native Tree & Shrub Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville.

Festival de Cultura, Comida y Vida takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at Nippersink Forest Preserve in Round Lake.

As the days cool down, the Lake County Forest Preserves has organized a lineup of entertainment for SeptOberfest at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville.

The Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners recently approved the purchase of about 41 acres in Antioch Township, known as the Fogel property, at a regular board meeting.

The Lake County Forest Preserves invites you to tackle seven unique challenges in its 26th annual Hike Lake County program.

Afrofest is taking place from noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 17 at Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. The event is a vibrant celebration of African culture and heritage. 

Award-winning gospel group Nate Martin & SIGN (Singing in God’s Name) is the headliner at this year’s free Gospelfest event at Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago.

The Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of 18.2 acres to expand Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve in Lake Forest at a special board meeting July 9.

Two members of the Lake County Forest Preserves team recently earned national recognition.

Inspired by these intriguing insects, the Lake County Forest Preserves teamed up with Harbor Brewing Company in Lake Villa to celebrate the cicadas’ 2024 arrival with a new craft beer.

Nine concerts will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 11 through Aug. 6, at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville.

The Beer Garden at Independence Grove, featuring scenic views and craft brews, reopened for the season.

World-renowned National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is the featured speaker at a May 17 gala benefiting the Lake County Forest Preserves.

The Lake County Forest Preserves has adopted cutting-edge technology designed to enhance communication and accessibility for visitors to their website.

The Lake County Forest Preserves is hosting a job fair from 2 to 6 p.m. March 11 at the Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road in North Chicago.

Relish Events at Independence Grove, located within the Libertyville forest preserve, now serves as the on-site caterer for special occasions and operates the outdoor café.

Two Illinois organizations committed to advancing parks and recreation recognized the outstanding contributions of the Lake County Forest Preserves with four esteemed awards for excellence in public communications and design.

“Managing Healthy Landscapes” opens Feb. 10 at the Dunn Museum, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville.

The 41st annual Profiles in Excellence event takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road in North Chicago.

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is partnering with Old Town School of Folk Music to bring free bilingual music programming for youth to Brushwood Center every Saturday.

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is presenting “Enriching Life,” the botanical artwork of internationally renowned botanical artist Heeyoung Kim and the Brushwood Botanical Artists.

The Chicago Wilderness Alliance has recognized the Lake County Forest Preserves with two prestigious awards.

Don’t send your holiday tree to the landfill. Donate it to the Lake County Forest Preserves, and they’ll recycle it into wood chips for trails and landscaping in your forest preserves.

The ninth annual Lake County History Symposium takes place virtually on Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 4 and 18.

The Lake County Forest Preserves offer a winter wonderland of activities, featuring everything from the graceful glide of ice skating to the exhilarating rush of sledding and the serene journey of cross-country skiing.

Visitors can explore the bones and fossils belonging to the giant creatures that once roamed the Earth. Six full dinosaur skeletal molds, including a Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor, can be viewed and touched

The Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners approved the fiscal 2024 budget at its Oct. 11 meeting.

The Lake County Forest Preserves earned a prestigious award in the Best Green Practices category of an Illinois Association of Park Districts contest.

Dinosaurs will visit the Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville with the opening of a special exhibition, “Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed.”

The Lake County Forest Preserves is holding its popular OAKtober Native Tree & Shrub Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1 at Ryerson Conservation Area in Riverwoods.

The Lake County Forest Preserves has planned a variety of entertainment as part of SeptOberFest at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville.

Grab your walking shoes and head to the trails to participate in the 25th annual Hike Lake County program while enjoying the change of seasons, fall breezes and autumn colors.

The communications and design division of the Lake County Forest Preserves earned two national awards through APEX, the Annual Awards for Publication Excellence Competition.

Critically acclaimed singer, composer and conductor Adrian Dunn is the headliner at this year’s free Gospelfest event at Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago.

Funds from a recent grant will be used to restore 100 acres at Heron Creek Forest Preserve in Lake Zurich.

The Planning Committee of the Lake County Forest Preserves approved a resolution recommending the acceptance of the 77-acre Openlands Lakeshore Preserve during a June 5 joint meeting of its operations, planning and finance committees.

Imagine warm breezes, spectacular sunsets over the lake and award-winning music performers on stage at the outdoor venue for the annual Concerts in the Plaza music series.

The Beer Garden at Independence Grove, featuring scenic views and craft brews, was scheduled to open May 5.

The Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County celebrated its five-year anniversary last week by offering free admission to visitors with the donation of a nonperishable food item or toiletry.

A special exhibition, “Ready, Set, Go! Lake County’s Racing History,” is opening April 15 at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville. It runs through Sept. 10.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Chicago District received funding to restore native habitats and improve ecosystem services in the Upper Des Plaines River Watershed.

A recently awarded $600,000 state grant will help fund a revamping of Lakewood Forest Preserve.

The Bess Bower Dunn Museum is celebrating its five-year anniversary at its current location at 1899 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville.

The Lake County Forest Preserves is hosting a job fair from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at the Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road in North Chicago.

The Lake County Forest Preserves has hired Ron Davis, a 34-year law enforcement veteran, as director of public safety to replace retiring John Tannahill.

The 40th annual Profiles in Excellence event takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road in North Chicago. The theme this year is “Women in Sports.”