Will County Forest Preserve

Take in fall colors at Will County forest preserves with special hiking days or family programs celebrating the season.

There is still plenty of summer left to get out for a good bike ride along these Will County trails.

A 33-year-old man in Plainfield was issued a citation for disorderly conduct after he was caught with an AR-15 style rifle that was actually a paintball gun, police said

The Forest Preserve District of Will County program schedule for the first week of July.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the restoration of the ecosystem at the Prairie Bluff Nature Preserve in Crest Hill and and Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve in Lockport Township.

The project to connect Chaminwood Lake with the I&M Canal Trail in Channahon is nearing completion with the installation of a new bridge.

Joliet Junior College, Will County forest preserves among places hosting events for April 8 solar eclipse.

Celebrate Earth Month and earn a gift by picking up litter around the Hidden Oaks Preserve in Bolingbrook.

Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of April 8.

Join a naturalist for a hike to find wildflowers and hear stories of how these beauties were named, their uses through time at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve in March.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is hosting its annual Mammal Madness event with Big Wolf Run Ranch on March 2 to give families an opportunity to learn and interact with native mammal species.

The Successful Beekeeping Workshop will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday evenings beginning Feb. 20 through the Will County Forest District. Deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 14.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Take it Outside Challenge ended with multiple participants in a tie for first-place. Winners completed all 501 nature-themed missions throughout 2023.

A Will County judge ordered the pretrial release of a Braidwood man charged with meeting who he thought as a teenage girl at a forest preserve in Wilmington. He must be on GPS monitoring and stay off the internet as a condition of release.

Forest Preserve District of Will County has scheduled volunteer morning programs that provide nature enthusiasts and those looking for community service opportunities to make a difference in your community. Space is limited, and registration is required.

The Will County Forest Preserve District is hosting an open house for couples interested in wedding venues at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon on Feb. 3.

Make a difference in your community by signing up for the Forest Preserve District’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service volunteer morning.

Annette Parker, a Republican from Crest Hill, officially took over as Forest Preserve District of Will County board president in December and will serve for one year.

Celebrate all things eagle during the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s annual Eagle Watch in Channahon on Jan. 13.

Some Will County municipalities collect Christmas trees for recycling and composting as part of their curbside garbage collection services, while others offer drop-offs for trees.

Picnic and camping permits available starting at 8 a.m. first-come, first-served

Get a chance to look for eagles Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

For people experiencing too much stress this holiday season, the best way to unwind may be a breath of fresh air.

The Forest Preserve’s operations committee took action that will pave the way for more trail projects as the district works to connect and extend the countywide trail system.

Take a break from the hustle of the holidays and get explore the outdoors this holiday season with Forest Preserve District of Will County programs. Online registration is available.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is holding a special Black Friday sale, beginning at noon Wednesday, on its online store for a discount on its "sassy" nature inspired T-shirts. Proceeds benefit The Nature Foundation of Will County,

From community holiday kick off events to quieter outdoor adventures, there is plenty to do in the Will County region this weekend.

Take a nature walk at Hammel Woods in Shorewood or a Group Hike along Centennial Trail – Schneider’s Passage in Romeoville this weekend. Register by Thursday.

programs in November programs include a dog hike, 18th century weaponry and a 6-mile Woods Walk Group Hike. Registration is available on the event calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org. Here is the lineup.

Dog park permits went on sale Wednesday for Will County forest preserves and they are good for the remainder of this year and all of 2024.

Learn about local history with the Joliet Iron Works artifact exhibit on display from Nov. 1 through Jan 31 at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville.

November brings a wide variety of programs to Forest Preserve District of Will County sites. Everything from seasonal scavenger hunts to composting.

Dress in costume for a spooky moonlight hike or take a golden fall walk on Sweetest Day with in the Will County forest preserves.

The City of Lockport and the Will County Forest Preserve District have agreed to split the cost of a feasibility study examining the possibilities for a new bike and walking trail.

Hidden Lakes Trout Farm hosting Summer Sendoff Fishing Derby from 7 to 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday in Bolinbrook.

The Autumn Native Tree and Shrub Sale began Friday, Sept. 1, and ends at noon Sunday, Sept. 24.

Hickory Creek Forest Preserve hosts this event featuring Smokin’ Z BBQ, music and games.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Lake Chaminwood Preserve near Channahon will be closed to the public for several months starting Thursday, for an improvement project that will expand the parking lot and add other amenities to the site.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has announced its calendar for July. The full program list is always available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org.

A Shorewood man’s photo of a sleeping raccoon nestled in the crook of a tree won May’s portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest. The photo was taken by Joe Viola of Shorewood at Hammel Woods preserve.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Police Department has joined the multi-jurisdictional Operation Disrupt campaign in an effort to help those who may be contemplating suicide.

District will also not mandate that fully vaccinated program participants and visitors

Ruth Meyer encourages others to volunteer, too

The teen’s body was found in the Theodore Marsh preserve in Crest Hill on Friday

Will County Forest Preserve District police are investigating the death

Will County Forest Preserve trails saw a lot more foot traffic last year from residents looking for safe activities as parts of the local economy were shut down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus

The Forest Preserve District of Will County announced it will close all of its visitor centers and cancel indoor programming as stricter mitigations go into effect Friday to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.