Will County's countywide trail network continues to grow

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

Construction oversight is being sought for an extension of the Plum Creek Greenway trail in Crete Township. Phase one engineering proposals are being sought for an extension of the DuPage River Trail from Naperville to Bolingbrook and a new trail along Wolf’s Crossing Road that would connect Naperville and Bolingbrook trails to a trail system in Aurora.

On Dec. 7, the Forest Preserve’s operations committee took action that will pave the way for three future path extensions.

The three projects are:

Plum Creek Greenway Trail, Crete Township

Professional construction oversight service proposals are being sought for phase three engineering of the Plum Creek Greenway Trail. The project includes the addition of about 1 mile of asphalt trail, a 400-foot bridge over Plum Creek, and the conversion of the crushed limestone trail at Plum Valley Preserve – Burville Road Access into an asphalt trail. Once completed, the trail extension and a short street route will link Plum Valley Preserve to Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. Construction bids will be sought in 2024.

DuPage River Trail – Weber Road Connection, DuPage Township

Phase one engineering proposals are being sought to extend the DuPage River Trail along Weber Road from Naperville to Bolingbrook. The new trail section would travel through DuPage River Park in Naperville and Indian Boundary Park in Bolingbrook to an existing section of the DuPage River Trail owned by the Bolingbrook Park District.

The trail travels east to the Forest Preserve’s Hidden Lakes Trout Farm and Whalon Lake preserves and north to the DuPage Forest Preserve District’s Greene Valley Preserve. Partners in this project would be the city of Naperville, Naperville Park District and Bolingbrook Park District.

Wolf’s Crossing – Normantown Trail Connection, Wheatland Township

Phase one engineering proposals are being sought for Wolf’s Crossing Road trail improvements. The new trails would stretch along the north side of Wolf’s Crossing Road west from Carls Drive and on the south side of Wolf’s Crossing Road east from Carls Drive.

The trail extension would allow path users to head west to Hoffman Boulevard to connect to a system of Aurora trails, or east to go south on the Forest Preserve’s Normantown Trail or east on the Naperville Park District’s Tallgrass Greenway Trail.

This trail would be built in partnership with the city of Aurora and Wheatland Township Road District. In April, the Forest Preserve was awarded a grant of up to $760,000 by the Illinois Commerce Commission to assist with the construction of an at-grade pedestrian railroad crossing for this project.

Phase one engineering for the Weber Road and Wolf’s Crossing trails projects could last a year or two as engineers study if the paths are feasible and where and how they should be built if the project goes forward. Funding for trail projects comes from a variety of sources including Forest Preserve funds, federal grants, donations and contributions from partner agencies.

For more information on the district’s trail projects, go to reconnectwithnature.org.

When school’s out for the holidays, head to the preserves for family-friendly fun

When school lets out for the holidays, you might be thinking of trekking with your kids into Chicago or heading out to a faraway locale to find entertainment.

But there is so much to do right here in the forest preserves of Will County, and you can save gas and time by exploring closer to home.

A wide variety of programs are offered during this time for families and kids. All of them are listed on the Event Calendar.

The Forest Preserve also has 40 improved preserves to visit, more than 135 miles of trails to travel, visitor centers to explore and recreational activities to try, no matter what the weather. Should snow make an appearance, the District has two sled hills, one at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve and another at Forked Creek Preserve. And cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are allowed on all trails.

The district also has live animals at its visitor centers. There is a 2,000-gallon fish aquarium at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon; turtles, a tortoise, a snake and a salamander at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook; Blanding’s turtles at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville; and a snake, turtle and lizard at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. Plum Creek also has a live beehive.

For more information, go to reconnectwithnature.org.