Eleanor’s Trail at Norris Woods Forest Preserve features a pedestrian-only path that takes you through a forested area with views of Fox River. The Forest Preserve is also home to several deer. When we went we even saw a buck! One thing to note is that the one-way trail does end abruptly at private property with some confusing signage. Overall, despite having some upsides the trail and preserve in general finds itself being outdone by its larger, freindlier, county-run preserves.
Overall Thoughts on Norris Woods
Difficulty (Lower is Easier)
Amenities
Transportation & Accessibility:
Crowding:
Views & Wildlife:
Overall Rating:
Difficulty
Difficulty-wise, Eleanor’s Trail is an easy short trek, at least physically. The most challenging part of the trail is that this one-way .66-mile trail ends abruptly at private property with very poor signage as to where to go next. When it comes to the pathway it is unpaved but is an easy short trek, clocking in at just over 1 mile even taking the full round trip into account. Although it is easy, it is a smaller pathway that does have some plants starting to crowd the walkway.
Transportation
From Chicago, Norris Woods, located in Saint Charles Illinois, is about an hour and 15 minutes drive. Unfortunately, there are no transportation options and the parking lot located on North 5th Ave only offers a few spots. However, this forest preserve was empty when we went. The Trailhead and parking lot also does not offer restrooms.
Beauty & Wildlife of Norris Woods
This trail offered a nice walk through the forest. However, the natural view is mildly spoiled by large visible houses across the way and the trees blocking the views of the Fox River.
The woods offer a home to native woodland plants and have old worn-out signs featuring still mostly readable information on these woods.
We went during November and the woods had the almost winter charm with bare trees and colorful leaves covering the trail. Honestly, my favorite part of the end of fall is the covered ground! The crunching sound of the leaves and the fun of swishing through the leaves is the best!
As for wildlife, we saw several deer, including a buck! A few even came close to the trail, hardly nervous of our presence. There were signs at the trailhead saying they were filming these woods to track the deer.
This means if you are looking to see wildlife, these woods might be a good place to explore.
Know Before you go to Norris Woods :
No Bikes: Pedestrians Only
This trail does not allow bikes. However, if you are looking for a bike trail that goes through Noris Woodds, and even follows some of this path, then check out The Fox River Bike Trail.
Amenities at Norris Woods
This Trailhead did not offer amenities. There was no bathroom and no map at the trailhead.
The trail itself was just a little opening with two little yellow bars, I assume to stop bikers. It wasn’t till we were aways-in that we found a sign. Honestly, we were a bit unsure about this trail until we saw the signage. However, the signs looked old and had some wear and tear.
The end of this trail also leads directly to private property. It had large intimidating private property signs that were clearly unwelcoming. And at that point, the nature preserve had no signs of your next steps. The boundaries of what was what got lost. This makes this trail a one-way path as the best option is to simply turn around at this point.
Check for Ticks
This trail is unpaved. And is a smaller trail, where you do rub up against plants. I always suggest checking yourself for ticks, bug bites, and anything else unusual after a walk. For this trail especially I would make sure to do a thorough check!
