All year round, you can catch the beauty of the Fox River from The Fabyan Forest Preserve. This Kane County Forest Preserve in Geneva Illinois also connects directly to The Fox River Bike Trail, making it a great addition to your adventure!
The Fabyan Forest Preserve offers several seasonal experiences, including The Japanese Tea Gardens, a windmill, and a museum.
Overall Thoughts
Difficulty (Lower is Easier)
Amenities
Transportation & Accessibility:
Crowding:
Views & Wildlife:
Overall Rating:
Difficulty
This trail is paved and mostly flat. The pathway takes you over the Fox River via a pedestrian-friendly bridge. There are also plenty of park benches around to relax and enjoy the Fox River.
Transportation
To Fabyan Forest Preserve via Car
Fabyan Forest Preserve is almost an hour’s drive from Chicago. Park in the North Parking lot for quick access to the restroom, garden, and trail.
Via Public Transportation
BNSF & 802- Weekdays & Saturdays
Taking transportation does add a bit more time to a trip. And this is no exception. A trip from Chicago one-way is going to be about 2 hours.
From Chicago, Union Station, take the BNSF Metra train to Aurora.
Then, board the Pace Bus 802 from the Aurora Transportation Center Bay 5. Take the bus to 2000 S Batavia Ave. This stop may require that you walk without a sidewalk to the destination and cross the road without a crosswalk. Google Maps says from the bus stop it is a 7-minute walk to the forest preserve. Please read the “A Note About Walking” for more information.
Pace Bus 802 runs on weekdays and Saturdays! This bus does not offer service on Sundays. As always, make sure to check schedules and the website for up-to-date information on this route.
A Note About Walking
Please note that the surrounding area is not pedestrian-friendly. There are almost no sidewalks or crosswalks. As someone who takes transportation frequently, I like to point this out, as cars may be less aware of pedestrians. And safety can be a concern when you are walking.
While I was writing this, Google also gave a transportation option that required a bit of walking. I would be wary of these routes and do lots of research before heading out. As Google will not take into consideration sidewalks/crosswalks or the lack of them!
The above route, although I personally did not take it, has been heavily researched. It requires that you cross the road (without a crosswalk!) only once. And although you may have to walk along a busy road, it is for the briefest time.
Beauty & Wildlife at Fabyan Forest Preserve
This area gives you clear views of the Fox River, with the path taking you right along it. While you are in the park, you even cross over the river via a bike and pedestrian-friendly bridge.
In addition to the natural beauty of the river, you can see historic and unique buildings including a Frank Llyod Wright House and a Windmill. There also happens to be a mini lighthouse.
The Windmill was really fun to see. We even had a mini photoshoot there. However, it is close to Route 25, which at times can be a slightly busy road. This means, yes, there is some road noise in this area.
It was fairly quiet in the rest of the park.
We took time to appreciate the Fox River and sat on a bench watching the ducks and geese.
Everything in this area of the park seemed well maintained, with great signage, and clean/cleared paths.
It was a bit busy for being off-season and a non-weekend day. I would expect some crowds, if you are visiting, especially during the busy season and when the attractions are open to the public.
Know Before you go to Fabyan Forest Preserve:
Fabyan Windmill
The Windmill is open to the public on Sundays from June- the 1st Sunday of October. Open hours are 1 pm- 4 pm on these Sundays.
Although we were not able to go inside, as we went off-season, it was still cool to see this large windmill.
The Japanese Tea Gardens
From May 1st- September 30th, you can visit these gardens on Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 pm- 4 pm.
Once again, we went during the off-season, on a mid-November day, and were unable to explore this area. As we passed the gardens, it looked like it would be beautiful in spring and summer. It is definitely a place I would love to go and explore next year.
Fabyan Villa Museum
Fabyan Villa Museum is a Frank Llyod Wright House. This Frank Llyod Wright house is open to the public from May 1st through September 30th. The house which also has several artifacts, is open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 1 pm-4 pm.
Our off-season adventure had us miss this experience. Again, I am looking forward to going back to this forest preserve and checking out the museum.
Amenities at Fabyan Forest Preserve
There is a flushing restroom right by the North Parking Lot. Although near seasonal activities, it remained open off-season in November when we went. For a nature preserve bathroom it felt pretty clean! In addition, throughout the park, there are benches, picnic tables, and shelters that are well-kept and maintained. The signs around this segment of the park are also extremely helpful and informative.
