Crabtree Nature Center and forest preserve offers a family-friendly adventure. Home to a Screeching Owl, Crabtree Nature Preserve houses Illinois animal friends and has educational activities to help you kick-start a nature expedition. Past the nature center, this forest preserve features 2 loop trails that can be combined into one larger hike. It also has a nature play area.
Overall Thoughts on Crabtree Nature Center
Difficulty (Lower is Easier)
Amenities
Transportation & Accessibility:
Crowding:
Views & Wildlife:
Overall Rating:
Difficulty
The 3-mile track, a combination of the Bur Edge Trail and Phantom Prarie Trail featured benches throughout allowing guests to sit relax, and do some bird watching. The trails, a mix of rocks and mowed portions, have little to no elevation. We went during the winter so we saw some snow and also got fairly muddy!
Getting to Crabtree Nature Center
It is a 40-minute drive from Chicago to Crabtree Forest Preserve. This Barrington Cook County Forest Preserve offers plenty of parking for guests with a lot right by its nature center.
Beauty & Wildlife
Crabtree Nature Preserve is a great spot to go bird-watching. Along the trails, there were bird feeders that even during the winter were active. Plus with benches around, there are spots to wait and be patient. In the cold, there is also a place to watch birds inside from the comfort of the nature center.
Speaking of the nature center, you can see Illinois wildlife inside here like a screeching owl and a painted turtle. Plus, they had some outside bird habits where we saw a Red-Tailed Hawk.
The trails themselves looped around a marsh area, a pond, and a lake. Making this a beautiful and serene place to check out Illinois natural beauty.
Know Before You Go to Crab Tree Nature Center
Crabtree Forest Preserve has very specific hours due to its nature center. Crabtree Forest Preserve is open March through October 9 am – 5 pm and November through February 9 am – 4 pm. It is closed on Fridays.
This Forest Preserve features a pond and lake so make sure to bring bug spray during mosquito season! Or go during that beautiful bug-free time, either winter or before or after the big thaw.
Please note that dogs (other than service animals) and bikes are not allowed.
If you’re looking for events, Crabtree Nature Center offers hikes, bird watching, and other activities throughout the year. Check out what’s coming up here.
Amenities
One of the draws to this nature preserve is the Crabtree Nature Center. It is a nice inside educational center with information and exhibits about Illinois Nature. It also features animals including turtles and owls.
There are nice indoor flushing toilets located right outside the nature center, near the parking lot.
