Take a quick walk around the pond or extend your trip into the woods at Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve. This Dupage Forest Preserve offers 1 mile of trail between the South Loop Trail and North Loop Trail. The short length makes it a perfect quick nature escape! Plus, there are several benches around to watch the ducks and geese on the pond and you can always bring your fishing rod to try and catch a wooper.
Overall Thoughts on Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve
Difficulty (Lower is Easier)
Amenities
Transportation & Accessibility:
Crowding:
Views & Wildlife:
Overall Rating:
Difficulty
For a quick 20-minute walk, take the South Loop Trail around the pond. At only .5 miles, this limestone path is flat and easy. When we went we took both the South Trail Loop and the North Loop Trail to create an almost 1 mile loop. The North Loop Trail is also limestone. It may be a bit more narrow than the South Loop Trail.
Transportation
Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve Via Car
Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve is located in Wood Dale Illinois and is only half an hour away from Chicago. There are also 2 parking lots in this forest preserve with plenty of parking.
Via Public Transportation
Technically there is a way to get to this park from Chicago via public transportation. However, I am not even going to include it here as the route includes multiple transfers and a long 1.1 walk near a major highway! Plus it would be over 2 hours one-way!
Beauty & Wildlife of Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve
This trail was a restful reflective one, with a bunch of places to sit and be in nature. And honestly, that’s what we did. We sat and watched the ducks and geese as they flew in and out of the water. The birds floated around the pond and bobbed under the water.
The pond itself was beautiful. Reeds and trees circled around its edge.
Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve offered several ways to take in the beauty of the pond. There were multiple dock decks that went out into the water, getting you “onto” the pond and allowing for a different perspective. And with so many benches along the route, there was a place to rest at every turn.
Unfortunately, these trails are not overly quiet. Airplane after Airplane was audible and visible overhead. There are also houses you can see from the trails.
The wooded portion, of the North Loop Trail, was pretty. We went at the end of the fall season and ended up walking through the fallen leaves and looking at the bare trees.
Know Before you go to Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve:
Amenities:
The park offers two restroom stops. Each area had a building that was closed when we went, however, at these two locations there were porta-potties as well.
There are at least two shelters, with picnic tables and grills, available as well. And as I have mentioned before, these trails have benches.
Beyond Hiking
If you’re looking for activities beyond the trails, the pond offers several things to do including fishing! In addition to fishing, this is a great place to bird-watch.
As a writer, I could see myself finding a great spot to journal or read!
With several picnic benches around, I highly suggest packing a lunch or snack. A meal always gives you the flexibility to extend your day.
