The 244-acre Sauk Trail Reservoir was acquired in the 1970s in conjunction with the State Division of Waterways for the construction and operation of a local stormwater reservoir/management facility on Sauk Trail Road, Laraway Road, and Harlem Avenue in Frankfort. To protect the dam and stormwater storage capacity, prescribed burns and brush cutting are part of the annual management.

In 2010, the Village of Frankfort completed construction of a 1.3-mile bicycle trail through the preserve as part of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Forest Preserve. The Village funded the project, and the Forest Preserve will manage the trail for hiking/running, bicycling, in-line skating, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

The trail extends from the Frankfort Commissioner's Park at 80th Avenue to Harlem Avenue, and will connect to the Old Plank Road Trail following future roadway projects. Parking is available at the Frankfort Commissioner's Park and the trail can be accessed at the corner of Sauk Trail and 80th Avenue. Because the trail is constructed on top of the flood control structure, users are required to stay on the trail, and the preserve may be closed during times of flooding.

Photograph Courtesy of Lorenzo Pesce