Forked Creek Preserve has three access points:
8 a.m.-sunset
Ballou Road Access Trail
Forstyhe Woods Nature Trail
Wauponsee Glacial Trail
815-727-8700
At 951 acres, Forked Creek Preserve offers a diverse natural landscape of forests, wetlands and waterways, including a portion of its namesake creek. The preserve provides important habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species.
Forked Creek Preserve includes three access areas — Ballou Road in Wesley Township and Butcher Lane and Forsythe Woods, both in Florence Township — with each offering unique ways to experience the landscape.
Forked Creek Preserve is open 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year except Christmas.
Wildlife throughout Forked Creek Preserve includes a variety of bird species, such as the spotted sandpiper, yellow-billed cuckoo, dickcissel and ovenbird. The preserve’s plant communities feature species such as redbud, Kentucky coffee tree, glade mallow and smooth blue aster.
Land for Forked Creek Preserve was acquired between 1974 and 2007. The preserve is part of the Forked Creek preservation system, which protects nearly 2,700 acres of natural areas in the region.
Get some fresh air and exercise while helping to make a difference in your community by attending one or more of the Forest Preserve’s volunteer mornings.
Come learn what’s stirring beneath the surface of Snapper Pond and who pops out near the shore as day turns to night.
Answer the call of your wild child by getting outside with this monthly nature-themed program geared toward children ages 3 to 5.
Earwigs may look menacing, but they are completely harmless to humans. And they don't want to crawl into your ears either.
Nature sightings can help staff document species and changes in local preserves.
The tiny elf owl is the world's smallest raptor, and it thrives hunting insects and more in the desert climate where it lives.
Electric-assist bicycles are allowed within the preserves as long as they meet certain requirements. The bikes must:
Per the District's General Use Ordinance, persons riding a bicycle must conform to federal and state bicycle laws.
Camping permits may be obtained online or in-person at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville, Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township or Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet. Reservations also can be made online; reservations for campsites must be made two business days in advance of the reservation date.
Youth group camping can only be booked over the phone by calling any of the above visitor centers. A 50 percent discount is offered to youth group organizations.
Visit the camping page for more information.
Visit the camping page for fee details.
A dog park permit may be purchased online or in-person at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township or Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet. You also can mail in an application.
Visit the dog park page for more information.
Call 911 in an emergency. Non-emergency safety concerns should be directed to the Laraway Communications Center dispatch at 815-727-6191 (option 9) to have a Forest Preserve District officer dispatched. Non-emergency and past concerns can also be reported to the District's police department by calling 815-727-8700 or through the online form.