 |
Amenities |
| Drinking Water |
| Horse Trailer Parking |
| Picnic Shelters |
| Picnic Tables |
| Playground |
| Public Parking |
| Toilets |
| Trails |
|
|
|
Lakewood |
Lakewood is Lake County's largest forest preserve. This site is home to the Lake County Discovery Museum, the Curt Teich Postcard Archives, and the Lake County History Archives. This preserve features dedicated equestrian trails, an off-leash dog exercise area, five picnic shelters, a variety of fishing ponds and trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, and a lighted Winter Sports Area. Biking is not allowed on preserve trails.
A 9.25-mile section of the Millennium Trail runs north through Lakewood to Singing Hills Forest Preserve and is open to bicylclists, hikers, equestrians, and cross-country skiers.
|
Construction Alert
Lakewood is benefitting from a major Lake County Division of Transportation road widening project at the intersection of Fairfield Road and Route 176 in Wauconda. Work will extend into 2014. View project updates.
During construction, access to Lakewood, the Lake County Discovery Museum, the Dog Exercise Area and all adjacent trails will remain open though minor interruptions may occur. Be alert to signage that may direct to alternative preserve entrances. View project map.
|
|
| |
Location |
| Lakewood Forest Preserve is located in Wauconda. [View on Google Maps] |
| The main entrance (to Museum, Archives and Shelters C, D and E) is located on Route 176, just west of Fairfield Road. Another key entrance and parking area for Shelters A and B is located at the intersection of Ivanhoe and Fairfield Roads: go east for the Winter Sports Area and Millennium Trail access; west for Shelters A and B, horse and snowmobile trailer parking. The Dog Exercise Area entrance is on the east side of Fairfield Road just north of Route 176.
Our Operations and Public Safety Facility, previously located at Lakewood, has moved to Lake Villa, on the north side of Grand Avenue, west of Route 45. |
| |
History |
From roughly 1835 to 1865, this site's forested areas were divided into 5- and 10-acre parcels used by local farmers as a source of firewood and lumber. After the Civil War, small farms dominated the property.
In 1937, Malcolm Boyle, a general contractor from Chicago, made his first of many purchases here and created Lakewood Farms, a country estate. Over the next 20 years, his farm became one of Lake County's largest, with livestock, orchards, gardens and crops. Boyle landscaped the ponds, dug Banana Lake and built 16 major buildings.
In 1961, Howard Quinn purchased the 1,250-acre farm and converted it into a large dairy ranch, which operated until 1965. In 1968, our acquisition at Lakewood began and has continued in stages for more than 30 years. You can still identify the large show barn, the chicken coop and the bull barn that are part of the Museum complex. |
| |
The Natural Scene |
Lakewood is home to 24 threatened and endangered species. On the west side of the preserve is the 70-acre Wauconda Bog. It is ringed by poison sumac and a natural moat, and is so ecologically valuable it is designated as a National Natural Landmark and an Illinois Nature Preserve. Another area of note is Broberg Marsh, home to a variety of wetland birds. Its habitat provides one of the best breeding spots in the county for birds.
This landscape is a mixture of oak woods, wetlands and fields. You'll also find farmlands and groves of evergreens. A lot of wildlife lives here and if you're observant, you may even spot one of the bats from the colony living near Shelter E. These shy mammals sleep while picnickers have their fun, and then awake at dusk to eat thousands of mosquitoes and other bugs.
|
| |
|
|
|
