 |
| Amenities |
| Drinking Water |
| Horse Trailer Parking |
| Picnic Shelters |
| Picnic Tables |
| Public Parking |
| Toilets |
| Trails |
|
|
|
| Location |
| Lakewood Forest Preserve is located near Wauconda in southwestern Lake County. |
| The main entrance (to Museum 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; west for Shelters A and B, horse and snowmobile trailer parking. The Dog Exercise Area entrance is on the west side of Fairfield Road just north of Route 176. |
| |
| 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 17 endangered species, many of which reside in a remote 70-acre bog on the preserve's western side. Wauconda Bog, ringed by poison sumac and a natural moat, is so ecologically valuable it is designated as a National Natural Landmark and an Illinois Nature Preserve. Another area of note is Broberg Marsh, 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 lucky, 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. |
| |
|
|
|
