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Amenities |
| Public Parking |
| Trails |
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Middlefork Savanna |
Home to a rare tallgrass savanna, Middlefork Savanna features a mix of oak savanna and woodlands, wet and mesic prairies, sedge meadows and marshes. Middlefork provides valuable protection for state and federally listed species such as the Blanding's turtle. A 25-acre parcel here is considered the highest quality tallgrass savanna of its kind in the nation and recognized as a globally threatened ecosystem.
Activities
In the late 1990s, a community advisory committee approved a plan for restoration and public access improvements and to establish Middlefork Savanna as a national ecological research site and outdoor classroom for universities, school and other organizations.
The public access portion of that plan came to fruition in summer of 2002 with the opening of a four-mile gravel trail for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing and a half-mile mowed path for hikers. Two boardwalks on the trail help protect sensitive wetland areas. Please note: dogs are not allowed on the wood chip trail here. |
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Location |
| Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve is located in southeast Lake County near Lake Forest. [View on Google maps] |
| The entrance and parking area are located off of Waukegan Road (Route 43), north of Route 60 and south of Route 176. At the light for Middlefork Drive/Westmoreland Road, turn west onto Middlefork Drive. Proceed to the end of Middlefork Drive, bear left at the fork to enter the preserve parking area. |
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History |
| Middlefork Savanna was acquired in phases, starting with the original purchase of 43 acres in 1989. The latest acquisition of 52 acres in 2000 expands Forest Preserve ownership of a valuable watershed and adds a needed buffer to Middlefork Savanna. |
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The Natural Scene |
| Once part of a large glacial lake, Middlefork Savanna provides safe harbor for endangered plant and wildlife species, and several environmentally sensitive wetlands that feed into the North Branch of the Chicago River. Chicago Wilderness has identified Middlefork Savanna as one of the most important sites for biodiversity in northeastern Illinois. Because of its size, Middlefork supports an impressive list of uncommon birds, butterflies and other species that require large open areas for survival. Middlefork also serves as a national ecological research site and outdoor classroom for universities, schools, and other organizations. |
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