Your Forest Preserves

Ryerson Conservation Area

Ryerson Conservation Area is one of the best examples of a northern flatwoods forest, a rare northern Illinois landscape. Comprising more than 500 acres, Ryerson Woods supports some of Illinois' most pristine woodlands and several state threatened and endangered species, and offers 5 miles of scenic trails that wind through woods to the Des Plaines River.

Ryerson Woods Welcome Center

The Welcome Center building and grounds were designed as a model of green architecture: environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient. Stop by and see how the building works. Pick up forest preserve publications and maps, and take home ideas about making your home or business more green.

The Welcome Center serves as headquarters to our Environmental Education division. Programs are offered here year-round for families, adults, children, teachers and community groups. Also, dozens of guided and self-guided programs are available to school and youth groups. At the small farm area, you may spot cows, sheep, goats, chickens and turkeys, and don't miss the butterfly garden in summer.

Brushwood, Friends of Ryerson Woods

The preserve’s Greek revival mansion, Brushwood, was once the summer home for the Edward L. Ryerson family of Ryerson Steel fame.

The historic structure is now home to the Friends of Ryerson Woods (FRW), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the resources of Ryerson Woods for present and future generations. FRW sponsors a robust schedule of public programs, special events and art exhibitions in support of their mission.

• Upcoming Friends of Ryerson Woods programs
• Friends of Ryerson Woods Web site

Brushwood hours: Tuesday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Sunday 1 - 3 p.m. or by appointment.

Trails

Trails are open to hikers and, when snow is at least four inches deep, cross-country skiers. Please note: bicycles, snowmobiles, dogs, horses and other pets are not allowed at this preserve.

Learn about nature while listening to tape on the Ned Ryerson Trail, funded by Tenneco Automotive and the Friends of Ryerson Woods. The crushed-gravel trail is wheelchair accessible and designed for easy use by the visually impaired. An audio guide for the trail is available for free checkout at either the Welcome Center or Brushwood.

Local history records document that Lake County’s first European settler, Captain Daniel Wright, owned property within the preserve. In the 1920s, a small number of families, including the Ryersons, Borlands and Fishers, purchased land here and built log cabins as weekend retreats. In 1942, the Ryersons built a summer estate home, which became the center of activity for their Brushwood Farm, known for its Arabian horses.

In 1966, the Ryerson family began to donate land to the Lake County Forest Preserves that eventually totaled 257 acres. The other families followed their lead and also donated and sold land enabling Ryerson Woods to grow to its current size.

Rare species, rare communities and high quality natural areas combine to make this a very special preserve. More than half of the land is so ecologically valuable that it is dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve and benefits from special protection rules.

The rare northern flatwoods forest is found here, and most of the floodplain forest left in northeastern Illinois is here. The preserve supports a variety of state threatened and endangered species, including the veery thrush, red-shouldered and Cooper's hawks, purple-fringed orchids and dog violets. More than 150 bird species and nearly 600 species of flowering plants have been seen at Ryerson Woods. Springtime brings special wildflower magic and autumn puts on a dazzling show of color in the maple forest.