Wilke Road Trail Extension

The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Village of Arlington Heights are collaborating to provide additional public access to the preserve. The project includes construction of a pedestrian crosswalk from Wilke Road to the north side of Lake Cook Road. A crushed stone connector trail will be built from the new crosswalk to the existing trail loop inside the preserve.

During the course of the project, trails will be open for public use. Please use caution, slow down and look for signs and work crews along the way. Anticipated completion is summer 2021.

Questions, comments, updates? Contact the Village of Arlington Heights, 847-368-5261.

Reservoir Expansion and Preserve Improvements

We are collaborating with the Metropolitan Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the Village of Buffalo Grove to reduce flooding and provide additional public access improvements at the preserve. The reservoir has been expanded and new trails, overlooks and boardwalks opened to the public this summer. Maintenance and monitoring of the newly planted areas will continue through 2025.

There will be additional work this fall to improve the flow of water of Buffalo Creek into the preserve, make minor repairs to the parking lot and upgrade the banks of the energy dissipation pool along Arlington Heights Road. During the parking lot repairs, the lot will be closed for three days. The preserve will still be open to the public but only accessible by the preserve’s pedestrian entrances. Please use caution, slow down and look for signs and work crews along the way. Anticipated completion is fall 2020.

Questions, comments, updates? Contact MWRD, 312-751-3247.

A 0.7-mile section of the Millennium Trial runs along the western edge of the preserve. Other public access improvements to the 500-acre preserve include toilets, a 0.8-mile gravel loop trail and four scenic overlooks. Future plans include a pedestrian tunnel under Route 45 to safely connect Ethel's Woods to Raven Glen Forest Preserve via the Millennium Trail.

Although preserve improvements are complete, restoration activities will continue for a few more years while we finalize our efforts to return the area to a natural landscape.

Major multiyear land restoration efforts that have been completed include restructuring an earthen dam to slowly drain a man-made lake as well as ecological restoration of the historic North Mill Creek stream channel. Funding assistance for this restoration work was provided by a $1 million Clean Water Act grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Questions, comments, updates? Contact Project Manager David Cassin, 847-968-3427. 

Great Lake Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program

Lakewood Master Plan Approved

Oriole Grove Master Plan in Progress

In fall 2020, our planning staff prepared two concept plans that explored a range of ideas and opportunities for public access improvements and natural resource restoration at Oriole Grove in Lake Bluff.

The public was able to view the plans and provide comments in-person at an open house on September 22, 2020, and during a special virtual meeting of the Planning Committee on October 26, 2020. A six-week online comment period was also offered through November 9, 2020, to gather additional public input.

Based on the feedback received from the public, and from partners and commissioners, we have prepared a preliminary master plan that will be shared with the District's standing committees in early 2021.

Existing Condition   Master Plan Concept A   Master Plan Concept B Preliminary Master Plan

View Committee Meeting Discussions

August 31 Planning Committee Video

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Implementation of Project Goals

Project Background
In 1980, the Lake County Forest Preserves acquired Oriole Grove jointly with the Illinois Department of Transportation as a potential flood water storage facility. The site was later declared unfeasible for flood storage purposes and remained in joint ownership until September 2019 when the Lake County Forest Preserves assumed full ownership. At 86 acres, Oriole Grove is a keystone preserve within a much larger tract of 282 acres of open space and natural areas along the Skokie River corridor. Lake Bluff Open Lands Association manages 35 acres to the immediate north and Lake Forest Open Lands Association manages 119 acres immediately to the south of Oriole Grove. Another 42 acres are dedicated Illinois State Natural Areas on private property. The site is considered a gem by local residents and was given the nickname Jensen Woods, named after Jens Jensen, the prominent landscape architect who designed the property in the early 1900s when it was owned by the Kelley family. 
 
While much of Oriole Grove is overgrown with invasive plants, volunteers and contractors have restored some portions of the site. The preserve offers 1.3 miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails with multiple surfaces ranging from deteriorated asphalt to natural surface trails. 
 
Goals of the Plan 

• Provide an improved public access and recreation experience that is ADA compliant and reduces short- and long-term operating costs.
• Create ways for the public to view and enjoy the cultural landscape feature along Jensen Pond.
• Continue restoration efforts and dedicate new areas for improving the natural landscape that are consistent with our 100-year vision and landscape-scale conservation goals. 
• Restore much of the original hydrology, create high-quality sedge meadow, control invasive species, and install aquatic, wetland and savanna plants. 

Funding
Currently the Oriole Grove Master Plan improvements are not funded. "When we gained full ownership of Oriole Grove, only a year ago, there were indicators that there may be local interest in moving the project forward through donations, along with a dedicated endowment for ongoing maintenance," said Executive Director Alex Ty Kovach. "We have more than $40 million in unfunded projects, several of those have been on the list for many years. There are no development dollars available at this time and the only way we can move an unfunded improvement project forward is through grants and donations.

"Our intention is to finalize a master plan, and to establish cost estimates and potential funding sources for its implementation," Kovach said. As its charitable partner, the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves is positioned to raise private dollars for the project if there is an interest in accelerating the funding timeline rather than waiting for traditional development dollars to be budgeted. There may also be opportunities to fund part of the project through grants.

Questions or Comments? Contact Director of Planning and Land Preservation, Randy Seebach, at 847-968-3262, or via email at OrioleGrove@LCFPD.org.

The new Millennium Trail–Route 45 underpass will provide safe passage between Ethel's Woods and Raven Glen forest preserves for pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians, as well as a future connection to the Millennium Trail. The project includes a 145-foot, poured-in-place concrete trail tunnel and 0.8 miles of new paved and gravel trails to join the two preserves. Expected project completion is fall 2021. 

View Project Map

The underpass is a crucial part of the planned extension of the Millennium Trail and Greenway, a 41-mile regional trail connecting central, western and northern portions of Lake County to the Des Plaines River Trail. Today, nearly 33 miles of the Millennium Trail are open to hikers, bicyclists and cross-country skiers. The trail currently connects 10 preserves and 10 municipalities. When complete, it will link 13 schools, 12 municipalities, 18 parks, and 12 forest preserves. View completed sections of the Millennium Trail on our Interactive Trail Map. 

Project Funding

The Millennium Trail–Route 45 underpass project is partially funded by a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant administered through the Illinois Department of Transportation. The TAP grant covers 80% of total construction costs. During construction, Route 45 will remain open, although occasional traffic delays can be expected. 

Questions, comments, updates? Contact Project Manager David Bugaj, P.E, Civiltech Engineering, 630-878-7635.