Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve

Definitely worth checking out! Great to bring your dog or go by yourself! It’s a great place to exercise your dog!

A bit of a walk from the parking lot off of rt 59, but well worth it. Many rare species of plant can be found within this remnant gravel hill prairie, one of only a few remaining in northern Illinois. Please walk carefully and stay on marked trails to protect this area. Take only photos and leave only footsetps as they say. Great place to soak up the beauty of the prairie!

My favorite place for cross country mountain biking or gravel biking (great for running too) in west part of the Shoe Factory Woods North and South of Golf Rd! I usually combine it with the 9mile or so paved loop to the East around the Arthur L. Janura Preserve!

It's a beautiful park especially at the peak of the autumn season. There are long and attractive walking trails. The information could be better. Maps of the trails would be helpful.

Wilderness in the middle of the city! A feeling that continuously prevails while walking this beautiful trail covered with white sheet of black ice which attracts you towards itself at the same time repels to not destroy its beauty. Rightly said “Nature has its own unique ways of keeping the sanity intact”. Carl R. Hansen woods is a park of its own kinds located at Cook County, IL. Walking in feels like -6 C temperature had our fingers numbs, brains frozen, feet hurting coz of cold, eyes mesmerised, thoughts running wild to adore each bit of this amazingly wonderful place.