Glacial Park Conservation Area
What’s a kame? Visit Glacial Park Conservation Area in McHenry county, and you’ll come to appreciate this little known glacial formation. These mounds, built up over millennia on top of gravel and sand deposits left by departing glaciers, give interesting topography to an otherwise flat prairie landscape. They make hiking the trails in this diverse and beautiful park more interesting and fun.
A five-mile portion of the 26-mile Prairie Trail that runs along the eastern boundary of the park, and you can make a beautiful day trip from Chicago, by combining some bike riding, and a relatively easy hike. For a shorter ride, start in McHenry, IL, and ride approximately 7.5 miles to the park. If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can start in Algonquin, about 20 miles from the park. You can break up your ride with some hiking before heading back for your return trip. We recommend packing your own food, so you can enjoy a trailside picnic at one of the many scenic locations.
You can start your explorations at the Lost Valley Visitor Center and check out exhibits about the park’s history, and find maps and guides. The park offers about five miles of hiking trails in a series of somewhat overlapping loops, plus equestrian and snowmobile trails. The 2-mile Deerpath Loop is a self-guided, interpretive trail that traverses a woodland, grassland, savanna, prairie, marshes and bogs, and is a good, doable distance if you’re combining your visit to the park with a bike ride on the Prairie Trail. It’s also the perfect introduction to all that the park has to offer.
The meandering, mellow Nippersink Creek passes through the park and you’re likely to see a number of visitors enjoying a relaxed paddle. But even a stroll along its banks will afford a peek at its rich aquatic life, wetland wading birds and other local wildlife who visit the water’s edge in search of lunch.
The nature preserve at the park provides a sanctuary for more than 40 state-endangered plant and animal species, turtles and wild turkeys among them. You may spot badgers, woodchuck, frogs and muskrats, but birds are almost always easiest to see. Glacial Park is one of the five top places in the region to see migratory birds.
Glacial Park is McHenry Conservation District’s most popular site, visited annually by more than 64,000 guests who come to hike, ride horses, fish, paddle, and bike while enjoying its natural treasures.
More info
McHenry County Conservation District Glacial Park website.
Openlands article on Glacial Park.