Herrick Lake Forest Preserve
The Herrick Lake Forest Preserve offers a quiet getaway with woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. Visitors can walk, jog, bicycle, and cross-country ski along the Danada-Herrick Lake Regional Trail, which connects Herrick Lake and the nearby Danada Forest Preserve in DuPage County.
The 887-acre Herrick Lake preserve is home to an impressive variety of wildlife. Ecologists have recorded 254 types of year-round and migrating wildlife in its forests and wetlands. Click here for more info.
Location
The Herrick Lake Forest Preserve is a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience. It is home to several wildlife species and offers hiking trails, fishing, kayaking, and boating. Visitors can also visit the small family-friendly zoo.
The preserve is home to more than 254 species of year-round and migratory animals. The wooded wetlands and prairies are home to frogs, turtles, toads, birds, mammals, and butterflies. Herrick Lake’s pothole marshes are a draw for eastern tiger salamanders and other amphibians. The preserve’s mature upland forests are dominated by red, white, and bur oaks.
The Herrick Lake Regional Trail connects the Herrick and Danada forest preserves via a crushed stone pathway over 6 miles long. This multi-use trail is suitable for walking, jogging, bicycling, and horseback riding. It also connects to the Illinois Prairie Path Aurora Spur and the St. James Farm and Blackwell forest preserve trails in Warrenville. This trail is a great place for families to hike and have fun together.
Parking
There are several parking options at Herrick Lake. The preserve’s northern parking lot is off Butterfield Road, just south of Herrick Drive; the southern parking lot is off Naperville Road, east of Herrick Drive. In addition, the Herrick Lake North Parking Loop trail passes through a section of the Danada and Herrick Lake Regional Trail.
The Herrick Lake Forest Preserve is one of DuPage County’s most popular parks. Its 887 acres are home to stately 150-year-old white, red, and bur oaks, as well as young planted forests of American elms, with understories of smaller maples, oaks, lindens, and hickories. Its 7 miles of trails feature prairies, wetlands, and woods.
In response to the state’s stay-at-home order, the district asked visitors to practice social distancing and limit their park visitation to less crowded preserves. However many popular sites remained busy, and the district decided to restrict parking at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook, Herrick Lake near Wheaton, McDowell Grove in Elk Grove Village, Spring Creek Reservoir near Bloomingdale, and Waterfall Glen near Darien. Here is another spot to visit.
Hiking Trails
Whether you’re a hiking, biking, walking, cross-country skiing, or horseback riding enthusiast, Herrick Lake has the perfect trails for you. It’s also home to a diverse range of wildlife. The forest preserve’s miles of trails with gently rolling hills have made it one of DuPage County’s most popular preserves.
The park’s trail system runs through Herrick Lake, wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands. Along the trail, you’ll find swamp buttercup and wild iris blooming in wetlands that are home to wood ducks and herons, while raccoons, northern orioles, and wood thrushes thrive in the upland forests with stately white, red, and oak trees.
The trails are crushed gravel, making them family and kid-friendly while still being able to be used by bikers looking for a challenging workout. You can even extend your hike with the first successful rail-to-trail conversion in Illinois, the Illinois Prairie Path which connects the park to downtown Winfield and other parks and forest preserves in DuPage County.
Fishing
Herrick Lake is a great place for fishing. The lake has a wide variety of fish species and is stocked with largemouth bass. Check out the DuPage County Fishing Guide for more information about the lake and fishing regulations.
This park is a Level II park, which means that public restrooms are available. It also features a picnic shelter, basketball courts, baseball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, and an ice skating rink.
Besides the calm lake and lush green shrubbery, Herrick Lake is home to various animals. From the sitting ducks to the free-roaming birds of every feather, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. In addition, it’s a great spot for weddings. The homey and classic vibe that Herrick Lake gives makes it an ideal choice for a family picnic or a classic-themed wedding. Aside from that, it’s a great venue for photography sessions. Browse the next article.
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