Bemis Woods offers a wide range of activities such as birding, hiking and biking, and plenty of open space and groves for picnics. Amenities at this 480-acre site include paved and unpaved trails, a canoe launch and the exhilarating Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course.
On this page:
- Locations & Things to Do
- Trails
- Zipline & Adventure Park
- Canoe Landing
- Nature Notes
- Volunteer Opportunities
Locations & Things to Do
Bemis Woods-North
Entrance
Things to Do & Amenities
- Parking
- Portable Bathroom
- Trail Access
- Hiking & Walking
- Bicycling
- Dogs
(on-leash only) - Cross-Country Skiing
- Canoe Landing
- Birding Hotspot
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Portable bathroom open May 1 to October 31 depending on weather conditions.
Picnic Groves
- Grove #1
(with shelter)- Capacity: 150 people
- Grove #2
- Capacity: 200 people
- Grove #3
- Capacity: 200 people
- Grove #4
(with shelter)- Capacity: 300 people
Hours
Year-round: Sunrise to SunsetClosures & Alerts
Bemis Woods-South
Entrance
Things to Do & Amenities
- Parking
- Indoor Bathroom
- Accessible Portable Bathroom
- Trail Access
- Hiking & Walking
- Bicycling
- Dogs
(on-leash only) - Cross-Country Skiing
- Birding Hotspot
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Zip Line / Treetop Adventure
Picnic Groves
- Grove #5
(with shelter)- Capacity: 350 people
- Accessible Grove #6
(with shelter)- Accessible May 1 to October 31.
- Distance to parking: 85 ft
- Distance to accessible portable bathroom: 80 ft
- Capacity: 100 people
- Accessible Grove #7
(with shelter)- Accessible May 1 to October 31.
- Distance to parking: 185 ft
- Distance to accessible portable bathroom: 165 ft
- Capacity: 300 people
Hours
Year-round: Sunrise to SunsetTreetop Adventure Hours: Contact Go Ape at 800-971-8271Closures & Alerts
Trails
Salt Creek Trail System
The Salt Creek Trail System’s paved and unpaved trails run along the Des Plaines River, Salt Creek and Brookfield Zoo, offering visitors views of a glacial valley, gravelly moraine and Salt Creek’s unique pool and riffle environment.
Location: Brookfield, Forest View, La Grange Park, Lyons, McCook, North Riverside, Oak Brook, Riverside, Westchester & Western Springs
Surface
Paved & UnpavedEstimated Total Length
16.4 milesHours
Year-round: Sunrise to SunsetClosures & Alerts
![a person climbing a net on the Go Ape Tree Top Adventure Course in Bemis Woods](https://fpdcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bemis-woods-go-ape-course-jun16.jpg)
Zipline & Adventure Park
Experience the Forest Preserves from new heights at the Go Ape Zipline & Adventure Park.
- Treetop Adventure Course:
- 5 zip lines for a total of 2,837 feet of exhilaration
- A “double Tarzan swing” that allows 2 participants to simultaneously swing from 30 feet and safely land in a cargo net
- A series of rope ladders and bridges, spider’s webs and trapezes
- 40 obstacles situated 40+ feet up in the forest canopy
- Journey Course with 18 obstacles and two zip lines
- Axe Throwing Range
Canoe Landing
A carry-in canoe landing provides access to Salt Creek.
Nature Notes
Both Bemis Woods North and South are considered excellent birding locations because of the creek habitat. A large variety of migrant songbirds, as well as cuckoos, indigo buntings and veeries, use this 400-acre wooded area along Salt Creek.
Many woodpeckers have been spotted in the area, including red-headed, red-bellied, downy, hairy and pileated varieties. Best bird viewing is usually during migration from early April to early June and mid-August to late October. Ducks and deer are also visible along the creek shores behind the wild blackberry.
![a person taking buckthorn to the fire at a Bemis Woods volunteer workday](https://fpdcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bemis-woods-volunteer-kris-dapra-oct18-700x400.jpg)
Volunteer Opportunities
Come and explore the natural communities of Bemis Woods, which include remnant oak woodlands on a terrace above the floodplain forest lining Salt Creek. Help dedicated volunteers cut brush, pull weeds or collect seeds depending on season and weather. All levels of experience welcome.