Hiking & Walking Events

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  • An owl sitting atop a fence pole.

    Owl Prowl

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Introduction to owls followed by a relaxing walk to search for owls.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A telescope photo of a full moon taken from the Palos Preserves.

    Moon Festival

    Featured
    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Celebrate the season under the glow of the full moon with guided forest‑therapy walks, moon‑viewing and sharing of traditional mooncakes during this Asian cultural festival. […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Banner image for "Party for the Preserves" featuring the heading "National Public Lands Day."

    Party for the Preserves

    Featured
    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Celebrate the places that bring us together with a day of outdoor fun for all ages. Enjoy a bilingual prairie walk, family activities, hands-on seed […]

    Free
  • Banner image for "Party for the Preserves" featuring the heading "National Public Lands Day."

    Salsa Dance: Party for the Preserves

    Featured
    Thatcher Woods Pavilion • River Forest, IL 60305

    Dance into National Public Lands Day and Hispanic Heritage Month with an afternoon of live music, salsa dancing and festive outdoor fun. Bring your family and friends […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Banner image for "Party for the Preserves" featuring the heading "National Public Lands Day."

    Party for the Preserves

    Featured
    Camp Bullfrog Lake • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a day of activities. Paddle in 10-person canoes with Wilderness Inquiry. Funkadesi brings joyful tunes blending music from around the world. View the night sky with telescopes and walks. Noon–3 pm: 4H Kick off, […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Banner image for "Party for the Preserves" featuring the heading "National Public Lands Day."

    Party for the Preserves: Acoustics Under the Stars

    Featured
    Camp Shabbona Woods • South Holland, IL 60473

    Celebrate the connection between public lands and folk music with performances, a guided walk and hot dog roast. Bring your own instruments and join in […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • A forested landscape displaying fall colors.

    Forest Therapy

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Join us for a guided, meditative walk to connect back to nature and to ourselves. Led by an Illinois Master Naturalist. Ages 18 & up. […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Bridge and trail at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. Photo by Christine Karge Dewey.

    Music in Nature

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    Migration is adaptive, exploratory, brave, exhilarating, ancestral. Missing Piece, a Chicago-based violin/cello duo, expresses the beauty and the challenge of migration in this particular time […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Forest Therapy Walk

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    Reconnect with nature. Relaxing meditative practices and mindfulness led by the University of Illinois Extension.

    Free • Registration Required
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Monday Morning Mood Booster

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    Fight the Monday blues and join us for a walk in the woods. Ages 18 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • An adult and child gazing upon the fall colors in a forest.

    Sounds Like Fall

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Take your little one on a playful, music-filled nature walk. Ages 3-6 w/ adult.

    Free
  • An adult and child gazing upon the fall colors in a forest.

    Sounds Like Fall

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Take your little one on a playful, music-filled nature walk. Ages 3-6 w/ adult.

    Free
  • A landscape image of Poplar Creek

    Golden Prairie Walks

    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Join us for an afternoon stroll.

    Free

  • Two people birding with binoculars in hand.

    Bird Walk

    Bird Walk
    McGinnis Slough • Orland Park, IL 60462

    Join a naturalist as we look for local birds. A limited supply of binoculars available for loan at select events.

    Free
  • A person with a camera in a forest.

    Sunset Photography Meetup

    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Join Crabtree Nature Photographers’ Meetup Group for a guided sunset walk and capture nature in the fading light.

    Free • Registration Required
  • Two people birding with binoculars in hand.

    Bird Walk

    Bird Walk
    Trailside Museum of Natural History • River Forest, IL 60305

    Join a naturalist as we look for local birds. A limited supply of binoculars available for loan at select events. Led by John Elliot from […]

    Free
  • A group of people hiking in a forest with a backdrop of fall colors.

    Walk & Talk: Skokie Lagoons

    Walk & Talk
    Forest Way Grove • Cook County, IL 60022 (near Glencoe)

    Walk & Talk Hikes are for the curious mind who wants to know more about the Forest Preserves and natural areas. These walks will be […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • A large tree displaying vivid fall colors.

    Fall Photography

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    Enjoy a guided walk to view and photograph fall colors. For all levels and camera types. Ages 13 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • a squirrel climbing a tree trunk

    Nuts About Nature

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Explore the grounds to find native nuts and learn how animals use them for food and survival.sq

    Free
  • Bridge and trail at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. Photo by Christine Karge Dewey.

    Listening to Nature

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    W. Long will lead us in an exploration of the soundscape via the trails of the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. Ages 13 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A forested trail displaying fall colors.

    Red Gate Woods: The Dawning of the Atomic Age

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    Learn about the world’s first nuclear reactor from scientist, Dave Dolak. Presentation at Sagawau before strenuous hike at Red Gate Woods. Ages 18 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Forest Therapy Walk

    Forest Therapy
    Thatcher Woods Pavilion • River Forest, IL 60305

    Enjoy a mindful meditation and guided forest therapy walk. Led by University of Illinois Extension volunteers.

    Free • Registration Required
  • An adult and child gazing upon the fall colors in a forest.

    Sounds Like Fall

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Take your little one on a playful, music-filled nature walk. Ages 3-6 w/ adult.

    Free
  • An adult and child gazing upon the fall colors in a forest.

    Sounds Like Fall

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Take your little one on a playful, music-filled nature walk. Ages 3-6 w/ adult.

    Free
  • A group of people walking along a forested trail.

    Senior Fitness Walk

    Senior Fitness Walk
    Thatcher Woods Pavilion • River Forest, IL 60305

    Moderately paced, 1-mile fitness walk. Led by University of Illinois Extension volunteer. Ages 55 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • Two people birding with binoculars in hand.

    Bird Walk

    Bird Walk
    Eggers Grove • Chicago, IL 60617

    Join a naturalist as we look for local birds. A limited supply of binoculars available for loan at select events.

    Free
  • A large tree displaying vivid fall colors.

    Nature Photography

    Featured
    Sauk Trail Woods-Central • South Chicago Heights, IL 60411

    View fall colors and take pictures during a leisurely walk.

    Free
  • A cluster of mushrooms in a forest.

    Mushroom Walk

    Eggers Grove • Chicago, IL 60617

    Join us for a fun fungal walk as we search for mushrooms and learn about these fascinating organisms. DJ/Danielle is a local naturalist and Survey […]

    Free
  • A group of people participating in an event outdoors on a trail.

    Fridays in the Field

    Fridays in the Field at Little Red
    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    University of Illinois-Extension Master Naturalists will connect visitors with nature through inquiry-based activities when the buildings are closed.

    Free
  • A landscape image of Poplar Creek

    Rust at Dusk

    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Explore an old farm trail surrounded by tallgrass prairie and relics of the past. Ages 12 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A group walking along an outdoor unpaved trail.

    Underground Railroad Tour

    John Husar I&M Canal Bicycle Trail Parking Lot • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Tour includes info about the historical significance of this corridor. Arrive at I&M Canal for a discussion of the site and then shuttle to Lyonsville […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Children interacting with nature at an event in a forest.

    Fall Tree Walk

    Deer Grove-West • Cook County, IL 60010 (near Barrington)

    Enjoy a guided walk and learn how to identify trees in the fall. Grove 5.

    Free • Registration Required
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Nature Wellness Walk

    Sauk Trail Woods-Central • South Chicago Heights, IL 60411

    Immerse yourself and reconnect with nature and all the beauty it has to offer! Relaxing mindfulness and meditative practices will be led by certified forest […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • kids inspect an insect in someone's hand

    Invertebrate Investigation

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    Search for insects and arthropods who call tallgrass prairies home.

    Free
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Forest Therapy Walk

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    Reconnect with nature. Relaxing meditative practices and mindfulness led by the University of Illinois Extension.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A cluster of mushrooms in a forest.

    Fall Fungi

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Learn basics of mushroom identification during guided walk. Ages 18 & up. Ages 13-17 w/ adult.

    Free • Registration Required
  • An owl sitting atop a fence pole.

    Owl Prowl

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Introduction to owls followed by a relaxing walk to search for owls.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A group of people standing near a body of water during sunrise along a forested trail.

    Sunrise Hike

    Sunrise Hike
    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Step into the quiet stillness of early morning and join us for a before-hours hike to witness the beauty of a new day. Gates and […]

    Free
  • A forested trail displaying fall colors.

    Fall Color Walk

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    View the spectacular fall colors while enjoying a casual walk in the woods.

    Free
  • A cluster of mushrooms in a forest.

    Fall Fungi

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    Short naturalist-led hike to look for local species of fungi. Ages 18 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A forested trail displaying fall colors.

    Fall Color Walk

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    View the spectacular fall colors while enjoying a casual walk in the woods.

    Free
  • Wellness in the Woods logo

    Fall into Sounds & Nature

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Join certified instructor Gail for a peaceful walk, where soothing sounds guide you along the trail. Ages 18 & up.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A group of people hiking in a forest with a backdrop of fall colors.

    Walk & Talk: History of Poplar Creek

    Walk & Talk
    Carl R. Hansen Woods • Cook County, IL 60192 (near Schaumburg)

    Walk & Talk Hikes are for the curious mind who wants to know more about the Forest Preserves and natural areas. These walks will be […]

    Free
  • A group of people hiking in a forest with a backdrop of fall colors.

    Fall Color Walks

    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Join us for an afternoon stroll.

    Free
  • a great horned owl in a tree at Crabtree Nature Center

    Owl Prowl

    Eggers Grove • Chicago, IL 60617

    Join a naturalist for an evening walk while searching for owls.

    Free • Registration Required