One of the most common questions we receive is: How do I find a forest preserve near me? It’s easy using our interactive map!
Our interactive map works on your computer or mobile device and lets you search for a forest preserve by location and activity. Here are a few ways to “find a forest preserve near me.”
Share Your Location
When you visit our interactive map, your web browser will ask if you want to share your location. If you do, a marker will display at your approximate location and you’ll see a list of the closest forest preserves, with the approximate distance to each location.
If you’re having trouble sharing your location, check out these instructions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge.
Search by City, Town or Village
If you don’t want to share your approximate location, you can still find a forest preserve near you by searching for your city, town or village on the interactive map. Any search for a city, town or village will center the map to that location and give you a list of the closest forest preserves, with the approximate distance to each location.
You can find a forest preserve near Barrington in the northwest corner of Cook County just as easily as you can find a forest preserve near South Chicago Heights in the southeast corner of Cook County.
Search by Zip Code
Try searching for the five-digit zip code (from your mailing address) on the interactive map to get a better idea of the approximate distance to forest preserves near you.
A zip code search is great for Chicago residents who want to find forest preserves near their area of the city. A search for forest preserves near 60651 on Chicago’s West Side will get different results than a search for 60628 on Chicago’s South Side.
Bonus: Find an Activity in a Forest Preserve Near Me
You can easily add an activity to any zip code, city, town or village search—just choose an activity from the dropdown menu or type in your own. You’ll be hiking near Skokie, birding near the 60617 zip code or renting a boat near Palos Park in no time.
Don’t forget directions! Once you select a location, simply press the directions button to open driving, walking or biking directions on Google Maps.