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Locations & Things to Do
Burnham Prairie
Entrance
Things to Do & Amenities
- Parking
- No Fishing
- Birding Hotspot
Hours
Year-round: Sunrise to SunsetClosures & Alerts
Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve
Location
Things to Do & Amenities
- No Parking
- No Fishing
- Birding Hotspot
- No Dogs
- Service dogs are allowed at most public locations. View accessibility policies.
Hours
Year-round: Sunrise to SunsetClosures & Alerts

Nature Notes
The wetlands at Burnham Prairie are attractive breeding grounds for marsh birds, including common gallinule, Virginia rail and American bittern. Restoration efforts here focus on protecting the mix of marsh, wet sand prairie and savanna that keeps these birds coming back to raise their young.
The Forest Preserves worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to build an earthen berm to prevent polluted stormwater from entering the wetlands. And ongoing invasive species control, including prescribed burns, protect the native plants that help these marsh birds thrive.