Schiller Woods

Schiller Woods Pond. Photo by Jeremy Riel.
"Schiller Woods Pond" by Jeremy Riel is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 / Cropped from original.

Located along the Des Plaines River Trail, Schiller Woods is home to a diverse array of natural habitats including wooded areas, remnant prairie, sedge meadow and wetland. With wide-open spaces and a pond, visitors can enjoy easy access to outdoor activities such as picnicking, fishing, kite flying and more.

On this page:


Locations & Things to Do

Schiller Woods includes multiple locations:


Schiller Woods-East

Entrance

W Irving Park Rd, west of N Cumberland Ave
Chicago, IL 60634

Things to Do & Amenities

  1. Indoor bathroom open April 1 to October 31 depending on weather conditions.

Picnic Groves

  • Grove #9
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 200 people
  • Grove #10
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 300 people
  • Grove #11
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 300 people
  • Accessible Grove #12
    (with shelter)
    • Accessible May 1 to October 31.
    • Distance to parking: 212 ft
    • Distance to accessible portable bathroom: 181 ft
    • Capacity: 300 people
  • Grove #13
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 300 people
Event Permits PageGrove PDF Map of Schiller Woods-East

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Schiller Woods-West

Entrance

W Irving Park Rd, east of Des Plaines River Rd
Schiller Park, IL 60634

Things to Do & Amenities

  1. Portable bathroom open May 1 to October 31 depending on weather conditions.

Picnic Groves

  • Grove #1
    • Capacity: 100 people
  • Grove #2
    (with shelter)
    • Capacity: 150 people
  • Grove #3
    • Capacity: 150 people
  • Accessible Grove #4
    (with shelter)
    • Accessible May 1 to October 31.
    • Distance to parking: 170 ft
    • Distance to accessible portable bathroom: 130 ft
    • Capacity: 150 people
  • Grove #5
    • Capacity: 150 people
  • Grove #6
    • Capacity: 100 people
  • Grove #7
    • Capacity: 100 people
Event Permits PageGrove PDF Map of Schiller Woods-West

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Schiller Woods-South

Entrance

W Irving Park Rd, east of Des Plaines River Rd
Schiller Park, IL 60634

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Che Che Pin Qua Woods

Entrance

W Irving Park Ave, west of N Cumberland Ave
Chicago, IL 60634

Things to Do & Amenities

  1. Portable bathroom open May 1 to October 31 depending on weather conditions.

Picnic Groves

  • Grove #1
    • Capacity: 150 people
Event Permits PageGrove PDF Map of Che Che Pin Qua Woods

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Schiller Model Airplane Flying Field

Things to Do & Amenities

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Schiller Playfield

Entrance

W Montrose Ave, east of N Cumberland Ave
Chicago, IL 60706

Things to Do & Amenities

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts


Trails

Des Plaines River Trail System

The unpaved Des Plaines River Trail follows its namesake river through more than a dozen forest preserves, allowing visitors to enjoy casual strolls, full-day adventures and anything in between.

Location: Chicago, Des Plaines, Glenview, Melrose Park, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, River Forest, Rosemont, Schiller Park & Wheeling

Surface

Paved & Unpaved

Estimated Total Length

28.4 miles

Hours

Year-round: Sunrise to Sunset

Closures & Alerts

*Please be a courteous trail user: Follow posted signs and our trail rules and etiquette.

Fishing at Schiller Pond

This small, 6-acre pond has a maximum depth of 6.3 feet. Seven bump-outs are located around the pond to improve access to deeper water.


Fishing Access

Schiller Woods-East
W Irving Park Rd, west of N Cumberland Ave

Serpent Twin Mound earthwork featuring mounds rising out of the ground and weaving around trees in a forest clearing
Serpent Twin Mound (Pokto Činto) by Santiago X.

Serpent Twin Mound

Schiller Woods-West
W Irving Park Rd, east of Des Plaines River Rd
Schiller Park, IL 60634 (view web map of Schiller Woods-West)

The Serpent Twin Mound (Pokto Činto) is a contemporary earthwork by Indigenous artist and architect, Santiago X. This monument reflects the ancestral tradition of mound building and serves to educate the public about the rich cultural history of Indigenous placemaking here in Illinois and beyond. The serpent surrounds us as it weaves in and out of the earth and water, reminding us of our reciprocal human connection to the river and to the land. 

The mound site at Schiller Woods-West is at the western end of the 4000N Trail, a new walking museum connecting the Des Plaines River and the North Branch of the Chicago River with artist activated sites, local organizations and histories of local communities along Irving Park Road. The 4000N Trail is created in partnership with the American Indian Center, Chicago Public Art Group and Portage Park Neighborhood Association with funds from the Searle Funds through Chicago Community Trust

The Serpent Twin Mound was dedicated in a ceremony on Indigenous Peoples Day in 2019, which included the inaugural reading of the Forest Preserves of Cook County Land Acknowledgement.


two white-tailed deer at Schiller Woods. Photo by Deep Shah.
Two white-tailed deer at Schiller Woods. Photo by Deep Shah.

Nature Notes

Along the forested trails west of the playing fields and south of Irving Park Road, hikers can spot deer families (including bucks with impressive antlers), great horned owls, winter wrens, American tree sparrows, brown creepers, black-capped chickadees and Cooper’s hawks.

Along East River Road, Schiller Woods also contains a pocket of remnant prairie, sedge meadow, and wetland harboring a colorful variety of plants and insects, including some uncommon plant species. The Unpaved Brown Trail on the Des Plaines River Trail System accesses this beautiful area and its wildlife. Visitors are welcome, but please don’t pick the wildflowers.


Volunteer Opportunities

Stewards from the Des Plaines River Valley Restoration Project host monthly volunteer workdays here to benefit the plants and animals.