Sagawau Environmental Learning Center’s visitor center and classroom include exhibits on geology, human and natural history and habitat management. Frequent educational programs and interpretive hikes teach visitors about our natural environment.
On this page:
- Location, Hours & Things to Do
- Trails
- Education
- Sagawau Canyon
- Cross-Country Ski Trails, Rentals & Lessons
- Events
- Volunteer
- Rules
Location, Hours & Things to Do
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center
Things to Do & Amenities
- Parking
- Nature Center
- Nature Play
- Accessible Indoor Bathroom
- Trail Access
- Hiking & Walking
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Birding Hotspot
- Volunteer Opportunities
- No Dogs
- Service dogs are allowed at most public locations. View accessibility policies.
Hours
Year-round: 9am - 4pmClosed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's DayClosures & Alerts
Trails
Explore the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center grounds on four walking trails during spring, summer and fall. During winter, Sagawau’s trails transform to groomed cross-country skiing trails—no walkers allowed.
Surface
UnpavedEstimated Total Length
2.6 milesThings to Do
- Service dogs are allowed at most public locations. View accessibility policies.
Hours
Year-round: 8 am - 4 pmClosed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's DayClosures & Alerts
Education
Complement your curriculum and help meet standards by taking your classroom outdoors with a visit to a local preserve or nature center. Learn about the region’s plants, animals, and natural communities by walking nature trails, meeting live ambassador animals, or participating in field science labs.
Educators are encouraged to explore our Guided Learning opportunities for field trips and in-classroom programs. Teachers also have access to Educator Resources, which include lesson plans, resource loan kits and workshops.
The Forest Preserves also provides Programs, including the Nature Express Bus, to give students experiences they will never forget.
Contact one of our nature centers or experience.nature@cookcountyil.gov for more information or to discuss programs tailored to your learning objectives.
Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve
Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve supports rare and unique plant and animal habitat and features the only natural exposure of bedrock in Cook County.
Guided walks are scheduled spring through fall and managed by Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. Individual access is restricted to protect this unique and fragile site. Call 630-257-2045 for more information about guided walks.
Cross-Country Ski Trails, Rentals & Lessons
In winter with adequate snow, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center becomes Sagawau Nordic—a premier full-service cross-country ski center that provides ski rentals, groomed trails, and beginner lessons from a PSIA Gold Medal Ski School.
From mid-December to early March, Sagawau Nordic is open seven days a week from 9 am to 4 pm, weather permitting. Call 630-257-2045 or visit Sagawau’s Facebook page for trail conditions.
Ski Rentals
Rentals are available from 9 am to 2 pm. Equipment is for use at Sagawau only and must be returned by 3:45 pm.
Each rental package includes skis, bindings, boots and poles. Classic and skate skis available. All youth and adult sizes.
All skiers renting equipment must reserve a rental time online.
Important information:
- Renters must reserve a time online to rent equipment. Reservations are available when there is skiable snow. Each week’s reservations are posted on Sunday at 8:30 am.
- Payment is by credit or debit card only at the time of rental. Cash will not be accepted.
- To rent equipment you must be 18 years or older and supply a valid driver’s license or $100 deposit. Sagawau will store the driver’s license and return it once the ski equipment is returned.
- Complimentary lockers are available, with a key deposit requiring a valid driver’s license.
| Package | Rate |
|---|---|
| Individual | $15/person |
| Senior | $10/person |
| Family | $40/family |
| Lesson / Rental Combo | $30/person |
Ski Lessons
Learn to ski with a PSIA-certified professional ski instructor! Lessons cover the basic skills of flatland skiing and getting up and down easy hills.
- Lessons will be held on Saturdays and Sundays, in January and February. Lessons start at 9 am.
- Lessons are by reservation only. Participants must reserve a time online. Reservations are available when there is skiable snow. Each week’s reservations are posted on Sunday at 8:30 am.
- Lessons cost $20/person and are for ages 12 and up. A parent or guardian must sign for children under 18 years old.
- Payment is by credit or debit card only at the time of rental. Cash will not be accepted.
Skiers’ Responsibilities
- Be aware, ski with care. Use courtesy and common sense.
- Ski within your ability. Consider visibility, speed and terrain, especially on hills.
- Keep to designated trails.
- Obey all signs; ski trails are one-way.
- Respect Ski Lesson Zone when students are present.
- Left side of trails are groomed for skating, right side for classic skiing.
- Trail users ahead or downslope have the right of way. Announce your presence when passing.
- Keep a safe distance from other skiers.
- When stopped, please move off track.
- Please do not litter.
- Trail pass must be displayed.
Events
Events
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Ecological Restoration Weekend
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Help restore Sagawau’s diverse ecosystems by removing invasive plant species.
Free • Registration Required -
Bird Banding
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Observe bird banding and talk with banders. Drop-in.
Free -
Music in Nature
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Migration 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 -
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Arach-tober: The Return of the Eight-legged Creatures
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Learn about spiders and why they aren’t so scary.
Free • Registration Required -
Listening to Nature
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439W. 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 -
Red Gate Woods: The Dawning of the Atomic Age
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Learn about the world’s first nuclear reactor. Presentation at Sagawau before strenuous hike at Red Gate Woods. Ages 18 & up.
Free • Registration Required -
Invertebrate Investigation
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Search for insects and arthropods who call tallgrass prairies home.
Free -
Bird Banding
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Observe bird banding and talk with banders. Drop-in.
Free -
Fall Fungi
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Short naturalist-led hike to look for local species of fungi. Ages 18 & up.
Free • Registration Required -
America’s Landscapes: The Palos Preserves
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Learn the geological story of the hilly landscape and some of its special land formations. Oral and ASL presentation.
Free -
Bird Banding
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Observe bird banding and talk with banders. Drop-in.
Free -
Bird Banding
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Observe bird banding and talk with banders. Drop-in.
Free -
Ecological Restoration Weekend
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Help restore Sagawau’s diverse ecosystems by removing invasive plant species.
Free • Registration Required -
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Nature Journaling
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Express yourself and the world around you! Learn how to create a nature journal with an art instructor.
Free • Registration Required -
Fossil Quarry Tour
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Learn about fossils of the Chicago region, followed by a 1.5-mile walk to visit Sagawau’s fossil quarry.
Free • Registration Required -
Night Hike
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Spend an evening walking through nature with a naturalist.
Free • Registration Required -
Fall Color Walk
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Enjoy a leisurely naturalist-led nature hike to view fall color. All ages.
Free -
Clear the Trails
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Help clear overgrowth along the trails in preparation for ski season. Equipment provided.
Free • Registration Required -
Ecological Restoration Weekend
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Help restore Sagawau’s diverse ecosystems by removing invasive plant species.
Free • Registration Required -
Singing Back the Buffalo Film Viewing
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439Learn how the relationship with buffalo weaves together the survival of Indigenous nations, nature and humankind.
Free • Registration Required
Volunteer Opportunities
Activities may include cutting brush, pulling weeds or collecting seeds, depending on the season. Learn about your local environment from dedicated staff while helping the Forest Preserves. Tools, gloves and training are provided.
Rules
- Pets are not permitted on Nature Center grounds, including the parking lots.
- Nature Centers are unable to accept injured, orphaned or abandoned wildlife.
- For your safety and for the protection of natural areas, please stay on marked trails. Trails are for hiking only.
- Bicycles are only allowed in Nature Center parking lots, or at provided bike racks.
- For the benefit of other visitors and wildlife, please maintain respectful noise levels at all times.
- Picnicking is not permitted on Nature Center grounds. An adjacent picnic grove can be opened for pre-registered groups on weekdays.
- Food or drink is not permitted in Nature Center buildings.
- With the exception of water or sports bottles, food and drink are not permitted on Nature Center trails. Please dispose of litter in proper receptacles.
- Collecting of any kind is prohibited, as is the use of metal detectors. The fine for picking wildflowers is $500.
- For the protection of animals and visitors alike, please do not feed the wildlife.
- Be mindful of closing times for trails, the Nature Center building and parking lot.
- Please report safety hazards or suspicious activities to the Nature Center staff.
- All-terrain wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you plan to use multiple chairs or need special accommodations for a specific event, we request a minimum of 72 hours’ notice to ensure availability.