Fall 1999

Preserve features Silver Lake, formerly a quarry, now used by boaters, canoers and fishers

DuPage County, Illinois

The invitation stands: Come to Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville for open spaces, quiet trails, even a chance for overnight camping.

More than eight miles of crushed limestone trails within the preserve are designed for use by hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, and cross country skiers. The majority of the trail system is contained within the northern portion of the preserve and winds around Mckee Marsh and through open meadow areas. Mckee Marsh is an excellent place to observe wetland creatures of all sorts. At any moment one is sure to spot frogs ready to sound an alarm at the slightest threat, turtles soaking up the rays, or wetland birds searching for food in the shallow waters. From two newly built observation decks, visitors can see various raptors, black crowned night herons, cormorants, and the occasional yellow headed blackbird. One might also see — or hear — chorus frogs, leopard frogs, painted turtles, snapping turtles, fox snakes, muskrat, and beaver. The wetland area is a great place to spend the day walking or biking along trails with stops for peering through binoculars at the wonderful comings and goings of those that reside there.

Purchased by DuPage County Forest Preserve District in 1960 and named for a former president of the Board of Commissioners, this parcel had most recently been used as a landfill and quarry. The landfill area is now known as Mt. Hoy and soars — okay, rises — 150 feet above the surrounding meadows and wetlands. During migration season birders often head to the top of this high point in DuPage County to watch the biannual travelers fly by. Mt. Hoy is also used as part of an orienteering course for youngsters and as a tubing hill in the winter.

Visitors who are geologically inclined can find silt, clay, and gravel in the soil here, all materials carried by the most recent glacier and left behind when it melted. During the last Ice Age, a woolly mammoth inhabited this territory and left its skeletal remains preserved in clay only to be discovered in 1977 by forest preserve employees! Today, the mammoth's remains are on display at the Fullersburg Woods Environmental Center in Oak Brook.

The southern portion of the preserve offers many recreational activities such as boating, fishing, picnicking, and camping. The 65-acre Silver Lake, once a slag quarry, is now available for canoeing and boating (no gas-powered boats are allowed). Canoes are available for rental, and launching sites and docks are provided for private boat owners with annual or daily permits. Many different species of fish live in Silver Lake including largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish, and rainbow trout.

The spot is also popular for family reunions and get-togethers because of the pavilion, sand volleyball court, and many picnic tables. The campground at Blackwell has 60 campsites with newly installed flush toilet facilities and electrical hook-ups.

— Amelia Taylor