Summer 2003

Trails pass scenic stretches of river and wind through savanna and prairie, including an Illinois Nature Preserve hosting rare plants

DuPage County, Illinois

In 1860, farmer Winslow Churchill complained about the nighttime clacking of horse-drawn traffic along the plank-covered St. Charles Road that crossed his property. Today this same property, now known as Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn, offers 271 acres of open space. Its 2.5 miles of trails pass many scenic stretches of river and wind through savanna and prairie, including a 60-acre Illinois Nature Preserve.

Bur Oak Trail winds north along the riverbank, eventually crosses St. Charles Road, and picks up again off Swift Road. There, it intersects the Sundrop Trail amid a stand of black walnut, hawthorn, and bur oak. Head north along Sundrop Trail to see ruby-saturated patches of cardinal flowers, doll's eyes, and blue cohosh. There, hikers can catch their first glance of Churchill Prairie, an Illinois State Nature Preserve.

Restoration efforts at the prairie began more than ten years ago on the hill at its northwestern corner. Today, Indian grass and big bluestem mix with prairie dropseed, little bluestem, side oats grama, and prairie dock. Coneflower, compass plant, bottle gentian, black-eyed Susan, wild indigo, and golden Alexander add a touch of color.

"In order to be considered an Illinois Nature Preserve, the land has to have a significant amount of unusual and rare plants, and the plant list here is very impressive," explains the preserve's volunteer steward Chris Schwarz.

From north to south, the prairie slopes past an old hedgerow of sumac into a wet area left untouched during the agricultural boom. There, a strong stand of cord grass holds its own against the invasive reed canary grass.

"Once you get out in the open, if you want to see a place where the grass is over your head, come out here in late August or September," says Schwarz. "Because it's so grass-heavy, everything towers over you, even if you're walking this big, wide trail," she adds. When dry, that thick canopy creates fuel for the controlled burn season, when some flames reach upwards of 30 feet.

Back toward the north side of St. Charles Road, Bur Oak Trail continues east and cuts into Babcock Grove, a savanna of bur oak, black maple, and scattered 150-year-old white oaks. The western leg of the trail provides a dramatic view of the work of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County staff and volunteers to remove menacing invasive trees and return native woodland plants to the forest floor. Bur Oak Trail ends at the district's East Sector office where visitors can continue under St. Charles Road to return to the starting parking lot.

A landing at Crescent Boulevard offers free access to the East Branch for state-registered canoes and kayaks. For picnic grove, picnic shelter, or youth group campground permits, parties should call the district's visitor services office at (630) 933-7248. For more information, visit dupageforest.com.

— Jayne Bohner