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Horizons quarterly // fall 2025

Page 14

IL ROUTE 22

FEATURED PRESERVE

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Heron Creek

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Salem Lake

CUBA RD

HERON CREEK FOREST PRESERVE IL ROUTE 242 22 ACRES | LAKE ZURICH IL ROUTE 22

ENTRANCE

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PLAYGROUND

PRESERVE AREA TRAIL WATER

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WOODED AREA

Salem Lake Salem Lake

A Chorus of Birds,

ACTIVITIES & AMENITIES BIKING

From birdsong in the trees to

namesake herons.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

children laughing on the playground,

State-endangered birds

DRINKING WATER

Heron Creek Forest Preserve (Lake

spotted here include

PICNIC SHELTER RENTAL

Zurich) resonates with the sounds

the black tern, black-

of nature—a welcoming place where

crowned night heron,

wildlife, adventure and peaceful

yellow-crowned night

TABLES RD CUBAPICNIC CUBA RD PLAYGROUND

PUBLIC PARKING

moments come together.

heron and Forster’s tern.

TRAILS

Spread across 242 acres, the

Four state-threatened

WALKING

preserve blends rolling woodlands,

TOILETS

bustling wetlands and breezy open

brown creeper, osprey, pied-billed

fields. Winding trails and wooden bridges provide 2.5 miles of distance

Just steps from the bird-rich wetlands,

for walkers and cyclists to slow down

an innovative playground invites

and take in the sights, sounds and

children to climb, crawl and explore

scents. Opened in 2008, the preserve

colorful tunnels, slides, bridges and

benefits from volunteers who

swings. Two separate areas, one for

continue to boost its habitat health.

ages 2 to 5 and another for 5 to 12,

A haven for birdwatchers, Heron

offer age-appropriate fun. Ramped

more than 115 bird species, including waterfowl and the preserve’s

GETTING HERE

species have also been observed: grebe and red-shouldered hawk.

Creek has produced sightings of

The entrance and parking lots are located off Old McHenry Road, just south of Route 22.

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sections improve accessibility, while lookout stations and a sand pit connect playtime with the surrounding woods.

a Trail of Discovery


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Horizons quarterly // fall 2025 by Lake County Forest Preserve District - Issuu