Discover our Natural Areas!
CLICK HERE to check out the virtual tour of Lyman Woods!
Visit Downers Groves' Natural Areas, Lyman Woods and Belmont Prairie, and discover the wonders of nature! Come out for an invigorating walk on the trails or a peaceful encounter with nature. Explore and enjoy the seasonal changes of forest, prairie, and marsh. Spend some time searching for amazing plants, buzzing insects, boisterous song birds, and elusive mammals. Bring your camera for stunning photos!
Discover our Natural Areas on Snowshoes! Click here for details.
Lyman Woods
Lyman Woods is 150 acres of oak woods, prairie, and marsh habitats that supports over 300 species of native plants. Discover an amazing diversity of plant life, including six species classified as rare in the Chicago region. Catch a glimpse of animals including deer, coyote, fox, Cooper's Hawks, Great Horned Owls, a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, insects, and numerous songbirds.
During your visit, you'll find three rare kames, glacially deposited hills of gravel, which support native prairie and oak woods. The most outstanding feature is a 19-acre oak woods that has remained undisturbed since it was purchased by the Lyman family in 1839. Today it serves as one of the few examples of the pre-settlement landscape that dominated the Downers Grove area.
The preservation of Lyman Woods in 1987 represents the cooperative effort of the Village of Downers Grove, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the Downers Grove Park District, and many dedicated individuals.
William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center
William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center is your starting off point foryour exploration of Lyman Woods. The William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center is a green building exemplifying the latest in environmentally friendly building practices and technology. Discover native landscaping, a butterfly garden, and rain gardens outside the building. Don't forget to look up and spot native prairie plants growing on the roof! Inside the William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center you will find changing exhibits and activities, programs, restrooms, drinking fountains, and first aid. Bring a lunch or snack to enjoy at our outdoor picnic area. Feel free to ask questions of our talented naturalist staff. Programs can be arranged by calling the Interpretive Center at (630) 963-9388.
William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center Hours September 1 - June 3 |
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| Close Monday | |
| Tuesday - Thursday | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Friday | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm |
| Saturday | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Sunday | 1:00 - 4:00 pm |
William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center Hours June 4 - August 31 |
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| Monday - Saturday | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Sunday | 1:00 - 4:00 pm |
Lyman Woods is located east of Highland Avenue between Good Samaritan Hospital on the south and 31st Street on the north. Parking is available at the William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center at 901 31st Street.
Download the Lyman Woods Trail Map here.
Belmont Prairie
Belmont Prairie is one of the last original prairies in Illinois. These amazing 10 acres support over 300 species of plants and wildlife, including fox, raccoons, meadow voles, opossums, ground squirrels, garter snakes, as well as an occasional coyote or white-tailed deer. Countless beautiful prairie grasses and flowers, some rare to this region, can be observed in an undisturbed setting throughout all four seasons.
Belmont Prairie is a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve and a cultural and educational resource for all residents of Downers Grove and surrounding communities.
The Belmont Prairie is located west of the Downers Grove Golf Course at Haddow Ave. and Cross Street. Parking is available at the trail head on Cross Street.
Please note: There are no dogs, bikes, or cross-country skis allowed in the Natural Areas. Thank you for your cooperation.
If you have any questions or comments about the Natural Areas, please contact Shannon Forsythe, Manager of Natural Resources and Interpretive Services at (630) 963-1304 or via email at sforsythe@dgparks.org.
Download the Belmont Prairie Map here.
Leave No Child Inside
Reconnect your kids with the great outdoors!
Time to turn off the TV, put away the video games, and dust off your hiking boots! In his groundbreaking 2006 book, journalist Richard Louv cited kids’ lack of direct experience with nature as largely to blame for alarming increases in obesity, attention deficit disorder and poor social skills. Since the 1960s, when the amount of time children spent outdoors began to decrease, the percentage of obese children has tripled. Louv’s book has sparked a national movement to inspire parents to lead their children back into nature. William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center joins Chicago Wilderness to launch a regional initiative called Leave No Child Inside, with the goal of improving children’s health and fostering generations of children who care enough for nature to protect it. With Leave No Child Inside, William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center joins hundreds of other organizations that are members of the Chicago Wilderness consortium, an alliance of more than 200 public and private organizations working together to protect the Chicago region’s natural spaces, help conserve the diversity of plants and animals, and enrich local residents’ quality of life. William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center and other Chicago Wilderness members are experts in connecting children and adults to nature. With Leave No Child Inside, our goal is to promote children’s health through outdoor play and exploration, and foster caring for nature in today’s children and future generations. One of the greatest gifts you can give children is your love of nature. Children need regular time outdoors, so visit Lyman Woods and the Belmont Prairie with your kids to experience something new every time the weather changes. We offer wide open, natural places where your children can run, have fun, and play safely. Let your kids take the lead – with their natural curiosity, they will quickly find something to explore.
Visit http://www.kidsoutside.info for more ideas on where to go and what to do outside with your kids.
Related Links
Green Buildings and Practices
Build Green Schools: www.buildgreenschools.org
Green Home Guide: www.greenhomeguide.org
SCARCE (Recycling Information): www.bookrescue.org
US Green Buildings Council: www.usgbc.org
Chicago Center for Green Technology: www.cityofchicago.org/Environment/GreenTech
Leave No Child Inside
Child and Nature Network: www.cnaturenet.org/
Kids Outside: www.kidsoutside.info
Native Plants
Conservation At Home: www.theconservationfoundation.org
Midwest Invasive Species Network: www.mipn.org
Nature Preserves
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County: www.dupageforest.com/
Forest Preserve District of Cook County: www.fpdcc.com
Forest Preserve District of Will County: www.fpdwc.org
Lake County Forest Preserve District: www.lcfpd.org
Illinois Department of Natural Resources:dnr.state.il.us/
Organizations
Chicago Wilderness: www.chicagowilderness.org/
The Conservation Foundation: www.theconservationfoundation.org/
Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance: www.pdha.org/
Wildlife
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.birds.cornell.edu
eNature (online field guide): www.enature.com/
Illinois Natural History Survey: www.inhs.uiuc.edu
