Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve Beckons with a Lake and Wetlands

Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve in Wood Dale, Illinois

We stumbled on Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve after visiting a nearby preserve. We had just finished a hike but the weather was so nice that we wanted to take on another outdoor adventure. Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve was on our route home, so we opted to stop. Overall, we found the preserve to be a beautiful one for a quick stop.

The lake at Wood Dale Grove was a focal point of activity during our visit.

Two Short Trail Loops

Wood Dale Grove includes two short trail loops. One trail loops a lake. The other loops a marsh. We enjoyed both during our visit. The lake seemed to be a community focal point. There was plenty of space for picnicking with a view. Plus, quite a few anglers fished in the lake.

Limestone trails wander through the woodlands of Wood Dale Grove.

The trails are limestone and easily navigated. After viewing the lake, we embarked on a more rustic trail through the woodlands to the marsh. We found this section of the preserve to be quite peaceful. Throughout the year, the marshland and woodlands probably go through a lot of changes in terms of flora and fauna. Additionally, the preserve has ephemeral ponds which will also add so more nature observations!

The wetlands at Wood Dale Grove welcome native wildlife such as egrets and turtles.

We were delighted by how many native plants we saw and how much wildlife we encountered. We even saw an egret across the marshland from the trail as well as a few turtles sunning. 

While the combined trails amount to only about a mile, we found Wood Dale Grove full of nature discoveries. If we had not already been to another preserve, we probably would have looped a second time. On our way back to our car, we did pause by the lake to watch several ducks. Such a nice way to cap the day!