Arriving at the trailhead inside Messenger Woods Nature Preserve in Homer Glen, Illinois, we were almost immediately folded inside beautiful woodlands. Trees had just really begun to change, so I knew that we would find some early fall colors popping up among the verdant leaves.
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| A few red leaves among the trees indicated that fall has come to Messenger Woods. |
Messenger Woods represents a stunning segment of the 2,000-acre Spring Creek preservation system. Pretty quickly on the trail, we reached a bridge crossing the meandering Spring Creek. We paused in the tranquility of the forest to admire the gorgeous scenery surrounding us. The trees joyfully reflected in a creek dotted with brilliant leaves. Beautiful!
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| Trees joyfully reflect in Spring Creek. Colorful fall leaves dot the scene. |
Soon, the trail guided us up a ridge. A ravine came into view. The rolling landscape added to the beauty of the moment. We enjoyed scouting for birds and other wildlife along the trail. We heard the calls of our favorite woodpeckers. Lovely! Messenger Woods is known as a popular birding spot, so birders will not be disappointed. This stretch of trail was particularly stunning.
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| Rugged and rolling terrain added more the texture of the woodlands of Messenger Woods. |
The trail system includes two attached loops. One guides you to the ravine. Another treated us to woodlands, prairie and more creek views. After completing the ravine loop, we embarked on the other longer loop. We found this loop to be flatter and easier to hike than the ravine loop. Both welcome you to spectacular nature scenes.
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| Golden leaves of fall blazed in spots of the tree canopy at Messenger Woods. |
Messenger Woods is one of the few forests in northeastern Illinois that has not been farmed, cut, grazed or developed. As we wandered through the forest, we admired the old groves. Every once in a while we spotted a blaze of red, orange, or yellow leaves heralding fall. We observed maple, oak, black walnut and elm trees. Quite the nature symphony in the forest!
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| Wandering the natural trails through joyful woodlands at Messenger Woods. |
At 441 acres, Messenger Woods offers plenty of space to enjoy its collection of diverse habitats. Hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, and camping are popular preserve activities. We benefitted by an earlier morning visit to Messenger Woods. As we left the trail and began getting ready to leave, we noticed quite a few new hikers arriving as well as people picnicking. We easily experienced why Messenger Woods is such a well-loved preserve!
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