Closures & Alerts

Know Before you Go
Many McHenry County Conservation District sites are open year-round for your enjoyment. However, weather, seasonal closures or safety concerns often dictate the closing of certain sites, trails, and launches. Check current conditions and status updates prior to your adventure:

Prairie Trail Construction Notice: The Trail section between Route 120 and McCullum Lake Road, within the City of McHenry is scheduled for resurfacing over the next 4 weeks (Aug. 22 – Sept. 23). During this time there will be periods where the trail will need to be closed. CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES. The project also includes several intersections/road crossing will also get safety/ADA updates, + new signage including a kiosk and a new amenity – bike repair station. This project was awarded the IDNR RTP Grant and the Community Foundation for McHenry County (CFMC) 2021 Mission Grant.

Prairieview Education Center open for programs only.

Covid-19 Impact: Face masks are optional.

Site Closures (Weather-Related, Special Circumstances, and Seasonal Closures)
Bike Trails
Canoe/Kayak Launch Status
Cross-Country Ski Trail Status
Facilities
Horse Trail Status

Winter Closures: The parking lots of select sites will close with 2″ of snowfall; but remain open to walk-in traffic. If the weather becomes mild, gates and parking lots will re-open. However, after Jan. 2 AND a significant snowfall, gates, parking lots, and restrooms will remain closed for the season; but remain open to walk-in traffic for use of the trails during daylight hours.

Status and Conditions

Site Closures (Weather-Related, Special Circumstances, and Seasonal)

updated 08/11/2022
Beck's Woods
Main Entrance
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Piscasaw
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Boger Bog
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Boone Creek
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Brookdale
Rt. 14 Entrance
West side trails: OPEN
Main parking lot: OPEN

Paulson Road Entrance
Multi-Use Trail: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Community Research Forest
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Coral Woods
Pedestrian use and parking lot: OPEN
Closed to drop in traffic February 24, 2023 to March 18, 2023 while the District hosts the Festival of the Sugar Maples. Public dates March 4-6 and 11- 13. School program are February 28-30 and March 7-9, 2023.

County Line Road Access
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN

Dufield Pond
South Entrance
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

North Entrance
Parking lot and pond: OPEN
(Closes at first ice and stays closed for the season)

Elizabeth Lake Varga Archaeological Site
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Exner Marsh
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Fel-Pro RRR
Pedestrian use and parking lots: OPEN *Closed Saturday, September 24 for The Great Outdoors Beer Trail
Disc golf holes: OPEN *Closed on Saturday, August 27 for tournament, Friday, September 23 & Saturday, September 24 for The Great Outdoors Beer Trail
Front 9: OPEN
Back 9: OPEN

Fox Bluff
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Glacial Park
Pedestrian use and parking lots: OPEN

Harrison Benwell
Pedestrian use and parking lots: OPEN

Hickory Grove and Lyons Prairie & Marsh
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Highlands and Lyons Parking Lots: OPEN
Riverfront Parking Lot: OPEN
(Riverfront parking lot closes at first ice, but trails are open to walk-in traffic)

High Point
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

The Hollows
Main
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
Lake Atwood
Parking lot: OPEN

Keystone Landing
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN

Kishwaukee Headwaters
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Lake in the Hills Fen
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Lyle C. Thomas Memorial Park
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN

Marengo Ridge
Pedestrian and parking lot: OPEN

Nippersink Canoe Base
Pedestrian and parking lot: OPEN
(Open as conditions dictate: ice formation and/or cold temperatures.)

North Branch
Pedestrian use: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Pioneer Canoe Landing
Pedestrian and parking lot: OPEN
(Open as conditions dictate: ice formation and/or cold temperatures. )

Pleasant Valley
Pedestrian use and parking lot: OPEN

Rush Creek
Pedestrian use and parking lot: OPEN

Silver Creek
Pedestrian use and parking lot: OPEN

Stickney Run
Pedestrian use and parking lot: OPEN

Winding Creek
Early parking & Prairie Loop: OPEN
Wooded Trail: OPEN
Main Parking: OPEN
(Parking lot closes with 2" of snowfall. Will reopen if temperatures become mild. After Jan. 2 and a significant snowfall, lots close for season).

Horse Trail Status

Updated 08/19/2022
Boone Creek
Horse Trail: OPEN

Brookdale Multi Use
Horse Trail: OPEN

Glacial Park
Horse Trail: OPEN

Hebron Trail
Horse Trail: OPEN

Hickory Grove Highlands & Lyons Prairie & Marsh
Horse Trail: OPEN

Pleasant Valley
Horse Trail: OPEN

Prairie Trail North
Horse Trail: OPEN

Rush Creek
Horse Trail: OPEN

Stickney Run
Horse Trail: OPEN

Cross-Country Ski Trail

Glacial Park
Condition: Poor

Harrison Benwell
Condition: Poor

Hickory Grove
Condition: Poor

The Hollows
Condition: Poor

Lyons Prairie & Marsh
Condition: Poor

Marengo Ridge
Condition: Poor

Pleasant Valley
Condition: Poor

Prairieview
Condition: Poor

Rush Creek
Condition: Poor

Silver Creek (Skate Ski)
Condition: Poor

Canoe/Kayak Launch Status

Paddlers Take Note: Be advised, downed trees or river debris can occur at anytime along the entire route and we cannot provide updated conditions. The District does not remove obstacles on/along private property.
The Conservation District maintains and clears debris only where the District owns the land on both sides of the creek – ie. from Keystone Landing to Pioneer Landing – not the entire route. Paddling this river system is entirely at your own risk! Only you can decide whether your skills as a paddler are appropriate for the river conditions on any given day.

Check Real Time Water Levels (3rd Graph needs to be below 6.5 feet for clearance under bridges.)

8/11/2022
Keystone Landing
Launch: OPEN

Lyle C. Thomas
Launch: OPEN

Nippersink Canoe Base
Launch: OPEN

Pioneer Canoe Landing
Launch: OPEN

Bike Trails

Hebron Trail
Trail: OPEN
Note: Trail dead ends at Lange Rd. before un guarded railroad crossing.

H.U.M. Trail
Trail: OPEN
Parking lot: OPEN

Parking lots close with 2″ of snowfall, but remain open to walk-in traffic. If the weather becomes mild, gates and parking lots will re-open. However, after Jan. 2 AND a significant snowfall, gates and parking lots will close for the season; but remain open to walk-in traffic.

The Prairie Trail
Prairie Trail Construction Notice: The Trail section between Route 120 and McCullum Lake Road, within the City of McHenry is scheduled for resurfacing over the next 4 weeks (Aug. 22 – Sept. 23). During this time there will be periods where the trail will need to be closed. CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES. The project also includes several intersections/road crossing will also get safety/ADA updates, + new signage including a kiosk and a new amenity – bike repair station. This project was awarded the IDNR RTP Grant and the Community Foundation for McHenry County (CFMC) 2021 Mission Grant.

Trail: OPEN
Main street north parking lot: OPEN
Main street south parking lot: OPEN
Main street bathrooms: OPEN
Meyer Drive parking lot: OPEN
Glacial Park Harts Rd. parking lot: OPEN
Parking lots close with 2" of snowfall, but remain open to walk-in traffic. If the weather becomes mild, gates and parking lots will re-open. However, after Jan. 2 AND a significant snowfall, gates and parking lots will close for the season, but remain open to walk-in traffic.

Ridgefield Trace
Trail: OPEN

Stone Mill Trail
Trail: OPEN

Facilities

Lost Valley Visitor Center
Open Daily: April - October: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
November - March: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register for a program or event at Lost Valley Visitor Center.
(815) 678-4532

Prairieview Education Center
Note: Building Only Open for Programs .
Register for a program or event at Prairieview Education Center.
(815) 479-5779

Brookdale Administrative Staff Offices
Monday-Friday hours vary.