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Winter Fun

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing is an excellent way to get some exercise, and you can ski on most forest preserve trails.  If you're a classic skier, use the edge of the trail. Freestyle skiers and other visitors should stay in the center and avoid stepping on set tracks.

Our interactive map features parking lots, driving directions, amenities, and more for each trail. As time allows, our rangers also update trail conditions on the Trail Conditions in the DuPage Forest Preserves Facebook page. 

You can also find PDFs of individual trail maps on many forest preserve pages.

After a snowfall, the top priority is to clear snow and ice from parking lots and other high-use areas to ensure safe access to all of the preserves. After that, though, as time allows, rangers may groom and set tracks along trails at Blackwell, St. James Farm, Herrick Lake, Danada, Waterfall Glen, Fullersburg Woods, Greene Valley, Springbrook Prairie, Meacham Grove, James “Pate” Philip State Park, and Mallard Lake.

three people cross-country skiing

Ice Fishing

You can ice fish on most forest preserve waters, but rangers do not monitor ice conditions; you go on the ice at your own risk. As a guideline not a guarantee, a minimum of 4 inches of ice is recommended for any activity. Because of varying water levels, fishing is not allowed on Herrick Lake at Herrick Lake in Wheaton or on Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale.

Anglers 16 or older who are not legally disabled must carry a valid Illinois fishing license (an inland trout stamp, too, if you're fishing for trout). Forest Preserve District depth maps, creel limits, and regulations are available on our fishing page.

ice-fishing2-900x600

Snow Tubing

Take a thrilling 800-foot ride down the Mount Hoy tubing hill at Blackwell.

Inner tube rentals are at the base of the hill and are $10 per tube per day. Pay with cash or credit card. Only District inner tubes are allowed. 

It's open on weekends Dec. 2, 2023 – Feb. 25, 2024 (except Dec. 25) when there's plenty of snow (usually more than 3 inches). It's also open on school holidays. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and rentals end at 3:30 p.m. It may close early or not open at all, though, during snowstorms or  when the "real-feel temperature" is 10 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Before heading out to the hill, check out our Facebook page to find out if it's open. You can also sign up to get text alerts when the hill will be open by texting TUBING to 866-743-7332.

child on a tube sledding down a hill

Snowshoeing

Explore the preserves by snowshoes! If you don't have a pair, you can rent them Dec. 2, 2023 – Feb. 25, 2024 (except Dec. 25) at two forest preserves when there's plenty of snow on the trails. Rentals are $10 for the day. Rentals may be closed due to extreme cold temperatures.

At Blackwell
When Mount Hoy's open for snow tubing, rent snowshoes at the base of the hill 10 a.m. –  2 p.m. Before heading out to the tubing hill, check our Facebook page to find out if it's open. You can also sign up to get text alerts when the tubing hill will be open by texting TUBING to 866-743-7332.

At Fullersburg Woods 
Snowshoes can be rented at the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook Monday – Saturday 10 a.m.  4 p.m. (rentals end at 2 p.m.). Call 630-850-8110 for availability. 

child running in snowshoes

Sledding & Ice Skating

You can sled and ice skate at most forest preserves, but rangers do not monitor conditions, so you do so at your own risk. As a guideline not a guarantee, a minimum of 4 inches of ice is recommended for any ice activity.

Sledding is always prohibited at Mount Hoy at Blackwell, the Greene Valley scenic overlook, the Mallard Lake landfill hill, any hill at Spring Creek Reservoir, and on or near Herrick Lake at Herrick Lake.

child sledding down a hill

Dog Sledding

If there’s plenty of snow and you're a musher, you can use the Regional, Bobolink and connector trails through the McKee Marsh area north of Mack Road at Blackwell and the Thunderbird Spur Trail, which begins at the parking lot on Thunderbird Road, at Greene ValleyDuring the rest of the year, you can use wheeled carts under 4 feet wide on any trails that allow biking.

Remain on the trails and travel in a controlled, safe manner for the safety of other visitors and to protect the forest preserves’ natural areas. 

two dog-sledding teams on a trail

Areas With Limited Winter Access

For safety reasons as well as to ensure crews can handle snow removal and trail grooming at our most popular areas, the Forest Preserve District closes some areas for the winter season. The following are closed December through February and reopen on March 1, weather permitting.

Blackwell

  • Road starting at the family campground entrance (east shelter and Hawthorne Grove) 

  • Beginner and interactive archery ranges

  • Family campground and camp shower building 

  • Silver Lake boat launch and parking lot

  • Restrooms at Hawthorne Grove 

  • Restrooms near east shelter

Churchill Woods

  • Crescent Avenue parking lot

  • Shelter restrooms

  • Crescent lot portable restrooms

Country Lakes

  • Parking lot 

Cricket Creek

  • Model boat parking lot

Fullersburg Woods

  • Riverbend Trail restrooms

Fullerton Park

  • Portable restroom

  • Model helicopter lot

Greene Valley

  • North side of north parking lot

  • Restrooms at Greene Valley north parking lot

Mallard Lake

  • East half of parking lot will be blocked with snow piles after first plowing

McDowell Grove

  • Back lot (southern area of main parking lot) after the first plowing 

Pratt’s Wayne Woods

  • Back parking lots and roads (youth-group campground accessible via Powis Road)

  • Special-use lot east of Powis Road (accessible only to special-use permits or contracts as needed)

  • Model-craft airfield after first snow

Salt Creek Park

  • Northern area of parking lot

  • Restrooms

Springbrook Prairie

  • Gravel parking lot on the east side of Naperville-Plainfield Road

  • Off-leash dog area portable restroom

Spring Creek Reservoir

  • East half of the main parking lot

St. James Farm

  • Parking lot off Hoy Avenue

West Branch

  • North half of main lot will after first snowfall

  • Fair Oaks parking lot

West Chicago Prairie

  • Parking lot

  • Portable restroom

West DuPage Woods

  • West half of parking lot area after first plowing

Wood Dale Grove

  • North parking lot area

  • North restrooms

York Woods

  • North parking lot

  • Portable restroom