Allison Woods

At River Trail Nature Center in Allison Woods, visitors can walk through sugar maple woods along the river on self-guiding trails, learn of the past and present in the exhibit building, and visit a few native animals!

For the benefit of recreation and conservation, Lake and Cook County Forest Preserve Districts have protected long stretches of the Des Plaines River by developing a Des Plaines River greenway and bike path along its banks. The trail is a natural oasis within a short drive of Chicago and its northern suburbs. Having such a long, lush trail just outside of such a densely populated urban area is truly a wonderful asset to the surrounding community. Together, the forest preserve districts are in the process of implementing a plan to link all the forest preserves with a regional greenway trail, and have developed and promoted the recreational use of the river by creating canoe launch sites on the northern and middle section of the river.