Overview
A large wetland complex on the west side of Naperville Road supports egrets, woodcocks, painted turtles, chorus and leopard frogs, and a rookery of nesting great blue herons.
A 35-acre restored prairie on the north side of the preserve fills each summer with asters, goldenrods, prairie dock, big bluestem and western sunflower, which attract bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows and American goldfinches as well as ground squirrels, voles, weasels, deer and coyotes.
Nearly 3 miles of the nationally designated Danada-Herrick Regional Trail wind through prairie, woodland and marsh habitats, providing scenic excursions for hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and cross-country skiers. To avoid less-visible trail users, horseback riders should restrain their mounts through woods or the Naperville Road underpass or around sharp corners.
The double-looped Nature Trail, a footpath behind the main barn at the Danada Equestrian Center, takes hikers through Parson’s Grove.