Overview
Oaks over 100 years old form canopies over the trail, where birders enjoy spotting northern orioles, cedar waxwings, warbling vireos, mallards, red-bellied woodpeckers and owls, among others. Here you can access the Salt Creek Greenway Trail. Spanning 25 miles from Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village to the Brookfield Zoo, the Salt Creek Greenway Trail connects 12 communities and over 300,000 residents overall. The Salt Creek Greenway includes both a paved land trail and the water trail.
An asphalt footpath that takes hikers through the woods and along the northern edge of the preserve connects the south picnic area with the north picnic area.
A second, 1-mile paved trail also connects the two areas and is open to hikers and cross-country skiers as well as to bicyclists or joggers.
If you’re in the mood for more than a mile, a 0.6-mile section of the greater 25-mile Salt Creek Greenway Trail cuts through the preserve. Head north about 17 miles and you’ll end at Ned Brown Preserve in Elk Grove Village; 8 or so miles south and you’ll be at the gates to Brookfield Zoo!