Let’s Hike Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve: 8 Miles

Let’s Hike the Poplar Creek Trail at Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve: 8 Miles

Before you ask, this is a good beginner’s hike, with an opportunity to cut the hike short but also long enough for more experienced hikers.

Also, this place goes by a LOT of names. Poplar Creek Forest Preserve , Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve, Arthur L. Janura Woods, Carl Hansen Woods and Bode Lake Preserve just to name a few. Whatever you want to call it the preserve of over 4300 acres of woods, lakes and prairies is pretty unique to the area and very scenic.

Saturday, September 20th. This will be a scenic hike through some nice woods but also through some well restored prairie trails. We cross a couple of paved roads but 99% of this will be on well maintained, dirt or crushed limestone, trail. We will try and scoot along between 3 and 3.5 miles per hour. We will be
hiking the Brown and Yellow loops along with the Black and Orange connecting
trails.

We will meet at 8:45 and head out right at 9:00 AM.

When I read about the trail I expected to be hiking in a field but it is actually a remarkably well restored true prairie with some of the tall grass taller than me. I really enjoyed exploring this trail. Out on the trail, I saw lots of deer, several coyotes, many song birds and the occasional hawk. You may want to bring a camera.

We will meet in the Shoe Factory Road Woods parking lot which, contrary to its name is actually entered off of Sutton road (AKA Route 59). NOTE! There is a small family picnic area on Shoe Factory Road but that is NOT where we are meeting. Again, our entrance is off of Sutton (Route 59).

We will first hike the Brown trail north (counterclockwise) from the parking lot around until it meets with the Black connector trail which we will take to Yellow trail. Later we will take the Orange connector back North to complete the Brown trail back to the parking lot.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve

Sutton Road (Route 59) between Shoe Factory Road and Golf Road
(IL Route 58),

Hoffman Estates, IL

Directions: From the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) in the northwest suburbs, take the Route 59 (Sutton Road) exit and turn south (left) on Route 59. Shortly after you cross Shoe Factory Road look for the Shoe Factory Road Woods parking lot of the west (right) side of the road. We will meetup in the parking lot.

More information on the Poplar Creek/Shoe Factory Road Prairie Nature Preserve/ Arthur L. Janura Woods/ Carl Hansen Woods/ Bode Lake Preserve:

Cook County Poplar Creek Trail Map click here. (http://fpdcc.com/downloads/maps/pdf/pc_trailmap.pdf)

Cook County Arthur L. Janura Web Page click here. (http://fpdcc.com/arthur-l-janura/)

I hope you can make the hike; it is a unique trail and one I enjoyed exploring,

Lyle