Hike the hidden trails of Meacham Grove, 5 miles. 6.5 mile option @ SpringCreek

Optional Lunch
TBD
Since this is Easter, I'm unable to join you for lunch today.
If others want to go to lunch please suggest a place and I'll make sure separate checks are ok and let them know to expect us.

Hike Summary
There are no porta pottys where we meet. We'll stop for a bathroom break at a porta potty one mile into the hike.

The trilliums may be blooming by now. I heard this place has a large grove of them.

Meacham Grove is a 255 acre preserve with wetlands, woodlands, meadows and a lake. A 49 acre section is designated an Illinois Nature Preserve because of endangered plants.

This is an easy hike but has portions on rustic unlevel natural dirt surfaces. Trails will range from wide crushed gravel to narrow footpaths. Savanna Trail has one steep part that dips down into a creek bed. I didn't need poles but calling it out for people who are expecting a trail that's totally flat. It has a 10 foot deep dip and a bit more tricky to navigate.

Unnamed Foot paths will offer views of Spring Brook creek and are heavily wooded. This is a very scenic wild part of the preserve that few people know about. Its hard packed dirt with unlevel areas and not hilly.

Maple Lake Trail is full sun exposure and wide crushed limestone, easy and flat.

North Central DuPage regional trail is wide crushed limestone with a tall mature forest. The colors here are spectacular in Fall! This section is there and back.

From North Central trail, we'll hike the Savanna trail and one of its there and back spurs. Savanna is a short loop that is a narrow dirt footpath thru a lovely woodland. This section is an Illinois Nature Preserve giving it a high level of protection and is about 49 acres.

On the way back we'll climb the hill and locate the meditation tree for a minute to pause and reflect.

Longer option:
After the 5 mile hike there is an option to walk a few blocks thru a residential neighborhood. Then enter a mile long loop around Spring Creek reservoir in Bloomingdale. In total transparency nothing to see here and you should consider it strictly steps. Just an asphalt path around a man made lake used to control flood waters, boring. There's a little damn that water overflows into. 10 years ago I thought it was kind of neat at the time.

This hike is cross posted in Chicagoland Trailblazers Hiking Group
https://www.meetup.com/chicagoland-trailblazers-hiking-group/events/312121788
and my guest rsvp includes members of the group.