Hike the hidden trails of Meacham Grove, 2.5, 5 or 8 mile option @ Spring Creek

Optional Lunch
Cesar's Sports Bar and Grill
185 E Lake St, Bloomingdale
Located in the same lot where we park, walk over.
Please see photos for the menu! The website is out of date.
No reservation needed, chill type of place and separate checks ok.

03/29 update:
Full disclosure, a controlled burn was done on the 1.5 mile section around Maple Lake. You will see black instead of green for a portion of this hike. Also, we are just starting to see shades of green within forested areas.

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.

Our hikes offer multiple paces with the fastest being 3mph and slowest 2.6mph. There are also multiple distances that you can pick and choose. We will announce who to follow for faster and slower hikes.

Meacham Grove (2, 5 and 8 mile options) is a 255 acre preserve with wetlands, woodlands, meadows and a 32 acre lake. A 49 acre section is designated an Illinois Nature Preserve because of endangered plants.

Spring Creek Reservoir (8 mile option) features a 90 acre lake which serves as a flood control spillway. A 20 foot high chute holds and releases water and kind of cool to look at. A trail spur features a pretty wetland and Spring Creek runs parallel to the trail for portions of the hike.

Hike 1: 2.5 miles
Maple Lake Trail and some unnamed trails.
Will explore some trails off of the beaten path. These are natural dirt surface and portions will be unlevel with some roots. There are a few very old trees in this section but you'll have to go off trail to view them up close. Those who do not wish to do this part can wait for us on the main trail, it should only take us 10 or 15 minutes.
The rest of this hike is on wide flat crushed limestone trail. For the shorter option, you will follow the trail back around the Maple Lake on your own and others. Just stay on trails to the right of the big hill.

Hike 2: 5 miles cumulative
Maple Lake Trail, some unnamed trails, North Central DuPage regional trail, Savanna trail.
A trail spur heads west and the group will split off, some continuing around the lake for the shorter 2.5 mile option.
This is an easy hike on wide crushed limestone trails 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. 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.

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.

Optional hill to climb. Its easy go back and not do the hill. Just stay to the right and you'll end up at the parking lot.
Optional stop at the meditation tree on top of the big hill for a minute to pause and reflect.

Hike 3: 8 to 8.5 miles cumulative:
Includes all of the above trails and adds another section of the DuPage Regional Bike trail and the trail around Spring Creek Reservoir.
Multiple porta potties available throughout this one, at about 5, 6, and 7 miles.

The group can split off after completing the circle around the hill. For 5 miles, go right and trail heads directly back to the parking lot. Going left will lead to a trail spur that ends at Circle Drive. From there, walk two blocks thru a residential neighborhood and locate the DuPage Regional Bike trail. This section is all asphalt, easy and flat.
Make a right hand turn when you get to the lake and follow the regional trail as it winds along parallel to Spring Brook. DuPage Regional Bike trail goes past a few housing developments and yet is still is scenic compared to other asphalt bike trails. About 6 miles in, don't let that porta potty behind the gated "No Trespassing, private property signs" stop you! Didn't stop me, that gate was not locked.

This section has a cool water retention flood control mechanism that holds back water about 20 feet high. Light area of forest along the creek on the left, wide open flood basin on the right for a mile long loop. The short trail spur is the only scenic part in this section. Its a wetland and very pretty, new to me! I never did this little spur and you should not miss it because its the best part of this section. Its a short there and back.
I consider hike 3 extra steps. As reference, I rarely come here though I live in the immediate area, its more manicured.

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.