Hike Marengo Ridge in McHenry County 4.5, 6, 8.4 and 10 mile options

Optional post hike lunch
Niko's Pointer Saloon
106 S State st Marengo
https://pointerssaloon.com/menu/
Separate checks ok per Kathy

I discovered this place while hiking with my son in June of 2020 and its a real treat! Worth the drive.

Summary
Located in McHenry County, this preserve features over 800 acres of oak and hickory woodlands interspersed with spruce, aspen, ash and sumac.

Hike 1: Wooded section 4.5 miles
End up back at the parking lot.
Natural surface trails. No mud, no bushwhacking, one log to step over. Half of this hike is single track trails with lots of roots and tripping hazards.
Other section is wide and even fitting multiple people.
All wooded, not much blooming in the forest.

Observations:

• One Blushing rosette mushroom (looks like cauliflower)
• One jack in the pulpit, stalk with cluster of red berries
• Few Purple Asters
• Riverbank grape, small clusters of dark fruit the size of a blueberry (located by the last single track trail loop)

Hike 2: Cummulative 6 miles
Prairie Loop 1, end up back at lot
Grass prairie and grass trails which still have delightful colors, purple and yellow. Stunning displays of deep purple asters next to goldenrods! One quarter mile of this section is wooded on easy wide trails.

Observations:

• Indian and little bluestem grasses
• Sky blue Aster
• Light purple Aster
• Deep purple Aster
• New England Aster
• Frost Aster
• Goldenrods
• Milk-white toothed polypore fungus growing on a dead tree
• Few saw-toothed sunflowers

Hike 3: Cummulative 8.4 miles
Prairie section there and back
Access trail across the road to the prairie and head east.
Turn around at River road and go back.
Flat, wide grassy trail and gentle hills.
Asters, Goldenrod and bluestem prairie grass dominate the landscape. Developing tiny white mushrooms are all over this trail!

Observations

• Sky blue Aster
• Purple Aster
• New England Aster
• Frost Aster
• Goldenrods
• Big Blue stem grass and Sideoats Grama
• White Dapperling mushroom (looks just like typical store mushroom)
• Compass plant (looks like tall skinny sunflower)
• Common yarrow (looks like a fern middle of trail)
• Small red Sumac trees
• Field and meadow mushroom (pink gills and edible!)
• Prairie Dock
• Baby puffball mushrooms sprinkled all over
• Thick-pod wild white Indigo (past bloom but the black oval smooth pods are pretty cool)
• Rattlesnake Master (past bloom, bristly round tops)
• Hemp dogbane (not cannibis, long needle shaped clusters of pods with white fluff coming out)

Hike 4: On your own: Cumulative ~10 miles
Prairie Loop 2
Cross River Road.
Not nearly as colorful, its just a huge grass prairie with
tall Indian grass or big Bluestem grass. Also picks up some road noise. Consider this extra steps.

This hike is cross posted with Chicagoland Trailblazers Hiking Group
https://www.meetup.com/chicagoland-trailblazers-hiking-group/events/316466218
and my guest rsvp includes members of the group.

Location
2411 N. Route 23, Marengo
Meet at shelter 1 in front of the restrooms.

Directions
Its a small entrance with a sign right off of route 23. There is a big barn with Silo about 1/4 miles north.
Its north of route 20 and a few miles south of Kishwaukee Valley rd.

Website
https://www.naturallymchenrycounty.com/listing/marengo-ridge-conservation-area/520/