Hike Heller Nature Preserve & Northcroft, 5.5 miles, longer & shorter options

Sorry, dogs are not permitted in the nature center

Optional Post Hike Lunch
TBD

This hike is located in Highland Park and is a local gem! Embedded within a very populated area of Chicagoland, it is a local haven for those that wish to escape to peace and solitude. These are my own thoughts, not AI generated!

You can expect all flat and easy trails over 90% natural surface. Grass, crushed limestone, and dirt. Very few tripping hazards like roots and rocks compared to other hikes we do. There is no bushwhacking. In one area after heavy rain it was a tad muddy but nothing extreme. I walked around it. I rate it as a very easy hike.

You can expect varied terrain, groves of pine trees, heavy canopies of forested areas, areas where sunlight sparkles thru beautiful tall mature forests, a bit of savannah, and just a few wetlands.

Hike 1: 3.5 miles
Heller Nature Preserve and Northcroft Park and we end up back at the parking lot

Hike 2: 4 miles
Heller Nature Preserve and Northcroft Park, an additional loop thru Heller, and we end up back at the parking lot

Hike 3: 5.5 miles
Heller Nature Preserve and Northcroft Park, all loops thru Heller and a there and back ending at half day road. We end up back at the parking lot.

Hike 4: 8 miles on your own
Heller Nature Preserve and Northcroft Park, all loops thru Heller and a there and back ending at half day road. From half day road you will follow the sidewalk .75 miles to Prairie Wolf Slough. There are traffic lights where you can cross safely to get to the south side of half day road. After a .75 mile walk down a sidewalk on busy half day road you will arrive at the parking lot for Prairie Wolf Slough. It is slightly less than a 1 mile loop. One half of the loop follows the North branch of the Chicago river and is unimpressive. Very wide crushed limestone trails and mundane scenery. The other .40 miles is very pretty with narrower trails and more forested and a few wooden bridges crossing a creek.
Overall, if you choose to do this part you will be walking on heavily traffic sidewalk for 1.5 miles there and back. Just to see .40 miles of a very nice natural area. I did this on my own and not worth my time and effort to lead this part because the natural area was not that impressive.