Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Hike

The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is the first National Tallgrass Prairie in the US. We will be on a mission to see the bison on the prairie, and to see other rare wildlife like bobolinks and dickcissels.

To register, please go to the Sierra Club site below and sign the waiver. Scroll down to the date of the hike, 07/18. Then click on the title of the program.

https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/events-calendar

Please list an emergency contact and number. List a cell phone if you wish to receive a call in case of cancellation.

Sign up and registration will also be taken at the site. Since this is an official Sierra Club hike, you will need to sign the waiver before the hike. Young people under the age of 18 must have an adult sign for them. Also, please email me or let me know before the hike if you have any health issue that could affect you during the hike. It’s better to be prepared.

Ticks: It is definitely tick season in July. Ticks carry lime disease, so we should take as many precautions as is reasonable. But the path is mostly asphalt or crushed rock and pretty wide, so there’s not much that we need to do. We will have bug repellent with us that includes the active ingredient, deet.

Weather: We may cut the hike short if it is very hot. Some precautions - wear a broad-brimmed hat. Sunscreen is a necessity. Bring plenty of water. If it's just drizzling, we'll probably still hike (if we wish), but not if it's a downpour or if there's thunder and lightning. It looks from this point like there might rain on Saturday, so bring a rain parka or rain resistant jacket (or an umbrella). If it doesn’t rain, you can bring a camera if you'd like or binoculars to spot birds with.

Also: Dogs are not allowed on this site. There are usually working bathrooms on the site.

Parking: We’ll be meeting at the Iron Bridge Trailhead.