A Walk through Morton Arboretum
I was able to visit a friend of mine in Chicago recently and we took a side trip out to Morton Arboretum, which describes itself as a "1700 acre living museum," also known as a garden.
This is not, then, strictly speaking, a hike. Rather, it is a peaceful meander through several intersecting, well-maintained gravel loop trails -- follow the link here for the trail maps. We parked at the visitor's center, which includes a gift shop and a restaurant if that interests you, and wandered off promptly towards the conifer loop (pictured above).
As beautiful as the arboretum is, unfortunately, for large sections of the park you are within earshot of the highway, and the rushing noise of cars rather than of birdsong will be your soundtrack.
We then reexamined the map, and noted that the conifer loop did not connect with the main loop trail. In since "main loop trail" sounded like where we should be, we headed back towards the visitor center to pick up the loop from near Meadow Lake. Meadow Lake seemed very popular, and was the most crowded section of the park. Most of the time, we had the trails to ourselves, although that could have been due to the chilly weather.
Trail Details:
Length: Variable (we walked 5 miles, but 16 miles of maintained trail total are available)
Best time of year: Fall and Spring
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Fees: $14 per person for adults as of the writing, please visit mortonarb.org for the most update info
That's it! Keep on hiking, folks, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
 |
| Look closely and you can see a migrating hawk |
This is not, then, strictly speaking, a hike. Rather, it is a peaceful meander through several intersecting, well-maintained gravel loop trails -- follow the link here for the trail maps. We parked at the visitor's center, which includes a gift shop and a restaurant if that interests you, and wandered off promptly towards the conifer loop (pictured above).
As beautiful as the arboretum is, unfortunately, for large sections of the park you are within earshot of the highway, and the rushing noise of cars rather than of birdsong will be your soundtrack.
 |
| a pear tree |
We then made our way through main loops 1-3, eventually arriving back at the main parking lot. There are some gently rolling hills here, but nothing strenuous for the average person. We walked approximately 5 miles. Note that bicycles are not allowed on trails designated for walking.
The sections we walked are all various stretches of different forest, punctuated occasionally by a small lake, stream, or marsh. There are signs along the trails, but they are a bit vague. Definitely take a map with you (you can pick one up at the visitor center for free).
So, there you have it - a little urban oasis outside of chicago. It's not the place to go if you are seeking a strenuous hike or the feeling of the wilderness, but it is the perfect spot to stroll on a lazy afternoon.
Trail Details:
Length: Variable (we walked 5 miles, but 16 miles of maintained trail total are available)
Best time of year: Fall and Spring
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Fees: $14 per person for adults as of the writing, please visit mortonarb.org for the most update info
That's it! Keep on hiking, folks, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
Comments
Post a Comment