Grant Woods Forest Preserve, Lake Villa, IL

Grant Woods Forest Preserve covers nearly 1,000 acres of rolling woodland and restored prairie in Lake Villa. Visitors enter via a main parking area on Edwards Road that leads to a 3.5-mile crushed-limestone trail system suitable for walking, jogging, and cross-country skiing. The preserve includes an archery range with 14 practice stations, several fishing ponds stocked by the Lake County Forest Preserves, and open fields used for model-aircraft flying under permit. Scattered picnic shelters and a small sled hill provide additional family recreation. Its location, roughly four miles south of downtown Lake Villa and five miles west of the Gurnee Mills retail corridor, places residents within a short drive of grocery stores, restaurants, and the Metra Union Pacific–North line station in Round Lake Beach. The combination of extensive trail mileage, on-site recreational facilities, and convenient access to daily services makes the preserve a practical amenity for nearby homeowners.

Biking Paths Canoeing Cross-Country Skiing Fishing Hiking Paths Parking Picnic Area Restrooms Shelter Snowmobiling