We’ve been working our way through the McHenry County Conservation District sites and finally made our way to Glacial Park Conservation Area. After hiking over two miles at Glacial Park, it was easy to see why this is the Conservation District’s most popular site. What a great time enjoying one on one time with nature!
Getting started at Glacial Park
We first made a pit stop at the Lost Valley Visitor Center. Make sure to grab a map and use the super clean bathrooms.
Power-Walker House
We wanted to head to the Power-Walker House first and found out from the staff at the visitor center that there wasn’t a set trail there, so we opted to just drive there. A couple minutes later, we were at the historic house. Built in 1854, the Powers family owned this Greek-revival style home.
Tip: Special events or open houses are held here so you can get a glimpse of life as it was in the 1800s.
Park at Weidrich Barn
For our next part of our adventure, we parked at the Weidrich Barn, a barn built in 1902, to start our hike. We then chose the trail closest to the bathrooms to start our adventure. A minute or two minute later, we saw the stone amphitheater which gave us sweeping views of the marsh. This would be a great spot to enjoy a snack or picnic.
Continue through the woods
We followed the Deerpath Trail through the woods. It was relatively flat at first then quickly noticed the terrain change with rolling hills and steep hills. Going through the woods was my favorite as we could see the leaves changing.
Climb on the kame
The kids, having learned about glaciers and kames through one of the McHenry County Conservation District programs, were super excited to actually climb one. Kames are large hills formed mostly of gravel deposited by glaciers over 10,000 years.
view from the top of Camelback Glacial Kame
See the bog
After we made our way down the kame, we continued on the trail by the bog. Take in the views of the bog at the lookout by trail marker 10. There are also benches here if you’d like to sit and relax.
Continue around the marsh
From here we continued onto the Marsh Loop Trail. It was pretty neat going around the marsh since we had the fantastic views of it at the beginning of our hike. Located by trail marker 11.
Tips to enjoy Glacial Park
- The brochures/maps provided at the visitor center were more helpful than the ones printed on the website.
- Before your hike, stop at the visitor center to use the clean bathrooms.
- Check out the special events held here like an Ice Cream Social or outdoor concerts.
- Enjoy all that is offered at Glacial Park such as fishing, kayaking down the Nippersink Creek, sledding during the snowy months.
- When you’re done hiking, treat yourself to coffee AND ice cream at Rusty Malts Coffee and Ice Cream just a few minutes away. They even have a drive through!
Final thoughts about Glacial Park
With wonderful views and a semi-challenging terrain, this has easily become one of our favorite places to hike in the area! Make sure to plan your trip soon!
Nitty Gritty
Website: https://www.mccdistrict.org
Address: 6705 Route 31, Ringwood (Route 31 and Harts Road)
Looking to enjoy more of the great outdoors? A visit to Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Park is a must!
