Fall Hike at Volo Bog

Chasing fall colors? Volo Bog is listed as one of the best spots to catch fall color so we had to check it out for ourselves. It definitely did not disappoint!

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What is a bog?

Bogs are acidic, peat-accumulating wetlands. As the only quaking bog in Illinois, Volo Bog is significant in that it exhibits all stages of bog succession. Formed in an ancient glacial kettle hole lake, Volo Bog features a floating mat of sphagnum moss, cattails and sedges surrounding the open pool of water in the center of the bog. Further from the open water, the mat thickens enough to even support floating trees. Very cool, huh?

Getting Started at Volo Bog

Parking is plentiful at the lot. If you need to use the washroom, they have one by the parking lot. But if the Visitor Center is open, I’d rather opt for that one.

Hiking at Volo Bog

We stuck to the shorter of the two trails, the Volo Bog Interpretive Trail. Very, very cool. You are basically walking on a floating walkway throughout the bog.

You really don’t see things like this everyday. It was nice to see signs along the way so you knew what you were looking at and also learning a little bit about what you were looking at.

You know you are almost there when you are at the Eye of the Bog

It really was a gorgeous hike.

Tips to Enjoy Volo Bog:

Pack a picnic. We saw plenty of picnic tables.
Choose from two trails:
- The Volo Bog Interpretive Trail, which was only about a half mile. A very fun and easy loop.
  - No strollers are allowed.
  - Parts of the trail do not have railings, so hold on to the littles.
  - No pets on this trail.
- Tamarack View Trail is 3 miles and have an opportunity to see more of the diverse natural communities within the park.
  - The maps show that there is an observation platform, observation tower, and observation blind.
Take note of the signs of poisonous plants, hazardous soils, and slippery floating walkways when wet.
Check out the Visitor Center when it’s open to learn more about the bog. The visitor center gets cool points for being a former dairy barnelevators located in what was the silo. What made it super cool was that they had glass windows so we could see as we moved up and down. It is really, really slow though.

Volo Bog is located minutes away from Volo Museum which we highly recommend and visit a few times a year.

Final Thoughts of Volo Bog

What a hidden gem, folks! If you’re already in the area and the weather is in your favor, it’s well worth a stop!

Nitty Gritty:

Website: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/VoloBog.aspx
Location: 28478 W. Brandenburg Rd., Ingleside IL 60041
Hours: Visitor center is open Wednesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Admission: Free