Hawthorne Hill Nature Center — Attraction in Elgin

I hate giving this preserve just 2 stars, BUT.....did not have a great experience. I visited in August 2020 and the nature center was closed due to COVID, but the trails were open. Fine with me - I'm there for the trails! First thing I noticed was the algea in the lakes. Hmmmm. Then tried the first trail around the lakes and came to 'Trail closed' signs....no reason given. OK, then I tried the longer Eastern loops across Brookside road. These trails were in awful shape chewed up by some heavy tracked machinery! The entire trail was like this.

No wonder there were no other people in the preserve, and no cars in the nature center lot at 10:00 AM on a beautiful summer morning....

Visited with my dog, she loved it! Trails are nice and wide, mostly mulched, some paved. The only issue I had was my sense of direction, and went in circles a few times. An additional sign or two could help those that get a bit turned around. Most all of the walk is in the woods, I was hoping for more open spaces, but overall I enjoyed...

This is a great place to enjoy nature. Many activities for kids inside also. Fishing is allowed as well. Marshland area with beautiful plant life and a great spot for birdwatching. There is also a shorter path for handicapped people, which I was delighted to find! Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. ...