Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve — Attraction in Illinois

went to watch the rise of the full moon/buck moon/supermoon July 13th, 2022 at 9:03 PM CDST from the little hill by the information center. used to come here with my kids years ago. big sprawling nature preserve with many different features and environments, trails, paths, biking, ponds, camping, visitor center, creeks, clean pit toilets, picnic tables, and groves. arrived around 8:15 PM, sunset at 8:28, picnic tables on top of the hill so enjoyed the remains of the day. after sunset as the twilight deepened the air assumed that lovely pink and purple glow, soft like velvet, so thick and dense you could almost grab a handful and put it in a jar on the nightstand next to the bed. 9:03 came and went. startled to first notice an enormous red orange full moon struggling through the trees to the southeast, it's brightening beams like soft spotlights. it rose in stillness, darkness soon shrouding the little hill....

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Beautiful and Peaceful Hidden Gem

Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve is one of those places that makes you feel instantly connected to nature. The trails are well-marked and offer a mix of terrain—open meadows, quiet forests, and scenic hills that make every hike enjoyable and refreshing.

There’s a calm, peaceful vibe throughout the preserve, with plenty of spots to sit, reflect, or have a picnic. The views from the top of the sledding hill are gorgeous, especially in the fall. Wildlife is everywhere—deer, birds, butterflies—and the area is clean and well-maintained.

It’s a great place for families, photographers, solo hikers, or anyone just looking to escape into nature for a few hours. Truly one of the Southland’s...

Apart from this being a "forest preserve" which is completely abhorrent to me with their ungodly rules of not being able to use nature as the Lord intended, i.e. forage, hunt, gather firewood, i.e. USE THE RESOURCES THAT HE MADE FOR MAN, This is one of the few first preserves that I return to. I like the sledding hill.

They went though and killed hundreds (maybe thousands) of oaks, cherry trees, hickory, etc for no apparent reason. They cut through the Cambrian layers with chainsaws and left them standing to rot in their places. Why? Why not drop them to the ground and allow the people that have been robbed of taxes to harvest all that good...