Let us start here at the Crossroads of America. I-55 & I-80. Whether you are going North, South, East or West or you are on a journey along Historic Route 66, there is a great chance you will be in Joliet, Illinois! Chicagoland has so much nature to explore. Because I managed Pilcher Park for nearly 19 years I am going to start here. Just a few short miles off I-55, on I-80 east, is the Briggs street exit. Exit Briggs and go left on Briggs. Take Briggs to Cass Street and make a right. Just as you see a train overpass there is an entrance to Pilcher Park on your left. Pilcher Park is an approximately 700-acre park. It is the perfect place to park and get the kids out to play. You can park in many places and safely let the kids run and run and run! They can walk on downed trees, try to catch frogs by the pond or creek, explore the nature center and it’s surrounding grounds, or just sit and feel the peace and quiet. Pilcher Park is spectacular in every season! My two personal favorite seasons are spring and fall. In spring there are acres and acres of wildflowers! There are acres of Virginia Bluebells, Marsh Marigolds and some of the most spectacular patches of Squirrel Corn, Trout Lily, Phlox, tons of Skunk Cabbage (a great learning experience for the kids!) and of course the giant 250-year-old White Oak trees! If trees could only talk. They could tell us about when the Pottawatomi lived under those trees. The trees could tell you about the Bison that walked among them. How the Pottawatomi fished from Hickory Creek to get dinner and how they foraged for mushrooms and used the wild leeks (ramps) that are still there today. In the fall you will find the most beautiful array of colors from the Ash trees red leaves to the bright red, yellow and orange of the Oaks. Truly God’s Coloring Book!
Pilcher Park Nature Center is a 4000 square foot log cabin in the woods that houses native turtles in an indoor turtle pond, native fish in several 600-gallon aquariums, native Fox and Corn snakes and Sabrina a friendly Ball Python.
There is a greenhouse with formal gardens in Pilcher Park as well! So on a rainy day the greenhouse is a great option. There is a bridge in the front room and a Koi Pond. The middle Lambrecht room has a very cool waterfall that goes into a much larger Koi Pond. The Desert Room has Cacti from the Smithsonian that were given to the Park District in the 1900’s. The outside gardens are spectacular and in August – early September there are hundreds of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. There are so many they are sitting on the plants! This is a great family photo spot!
Bring your family our to Pilcher, run in the woods for a few hours or a day and relax by the creek, sleep under an old Oak tree, visit the Greenhouse and Nature Center and just generally bask in the beauty of nature!