DuPage County's fourth largest preserve, Greene Valley Forest Preserve is 1,425 acres of natural environments and open fields that provide a home for many of the county's native plants and animals. From golden prairies to misty marshes, Greene Valley offers visitors a beautiful setting in which to enjoy the great outdoors. Come and take advantage of the wide open spaces and explore nature's bounty at Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Woodridge.
Hours of Operation
Greene Valley is open daily from one hour after sunrise to one hour after sunset.
Outdoor Recreation
Visitors to Greene Valley will find many opportunities to enjoy their favorite outdoor activity. Here, natural areas successfully co-exist with recreational areas to provide a unique environment for both wildlife and preserve visitors.
Trails - Nearly seven miles of marked multi-purpose trails lead to a variety of ecosystems in the preserve. Several different loop trails range from an easy one-mile jaunt to a challenging 5.5 mile hike.
Cross-country Skiing - Skiers are welcome to explore the ungroomed trails of Greene Valley during the winter months. No rentals are available, so visitors must provide their own equipment. Skiers are asked to use the outside of the trail to accommodate other trail users.
Bicycling - Bicycling is limited to the multi-purpose trails -- those eight feet or more in width. The paths are maintained with a gravel or mowed grass base. Bicyclists should use caution on downhill sections, maintain a safe speed and be considerate of horses and other trail users. Riding off the trails is strictly prohibited. This is necessary to prevent soil erosion and damage to plants.
Picnicking - The north picnic area includes picnic sites and open space for field games. Two reservable shelters, latrines, water pumps and picnic tables are provided for visitors. Groups will need to provide their own grills. Hot coals should be disposed of in the provided containers. Ground fires are not permitted. The entrance to the parking lot is on Greene Road between Hobson and 75th Street. For more information, call the District at (630) 933-7200.
Horseback Riding - Saddle up and take a ride along the many multi-purpose trails at Greene Valley. Keep in mind that horses are prohibited in picnic areas and youth campground.
Special Use Areas
Tricky Tree Key Trail - The self-guided nature trail is a special feature at Thunderbird Youth Camp. This fun learning activity gives visitors and campers a chance to make and use their own leaf identification key. Participants can meet a tree while blindfolded and later try to locate the same kind of tree. Solving a crossword puzzle using a tree finder to identify trees along the trail is also part of the fun.
Reservations and materials for the trail are available from Fullersburg Woods Environmental Education Center in Oak Brook. For more information, call Fullersburg at (630) 850-8110.
Youth Campground - Thunderbird Youth Camp, located in the southwestern part of the preserve, has nine campsites of various sizes, including one that can accommodate groups up to 150. Both wooded and semi-wooded sites are available, with open grassy fields nearby for activities. Open year-round, the camping areas are set aside for use by recognized youth group organizations. Camping permits and adult supervision are mandatory for campsite use. Permits can be purchased at the District's Administrative offices, located at 120 E. Liberty Drive, Wheaton, IL, or by mail, or by phone using Visa or MasterCard. Permits must be obtained at least 72 business hours in advance. For more information, contact the District at (630) 933-7200 during normal business hours.
Greene Valley Preserve History
The land that makes up the northern portion of the preserve was purchased in 1969 from descendants of early DuPage County settlers, the Greene family. In 1835, a nephew of Daniel Greene, William Briggs Greene, purchased 200 acres of his uncle's land. Six years later, William Greene built the first section of Oak Cottage, the existing farm house at the corner of Greene and Hobson roads. While not open for public use, volunteers from the Woodridge Area Historical Society are helping to maintain the Greene Farmstead as a visual historic amenity. Greene Valley received its name in 1969, not for its verdant slopes and forested floodplain, but rather in honor of these early settlers.
Thunderbird Youth Camp, located in the southwest area of the preserve, was once owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America. It was purchased by the Forest Preserve District in 1969 to provide youth camping for all recognized youth group organizations.
With its ever-changing and diverse ecosystems, Greene Valley of today would surprise the surveyors who mapped out the land in 1840. The historical notes of the survey crew state they "... left Brill's wheat field and entered hazel and red oak brush and scattering timber." Descriptions of the scattered and stunted oak trees interspersed with thorn thickets and wooded ravines provide a good picture of how this area once looked. With appropriate restoration and management techniques, we may someday be able to reassemble these native, functioning ecosystems.
Greene Valley Natural History
Nature is not as it seems where Greene Valley's natural areas are concerned. The beauty of the preserve's native plants and animals tends to be inconspicuous, but is present nevertheless.
Greene Valley boasts a collection of plants and trees not commonly found in other areas of the county. The wooded area north of 79th Street was set aside by the Hinterlong family for wildlife and wildflowers more than half a century ago. This high-quality oak woodland now provides a home for many native birds, mammals and plants, including a spectacular display of spring wildflowers in May.
The open, wooded savanna east of Greene Road and the aged oak woodland in the youth camp provide excellent examples of Illinois plant communities. The savanna between Greene Road and the East Branch of the DuPage River illustrates the appearance of DuPage County more than a century ago. Management techniques such as controlled burns allow more light into dense forest areas and create a more open and natural condition by encouraging the growth of native plants. Reforestation and wetland restoration projects are underway and will continue in the next few years to replace ecosystems lost long ago.
The wildlife at Greene Valley is plentiful, and one can see and hear numerous species of birds and mammals. In the wetlands, waterfowl, herons, egrets and other aquatic life flourish. Choruses of toads and frogs can deafen the night during the spring breeding season. In the meadows, you may catch a glimpse of a passing red fox or coyote, or hear the song of meadowlarks and bobolinks. A venture into the forest may flush a great-horned owl from its roost or startle a white-tailed deer and its fawn.
