Grant Woods Trail

3 separate units. Six miles of gravel trails are open for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. In winter, snowmobilers have access to 4.5 miles of trails that tie into adjacent snowmobile trails on private land. Six miles of gravel trails are open for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. In winter, snowmobilers have access to 4.5 miles of trails that tie into adjacent snowmobile trails on private land. A 1-mile grass trail in the far northeastern section of the preserve can be accessed from Cedar Lake Road. The trail extends to Fairfield Road, across from Lake Villa Township's Caboose Park. There is a lot of variety in this gently rolling landscape of woodlands, prairie and marsh. One area, designated as a protected Illinois Nature Preserve, was never farmed and thus is rich in rare native plants. It even supports a tamarack bog, a rarity in this region. Bluebirds fill the nest boxes dotting the property, springtime ponds fill to the brim with noisy frogs, summer prairie grasses tower over visitors, and year-round glimpses of deer, hawks and other wildlife abound. Lake Countys only known stand of wild Kentucky coffee trees grows here. Since their large shiny seeds were used in Native American games and trade, the trees presence indicates the possibility that indigenous people frequented this site and perhaps even had a village here.