Park Website: none
Trail Distance: 4 miles
Trail Surface: Crushed Limestone
Type of Use: Tour/leisure, Mountain/Fat Tire
Towns: Richmond, Ringwood
County: McHenry
Intensity of Use: Unknown
Connecting Trails: 1/2 mile from Prairie Trail
Setting: Bog & marsh
Maintained by:  McHenry County Conservation District
Directions for parking: Take 31 North from McHenry Illinois to Harts Road.  Head west 1/2 mile to the park entrance for free parking at the Weidrich Barn or continue around the curve to the Marsh lot.   Parking is also available off Keystone Road.
Notes:
Coyote Trail (1.2 miles) accessible via the Marsh lot.  Features a lowland plain with oak and hickory savannas.  Travel further away from Route 31 to hear natural sounds and come early to see if you can catch a glimpse of a coyote!  You can also stop at the prairie, a 1990 addition to the park.

Heading right after the prairie will take you to the Bog, which is a rare ecosystem in Illinois.  Here you will see some rare plants not found many other places!

Marsh Trail (1.1 miles) circles the marsh offering views of the marsh and an observation deck to view the waterfowl.

Deerpath Trail (2.1 miles) starts with a steep hill up the to the prairie.  A beautiful view of the valley and Nippersink Creek can be found along this trail.

West of the Bog and Savanna along the Nippersink Spur is a set of kames, or 100 foot high hills of sand and gravel deposited by the gravel.  You can climb up to the highest kame, but stay on the trail - the ground is loose and it is dangerous.  No bikes are allowed up the kame due to the narrow path.  Take time to walk up this trail as you can see for miles and miles from it's peak.

Nippersink Trail (2.1 miles) is connected to the park via a short spur.  The trail heads 1.4 miles to the north ending at a trial shelter.  A small kame is located at the road intersection.  A water fountain is located on the top of this kame.  The trail continues for a mile and is heavily shaded.  Heading .7 miles south will take you to the Keystone Canoe Launch area with parking along Keystone Road.
Trail Maps:

Rider's Comments: Add your comments, email bikeillinois@jawa.org.

For Detailed Information Contact:
McHenry County Conservation District
(815) 678-4431

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