The 109-acre Oldfield Oaks Forest Preserve in Darien features 2 miles of trails through mature oak woodland, natural wetland and restored prairie. It’s a beautiful spot to enjoy spring wildflowers such as trout lilies, jack-in-the-pulpits, spring beauties, trillium and May apples, but it also puts on a spectacular show of color in the fall.
Oldfield Oaks is an excellent example of an intact, mature oak woodland, a natural wetland, and a restored prairie. With this diverse mix of ecosystems, the preserve is home to a variety of wildlife, from foxes to great horned owls to western chorus frogs. Wildlife conservation efforts such as amphibian monitoring and bird counts take place at the preserve.
The Forest Preserve District has removed weedy invasive brush from several areas of the preserve to allow light to reach the woodland floor. As a result, wildflowers and other native vegetation are once again thriving at Oldfield Oaks.
