West DuPage Woods has a 1-mile loop from the main parking lot and a 2-mile loop from the Elsen's Hill parking lot. Both offer a variety of terrain and are popular for hiking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding.

 Silver Lake, White Pond, and Sand Pond offer great fishing for bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, and walleye.

Anglers 16 or older who are not legally disabled must carry valid Illinois fishing licenses (inland trout stamps, too, if they're fishing for trout). Lake maps and regulations, including creel limits and minimum lengths, are on our Fishing page.

Blackwell has dozens of picnic tables and grassy areas where you can spread a blanket. Ground fires are not allowed, but you can bring grills. (The preserve has hot-coal containers for charcoal.)

You can reserve Hawthorn Grove, which holds up to 300, or one of four 100-person shelters, some with grills or electricity. Details are on our Picnicking page.

The Elsen's Hill area is a designated important birding area by the Audubon Society for its diverse, quality habitat for rare breeding birds and stopover migrants. More than 200 bird species have been observed in the Elsen's Hill area, including 36 species of warblers and all of Illinois' regularly occurring vireos, thrushes and flycatchers.

Birding points of interest include the ponds and oak savannah along the Willow Trail and the stretch of river along the Hickory Trail. The site is also known for its breeding red-headed woodpeckers, yellow-billed cuckoos and chestnut-sided warblers.