Since 1925, the Forest Preserve District has worked to preserve and restore Kane County, Illinois' natural areas, improve wildlife habitat, and enhance the quality of life for all Kane County residents. We invite you to visit the forest preserves and enjoy a quiet walk, embark on a camping weekend, picnic with friends and family, learn about nature, bird watch, fish, golf, ride, volunteer, or simply experience the wonder of our more than 23,000 acres of woodlands, wetlands and prairies. No matter the time of year, there's plenty to see and do in your Kane County forest preserves!
Hours: Preserves are open every day, sunrise to sunset. | Trails: All equestrian trails are temporarily closed due to seasonal weather conditions. The Great Western Trail remains open for equestrian use. We'll update once the equestrian trails reopen.
Report an Issue: See a problem in the preserves? Report a Maintenance Issue.
Spanish Version: View the website using Google Translate: Versión en español
Volunteer With Us: Help with natural areas, nature programs, cultural and historic preservation, public safety/trails, and recreation: Volunteer Information
Avoid & Treat Tick Bites: The Kane County Health Department provides information on how to avoid and treat tick bites.
With a few steps off a trailer and onto Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Sycamore, American bison, also known as buffalo, have made a triumphant return to Kane County prairie, for the first time in more than 200 years.
The move follows a three-way partnership between the Forest Preserve District of Kane County as land owner, the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC) as owner of the animals, and Ruhter Bison as the herd manager. It was an agreement the Forest Preserve District had worked to bring to completion for years, and something promised to residents as part of the 2024 Land Acquisition & Preserve Improvement Referendum.
The bison were transferred from an Illinois herd with provenance that traces back to the last remaining bison on the Great Plains. The exact herd manager wishes to be anonymous, so that the focus can be on the current partners: the Forest Preserve District, American Indian Center of Chicago, and Ruhter Bison.
While there are indeed other bison in Kane County — including herds at both Fermilab in Batavia and at Lords Park in Elgin — their environments are different. Fermi's bison are on grass pasture and Lords Park's bison are in a zoo exhibit. The bison at Burlington Prairie are on tallgrass prairie. Prairies are complex ecosystems with incredible diversity. Burlington Prairie, for example, is made-up of 114 different native grasses and wildflowers. This is the first time in more than 200 years that bison in Kane County have lived on prairie, as historically they once did.
The Forest Preserve District knows there is great interest in seeing the animals, but we're asking the public to be patient a bit longer. Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve is one of the preserves where we lock the gates seasonally, due to weather. This winter, that'll also give the animals time to adjust to their new surroundings. We plan to have public events in the spring, once the gates are back open. Because the herd manager needs access to the preserve, there is no authorized parking outside the gates.
For more information on the bison's return to prairie, see our Press Release.
2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Help launch the next century of conservation by sponsoring a tree in the Centennial Grove at Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve. Tree sponsors will be commemorated with an inscription on a permanent plaque at the site. For more information or to participate, click the buttons below, or visit the Kane Forest Preserve Foundation website. Sponsorships are due 12/31/25.
Sponsorship Info | Click here to Sponsor a Tree | Click here to Become a Corporate Sponsor
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