Lake County Forest Preserves

Lake County Forest Preserves (also called Lake County Forest Preserve District, or LCFPD) is a governmental organization that purchases land and oversees the use of such public open-space in Lake County, Illinois. It is a member of Chicago Wilderness.

The board of directors is also the board of Lake County. The directors are voted into office, and represent their respective districts in Lake County.

Recreational activities provided by the organization's land includes biking on trails, paddling, dog parks, fishing, horseback riding, swimming, winter sports, and many more.

History
Ethel Untermyer is considered the founder of Lake County Forest Preserves. Ethel and her son went exploring in the woods one day, in 1957. She was new to the Lake County area and wanted to explore.

She asked her friend where the nearest forest preserve was, and Ethel was shocked to find that there was none.

She then organized a countywide public vote to create a Lake County Forest preserve district. Many people did not take into account of what she was doing. She kept telling people in her community about forest preserves and slowly gained support from many people.

At this time Lake County just barely had 300,000 people and even then, people noticed the lack of natural land. By election day in November 1958, the vote passed with a surprising 60 percent of votes. As of then, Lake County Forest Preserve District was legally established in circuit court.

A committee of citizens was then formed, with Ethel as its chair. In 1961 the first forest preserve opened in Lake County; Van Patten Woods in Wadsworth.

Properties



 * Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home, National Historic Landmark 4/23/2014
 * Almond Marsh
 * Bonner Heritage Farm
 * Brae Loch Golf Club
 * Buffalo Creek
 * Captain Daniel Wright Woods
 * Countryside Golf Club
 * Cuba Marsh
 * Curt Teich Postcard Archives
 * Des Plaines River Trail
 * Dog Sled Area
 * Duck Farm
 * Fort Hill Trail
 * Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve
 * Fourth Lake
 * Fox River Preserve & Marina
 * Gander Mountain
 * Grainger Woods
 * Grant Woods
 * Grassy Lake
 * Greenbelt Forest Preserve
 * Greenbelt Cultural Center
 * Half Day
 * Hastings Lake
 * Heron Creek
 * Independence Grove & Visitors Center
 * Lake Carina
 * Lake County Discovery Museum
 * Lake County History Archives
 * Lakewood
 * Lyons Woods
 * McDonald Woods
 * Middlefork Savanna
 * Millennium Trail
 * Nippersink
 * Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch (Wilmot Woods)
 * Old School
 * Prairie Wolf
 * Raven Glen
 * Rollins Savanna
 * Route 60 Canoe Launch
 * Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area & Welcome Center
 * Singing Hills
 * Spring Bluff (This preserve is part of the bi-state Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain, a Ramsar Convention wetland)
 * Sun Lake
 * ThunderHawk Golf Club
 * Van Patten Woods
 * Wadsworth Road Canoe Launch
 * Waukegan Savanna
 * Wetlands Research Project
 * Wilmot Woods
 * Wright Woods