Editor’s note: We want you to Be a Trailblazer this year, so we will be hiking at various preserves throughout the year and documenting it for you. Journey along with us as we blaze a trail through the preserves and hopefully encourage you to do the same.
Rock Run Preserve in Joliet isn’t one of those tucked-away spots where you can retreat from life and surround yourself with the sights and sounds of nature. It’s in a busy and populated spot in Will County’s largest city, so you are never too far from the hustle and bustle.
And that is part of the beauty of a visit to Rock Run Preserve. You’re in nature, reaping the benefits of it, and its location along busy suburban streets makes it easy to appreciate the value of these protected natural spaces. It also makes it an easy place for a family hike, whether it’s a short walk or a longer adventure.
On our hike at Rock Run, the sights and sounds of both nature and suburban life were evident all around. Sounds of traffic and sirens in the distance intermixed with the sounds of birds chirping and calling and wind whipping across the prairie grasses and through the bare trees.
Hiking Rock Run Preserve
Route: We started our hike at the preserve’s Black Road Access and walked the paved path toward Paul V. Nichols Access before looping through two short limestone trails and completing the loop on the path that runs along Black Road.
Distance: 2.63 miles
Time: 1 hour, 2 minutes
Weather: A warm, sunny and windy winter day.
Difficulty level: This is a flat trail with no significant hills or elevation changes.
Trail notes: Rock Run Preserve can be a busy spot for outdoor recreation, so be mindful of other trail users. In winter, trails can be icy or slippery. Use caution while hiking.
We hiked after a snowfall, but it was during one of those winter warmups that makes everything a little slick and soupy at the same time. This could make for a troublesome hike with little ones who like to splash and stomp in puddles, because it wasn’t quite warm enough for that.
As you might expect on a winter afternoon, wildlife sightings were few. We saw some sparrows and songbirds in the brush and some geese flying overhead. A couple of squirrels were scurrying up and down trees and eating seeds and such from the ground. Two deer darted across the trail just ahead of us, very aware of our presence.
The lack of animal activity made it easier to notice the things we might otherwise have missed. We had fun getting a closer look at a hornet’s nest affixed high on a tree trunk. We saw plenty of other nests too, uncovered for all to see since the leaves are gone from the trees.
Near the pond, still covered with ice and snow, we crouched low to the ground to take a closer look at the dozens of animal tracks crisscrossing it. We saw tracks from birds and mammals, but it was difficult to decipher who had left them behind because of the partially melted snow.
At times in winter, it can seem like all the color has been drained from the landscape, but we made a point to look high and low for at least some of the colors of the rainbow. And we weren’t disappointed. Pops of yellow and green could be found on rocks and tree trunks covered with lichen, and we saw some dull shades of red leftover on a few sumac trees. We even caught a glimpse of a blue jay overhead.
Paved surfaces make up the majority of the trails at Rock Run, but two short limestone paths are worth checking out. The 0.23-mile Prairie Trail delivers on the promise of its name, taking you through a grassland, while the 0.29-mile Sedge Meadow Trail traverses a more wooded habitat.
You can easily shorten this hike to make it more doable for little legs. Starting from Black Road Access, taking the paved trail around the pond is a manageable walk and includes some of the most scenic spots for little ones to check out.
One of the benefits of a preserve like Rock Run, with multiple trails and connections to other trails and preserves, is that you can experience it differently every time you visit. Whether you have hours to explore or just enough time for a short walk, there are plenty of ways you can Be a Trailblazer at Rock Run Preserve.
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