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< Back Ledges 7111 McCurry Road, Roscoe, IL 61073 Scenic and challenging 18-hole golf course. Built as a private course in 1966, this course was purchased by the District in 1978. Fairway bunkers and sand traps test your skill and accuracy. In addition, water hazards are featured on 10 holes. Area golfers are now enjoying this challenging course that often requires the use of every club in your bag. Tee times may be reserved online at playthepreserves.com. Acres: 185 Access Road: Yes Restrooms: Yes Drinking Water: Yes Picnic Tables: Yes Shelterhouses: No Playground Equipment: No Ball Fields: No Horseback Trails: No Hiking Trails(miles): 0.0 Campground Sites: No Boat Launch: No Canoe Launch: No 18 Hole Golf Course: Yes Illinois Nature Preserve: No Special Facilities: Clubhouse, Pro Shop Donated Land: No Natural Areas: No All reservations subject to the GENERAL USE ORDINANCE. Previous Next

< Back Rockford Rotary 5390 Rotary Road, Cherry Valley, IL 61063 This 228-acre preserve was donated to Forest Preserves of Winnebago County in 1980 by the Rockford Rotary Club. The heavily wooded preserve is the site of the former Camp Rotary and overlooks the Kishwaukee River. A picnic area and equestrian access are provided at the preserve’s entrance off Rotary Road. Rolling terrain makes for adventurous and moderately challenging hiking. Trails afford scenic river views and access to nearly a mile of riverfront. Rotary is an excellent place to enjoy a diversity of native trees, shrubs, woodland wildflowers and ferns. Acres: 228.5 Access Road: Yes Restrooms: Yes Drinking Water: Yes Picnic Tables: Yes Shelterhouses: No Playground Equipment: No Ball Fields: No Horseback Trails: Yes Hiking Trails(miles): 2.9 Campground Sites: No Boat Launch: No Canoe Launch: No 18 Hole Golf Course: No Illinois Nature Preserve: No Special Facilities: Youth/Scout Camp Donated Land: Yes Natural Areas: Yes All reservations subject to the GENERAL USE ORDINANCE. Previous Next

The Forest Preserves of Winnebago County provides unique and enriching opportunities for local citizens to explore and learn about our natural areas and the wildlife that inhabit them. Volunteer With Us! Current volunteers may report service hours here! Our Volunteers Nurture Nature! The Forest Preserves of Winnebago County provides unique and enriching opportunities for local citizens to explore and learn about our natural areas and the wildlife that inhabit them. Whether you assist at a one-time event, or commit to a long-term project, our volunteer program offers flexible opportunities that appeal to a wide variety of interests – for individuals and groups alike! R.E.A.P. (Restoration.Education.Appreciation.Preservation.) Become a R.E.A.P. Volunteer and make a difference! Habitat restoration workdays are held at various forest preserves on the third Saturday of the month in late spring/summer. Experience is not required! Our natural resource experts offer hands-on ecological restoration training, such as invasive plant removal and native seed collection, plus enriching conservation activities when our work is done. Weekly Restoration Work Days Join the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County on Thursdays at 9 a.m. for our weekly restoration work days! Get your hands dirty while helping restore important habitats. Please dress for outdoor work (pants, long-sleeved shirts, close toed shoes, hats, and gloves.) Community Science (also known as Citizen Science) Become a part of a growing group of volunteers who observe and record information about the natural world! Volunteers help us collect valuable wildlife data that we use to make land management decisions and secure grant funding. Bats Bluebirds Bumblebees Butterflies Calling Frogs Fireflies (Firefly Atlas ) Odonates Plant Monitoring (Budburst ) General Monitoring (iNaturalist ) Duties vary depending on the project. Some projects are simple and beginner-friendly, while others are more technical. Choose what works best for you! All volunteers receive state-of-the art training to ensure confidence and comfort in their roles. No previous science experience is necessary – all that is needed is a general awareness and appreciation of nature! APPLY HERE! Trail Stewardship While workday volunteers care for the larger ecological health of our natural areas, a Trail Steward “adopts” a forest preserve trail and focuses on keeping it safe and pleasant for our visitors. Activities include litter control, clearing brush and debris from trails after storms, and reporting any inappropriate uses of the trail to the designated Area Manager. On-going training and education is provided. APPLY HERE! Native Nursery Our Native Plant Nursery is located at our Resource Center near Severson Dells Forest Preserve. Volunteers weed and water plant beds, install plugs, monitor and inventory plants, collect and clean seed, learn plant propagation techniques and more! APPLY HERE! Litter League Litter really BUGS us! Whether your participate individually, with a friend, or as part of a group – youth or adult – our Litter League is in action! Bring your work gloves, and we’ll supply the trash bags for you to pick up trash along the roadway to the entrances of Espenscheid and Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserves. APPLY HERE! Special Events Serve on a short-term planning committee or just support the activities of the day…the choice is yours! Special Event volunteers enjoy welcoming the public to nature by assisting with greeting visitors, special event activities, games, kids crafts and more! APPLY HERE! Volunteer Opportunities with Other Organizations Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Gardens - Click HERE for volunteer opportunities or visit klehm.org . Macktown Living History - Click HERE for Volunteer opportunities or visit macktownlivinghistory.com . Sand Bluff Bird Observatory - Click HERE for volunteer opportunities or visit sandbluff.org .

The Forest Preserves of Winnebago County’s Ecological Restoration program works to create conditions that sustain and preserve native plant and animal communities in the county’s prairies, wetlands and woodlands. Ecological Restoration Ecological Restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed. Restoration focuses on establishing the composition, structure, and ecological processes necessary to make land and water ecosystems sustainable, resilient, and healthy under current and future conditions. The Forest Preserves of Winnebago County’s Ecological Restoration program works to create conditions that sustain and preserve native plant and animal communities in the county’s prairies, wetlands and woodlands. District staff remove invasive vegetation, propagate native plants, monitor wildlife and restore water quality to maintain the highest possible quality of habitat, thus protecting biological diversity. 2025 Land Restoration Manual Ecological Restoration Methods Habitat restoration replicates natural conditions that have been eliminated or reduced in the last century. The natural resource management tools that are used greatly depend upon the specific goals at each site. Prescribed fire is often used at a prairie to give native grasses the advantage over non-native, fire-intolerant species. Brush clearing may be used at woodland sites where highly invasive species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle dominate the understory. Prescribed Burning Before this land was settled, naturally occurring wildfires were a crucial element in maintaining the land’s health and beauty. These fires allowed for prairies, woods, and wetlands to prosper. Teams of specially trained staff administer controlled burns on hundreds of acres of forest preserve land each year. Signs are posted at the burn sites to notify visitors and neighbors of the burning project. Burned areas appear scorched and barren immediately following the burn, but lush green plants rapidly appear, and the area is teeming with diverse plant and animal life within weeks. 2024 Burn Letter Week 1 Week 4 Week 8 How Fire Aids in Restoration Reduces accumulated plant litter that blocks sunlight Recycles nutrients to enrich the soil Increases water storage capacity of the soil Enhances germination, flowering, and seed production of many native plants Controls the growth of woody vegetation Enhances the health, beauty of woods and prairies

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. Geocaching Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the Internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache. www.geocaching.com Geocache Rules & Regulations All placements of proposed caches will be evaluated by Forest Preserve District staff. The evaluation will include: Sensitivity of the area. Land classification (recreational, restoration, sanctuary, dedicated nature preserve, or land & water reserve). Potential impacts to habitats or rare, threatened, and endangered species. Current development or restoration efforts at preserve. Public safety concerns. Other issues related to the specific preserve. Nonregistered caches will be removed by District staff. All Geocaches to conform to existing preserve codes and regulations. Once approved for placement the Geocache must meet the following requirements. Violation of any of these requirements will necessitate immediate removal of Geocache by District personnel. 1. Permit number on each cache. 2. Location of caches must be given to office with coordinates and location placed on preserve maps in office. 3. Container must be made of clear (see through) material, with a size no greater than 4″x8″x12″. 4. Geocache must not contain any food items. 5. Geocache must not contain any inappropriate, offensive, or hazardous materials. 6. Geocache will not be attached or buried and no vegetation or natural features will be disturbed in any manner. 7. Geocache must be checked at least every 30 days. Proof of check will be by e-mail, letter, or personal communication by the geocache owner with the office. 8. There will be a limit of three (3) caches at each preserve. 9. All caches must be removed by end of year or renewed prior to beginning of the next calendar year. No geocaches or letterboxes in golf courses or Macktown Forest Preserve.

< Back Two Rivers 12251 Harrison Road, Durand, IL 61024 Two Rivers is one of the District’s smaller preserves and is used primarily for canoe access to the Pecatonica and Sugar Rivers. Other recreational opportunities include picnicking and fishing. Accessible from Harrison Road. Acres: 6.5 Access Road: Yes Restrooms: Yes Drinking Water: Yes Picnic Tables: Yes Shelterhouses: Small non-reservable shelter Playground Equipment: No Ball Fields: No Horseback Trails: No Hiking Trails(miles): 0.0 Campground Sites: No Boat Launch: 1 Canoe Launch: Yes 18 Hole Golf Course: No Illinois Nature Preserve: No Special Facilities: No Donated Land: No Natural Areas: No All reservations subject to the GENERAL USE ORDINANCE. Previous Next

The scenic beauty and outstanding wildlife within the forest preserves makes them extremely popular destinations for photographers. Nature photography is a great way to connect with and learn about our natural communities and the plants and animals they support. Commercial Photography and Videography Policy The scenic beauty and outstanding wildlife within the forest preserves makes them extremely popular destinations for photographers. Nature photography is a great way to connect with and learn about our natural communities and the plants and animals they support. We hope you will visit year round to enjoy and capture special moments. To protect the quality of the preserves and the visitors’ experiences, undertaking commercial photography and videography projects in the preserves requires a permit and compliance with the rules below . Photography Permit Personal Photography - Where photos captured in the forest preserves are for personal enjoyment and will not be copied, distributed, or offered for the purpose of payment. This does not require a permit. Commerical Photography - Where photos captured in the forest preserves are used for commercial or re-sale purposes. This type of photography might consist of; family portraits, student or school event pictures, wedding pictures, where a photographer is being compensated for their work or work is being offered for sale, which was performed on forest preserve property. This requires a permit. Photography Rules Photography must be conducted during normal preserve use hours. No photographer has exclusive rights to any preserve location. Be courteous to other preserve users. Do not block or obstruct roadways, bridges, parking lots, paths, trails, buildings, or structures in any ways that prevents normal use by people and vehicles. The use of temporary ground blinds is permissible as long as they are occupied and clearly marked with a permit copy affixed to the outside, viewable by staff and the public. No blinds may be left unattended. Do not disturb, move, or cut any plants, trees or bushes, regardless of whether they are living or dead. Do not disturb, chase or pursue wildlife. Any wildlife nesting season or caring for their young must be avoided. No baiting. Nothing in photograph should be recognizable as a Forest Preserve logo, sign, vehicle, structure, building, or employee without prior approval by Executive Director. Recognize that all other forest preserve rules and ordinances, State and Federal laws are in effect and apply at all times while conducting this activity in the forest preserves. All other requests may be considered by the Executive Director

We invite you to play the preserves and discover more choices and better value at three outstanding golf courses situated in the heart of northern Illinois, conveniently reached from southern Wisconsin and the greater Chicago area. Golf We invite you to play the preserves and discover more choices and better value at three outstanding golf courses situated in the heart of northern Illinois, conveniently reached from southern Wisconsin and the greater Chicago area. The Ledges, Macktown and Atwood Homestead offer three distinctive course designs in beautiful forest preserve settings. Golfers enjoy incredible beauty and a challenging game from April until the end of October. Relish the great outdoors while enjoying the fun of the game. Atwood Homestead Atwood Homestead’s player-friendly golf course opened in 1971 on land donated by Seth B. Atwood. The large stone family homestead has been remodeled and serves as the clubhouse and pro shop. The course was designed by Charles Maddox to present a variety of golf alternatives so that golfers may select the tees most appropriate for their ability. Tee times may be reserved online at playthepreserves.com/atwood Ledges Scenic and challenging 18-hole golf course. Built as a private course in 1966, this course was purchased by the District in 1978. Fairway bunkers and sand traps test your skill and accuracy. In addition, water hazards are featured on 10 holes. Area golfers are now enjoying this challenging course that often requires the use of every club in your bag. Tee times may be reserved online at playthepreserves.com/ledges Macktown Macktown Golf Courses’ mature trees and established conditions make it a popular course for all levels of golfers. This sporty course was built in the 1930s to present a variety of golf alternatives so that golfers may select the tees most appropriate for their ability. Enjoy lunch or a cool beverage in the charming historic clubhouse. Tee times may be reserved online at playthepreserves.com/macktown