Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve - Wadsworth, IL

Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve is a beautiful nature preserve located at Address: Route West Route 173, Wadsworth, IL 60083. This tourist attraction is well-known for its wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot, making it an ideal destination for all visitors.

The preserve offers a variety of attractions and activities for visitors to enjoy. Guests can take a hike through the lush forest, relax at one of the many picnic tables, or cook up a meal using the barbecue grill provided. For those traveling with young children, there is a playground equipped with slides and swings, ensuring a fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family. Dogs are also welcome at Van Patten Woods, as long as they remain on a leash.

In addition to its natural beauty and outdoor activities, Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve also provides public restrooms for visitor convenience. This attention to detail helps maintain a clean and comfortable environment for all who visit.

With an impressive 4.7/5 average rating based on 927 reviews on Google My Business, it's clear that Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve is a highly-regarded destination. This positive feedback speaks volumes about the quality of the preserve and its commitment to providing an unforgettable experience for every visitor.

For more information or to plan your visit, be sure to check out their website at lcfpd.org. You can also contact them directly by phone at 73676640.

👍 Reviews of Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve

William G.

4/5

It’s a special place. I have videos on my iphone of Canadian Geese flying in v formations overhead at a truly breathtaking angle that I cherish and watch all the time, The majesty of field sized v formations of geese overhead while beavers swim from their dams is a moment I’ve experienced. Sterling lake is so clean you can observe natural aquatic plant life sprinkled with the brilliant pan fish of North America. You can hike along the floodplains and as the seasons change watch a beautiful metamorphosis. Also its a big equestrian location which means large wide trails that are easy to walk and talk with groups of people no problem, it is very accommodating for everyone. My only wish is it had some natural footpaths with roots and boulders for those craving a more robust hiking experience, it is trully some gorgeous land that as a flood plain, fowl sanctuary and fishers delight overall really nice. There is a leash law so you do need to keep dogs leashed supposedly.

Rebecca K. C. S. A. H. (. S. A. H.

5/5

Beautiful, heavenly place to appreciate nature and walk your dogs. There are also people riding horses from time to time.

Robert C.

5/5

Stopped in to do a little fishing. It is an all-electric motor lake. Good muskie population. Good panfish population all around. Great experience. If you want to see wildlife we saw a great variety of birds and other local wildlife all around. This is a beautiful Park.

Carrie D.

5/5

It's a nice place to walk, lots of trails. It's big so you don't feel on top of one another. It's clean and well maintained. There are tables and grills for eating out if that's your jam!!

Tykeshia

4/5

Easy hike. We did the yellow trail. Kid friendly, has a playground and restrooms are available. The trail had some cool wood chairs around the trail.

Chris L.

5/5

Wonderful lake at this park for kayaking, paddle boarding, and other water crafts. They have a 2 lane boat launch that can be a bit congested on some weekends and around summer holidays. The lake itself is clean and large enough to not be bumping into others out of the water. They stock the lake for Musky and Walleye but they are few and far between for real big catches. It is a great lake to take kids to fish as it has multiple docks to fish off and plenty of mowed grass shoreline to fish from.

Bill R.

5/5

Surprisingly empty on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon. Trails are very maintained. Absolutely beautiful walking around the lake. I didn't fish or kayak, but there's lots of places to do both. There are bathrooms on site as well, and tons of parking. Highly recommended!

Susannah B.

5/5

Great forest preserve, outside of the river trail and bike trail I have not explored much. The Russel road canoe launch is a great place to put in to explore the beautiful des plaines river water trail. The bike trail makes it an easy place for a day trip. Lots of open grasslands and forests.