DAY HIKES
Deer Grove West, April 2nd, 2024
April 2nd
2-hours
Free Hike
Difficulty rating
Miles
Approx 2.0.
Terrain
Most of the terrain is dirt paths with roots and rocks, so many places will be uneven and possibly muddy. There are some hills.
Come meet the new owner, greet new friends, and reminisce with your trail buddies. We will start in the Deer Grove West Pavilion for about 20 minutes to meet everyone and describe our hopes for the year. Then, we will take an hour and a half walk through the oldest forest preserve in Cook County, full of mature trees, native plants, woodpeckers, and migrating birds.
Washroom
Outside at the parking lot.
What to Bring
Water
Sunglasses/sunscreen (thinking positive here)
A hiking stick is helpful. I have loaners if desired
Emergency Medical Information form filled out, kept in your bag
Rainwear as needed
Sturdy hiking shoes/boots
Dress in layers for comfort
Sack lunch for an after-hike picnic
Lunch Optional
Bring a sack lunch. There are plenty of picnic tables within the pavilion for us to enjoy lunch together. 12:00-1:00.
Times
We meet by 9:50 am (fill out waivers if needed) and begin our “hellos” at 10:00 am and start hiking at 10:20.
Let’s Fully Savor the Outdoor Serenity
We ask you kindly to silence your phones and keep conversations positive.
Weather
We have fun in all kinds of weather, so we rarely postpone. If there is rain, we will cancel and reschedule for April 4th. A confirmation email of cancellation will be sent if you register online.
You Will Learn
We will learn about the history of this forest preserve and the different local woodpeckers.
What to expect
Deer Grove West is heavily wooded and has a ravine with a winding creek that makes you wonder if you are in Illinois. We will take a dirt trail following the creek for 1/2 our time, and then loop around the ravine to return to the pavilion. Optional after the hike will be walking down the steep hill to look for the spring arrival of the magnificent wood ducks.
Your hiking boots will most likely get muddy on this spring day.
During the hike, there will be a 15-minute section of the trail that is a silent walk, so that each person can more fully appreciate the sounds of nature.
Driving Directions
Address: Grove West #5
Deer Grove West is accessed off Quentin Road in Palatine. We are at the far end of the drive, toward the toboggan sledding hill. We will meet in the Pavilion at 9:50am
Cook County Forest Preserve
Phone: 800-870-3666
Web: fpdcc.com
Discussion Starter Question
For our first visit, we will take more time to introduce ourselves and hope everyone meets one new friend. Trail names are encouraged!
Guides
Tue-Thur: Kari
Fri-Sat: Karen, aka "Carin"
Cancellations
If you desire to cancel your day hike, you can reschedule for a different hike within seven days:
Please email hello@trailboundtrip.com, and state your name, and desired new hike day.
You will receive confirmation for this new day hike if there is room on the trip.
Refunds
Refunds are given when Trailbound Trips cancels a hike. Trailbound Trips will cancel and refund a hike for two reasons:
There needs to be a minimum of three people. You will be notified 24 hours in advance if this is the case.
The weather is dangerous, ie. lightning or a major storm. You will be notified before 8 a.m. on the day of the hike.