West Skokie Nature Preserve

Known commonly as McIlvaine Meadow, Open Lands acquired this 30-acre preserve in the late 1980s through both purchase and donation. Now, the entire preserve has been restored to prairie and wetlands. Once the buckthorn was removed from the savanna areas, a rich array of native grasses and flowers that had been suppressed rebounded vigorously. Today these savannas are one of the few places in Lake Forest where wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) can be found, along with an abundance of white trillium.

On the southern end of the preserve you will discover a beautiful secluded wetland with a boardwalk and teaching platform. The middle fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River (sometimes called the West Skokie) forms the western boundary of the preserve.

Trail access and parking are located on the south side of Westleigh Road, 1/4 mile east of Waukegan Road.