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Volo Bog State Natural Area
Just 56 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, Volo Bog State Natural Area is home to something you won’t find anywhere else in Illinois, an open water quaking bog. It’s also the only Illinois bog with a floating boardwalk, and the furthest south open water quaking bog in North America to have all stages of bog succession. Volo Bog is a perfect spot for family adventures, field trips, and nature walks as the floating boardwalk takes visitors through all the vegetational stages from a marsh moat on the outer periphery, to the open-water eye of Volo Bog. Plan your visit today, you won’t want to miss this natural gem.
Sport fishing opportunities are available at Gridley Lake (25 acres, opened 1998), Prairie Lake (210 acres, opened 2002), and Drake Lake (35 acres, opened in 2003). Several ponds within the site also have been renovated. Stream fishes include largemouth bass, bluegill, and green sunfish, along with shiners, chubs, and minnows, with muskie stocked in Prairie Lake. Northern pike have been added to Gridley Lake, which is also stocked for spring and fall trout fishing seasons.
The site has 24 miles of mountain bike trails, a three-mile hiking/jogging trail, 26 miles of equestrian trails, and extensive camping opportunities, including the Prairie Lake campground with 84 campsites and nine cabins available, along with a dedicated equestrian campground with 51 electric campsites.
