Herrick Lake Forest Preserve
Location
The main entrance is located on Butterfield Road (Route 56), approximately one mile west of Naperville Road. The south parking lot is located on Herrick Road, one-quarter mile south of Butterfield Road on the east side of the street. The youth cabin is located one-eighth mile south of Butterfield Road on the east side of the street.
Preserve Maps
- Herrick Lake Forest Preserve map (193 KB PDF)
- Herrick Lake Youth-Group Cabin (169 KB PDF)
- Herrick Lake Trail map (197 KB PDF)
Preserve History
When settlers from the eastern United States reached the frontier that is now DuPage County, they were greeted with miles of open prairie with scattered groves of oaks, gently sloping hills and lazily winding rivers. In 1833, Ira Herrick moved near a small settlement named Wheaton and built his home site in a densely wooded area that surrounded a small marshy lake. The former Herrick homestead niche is part of what is now Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Stately 150-year-old white oaks stand in the mature upland woods, mute witnesses to the changes that have occurred around them during a century and a half of farming and grazing. Old fence rows, woodlot edges and acres of rolling grassland remain as evidence of the settlers' impact on the land. Traces of even earlier times are found along the northern and southern borders of the preserve. There, old Potawatomi Indian trails provided the original routes for present-day Butterfield and Warrenville roads.
In 1925, 90 acres around the natural pond called Herrick Lake were purchased by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Scattered parcels acquired from the mid-1950s through the 1970s completed the preserve, making it its present size of 1480 acres, including a 19-acre lake.
Natural History
Herrick Lake Forest Preserve offers much more than just a place for recreation. Thirteen fish species, six amphibian, five reptile, 19 mammal and 108 bird species have been spotted here. More than 300 native plant species thrive in the environment of this preserve.
The meadows of European grasses may stand as a testimony to years under the plow, but they, too, provide a habitat for many wild animals. Roaming the fields are white-tailed deer and red fox; dickcissels, savanna sparrows, bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks nest among the fescue grasses.
Slowly emerging on the fields are young forests of American elm with smaller maples, oaks, lindens and hickories in the understory. Viburnums, dogwoods, roses and blackberries are common in these immature upland woods. Many birds inhabit this ecosystem including black-crowned night herons, eastern wood peewees and American woodcocks.
Black ash and buttonbush make up the wetland woods community along the preserve's pothole marshes and streams. Raccoons, woodchucks, northern orioles, wood thrush, and various frogs and toads dwell in this habitat. Carpeting the forest floor in splashes of color are swamp buttercup and wild iris.
A large marsh of cattails and reeds is located in the middle of the preserve, where eastern tiger salamanders, northern leopard frogs, pied-billed grebes, blue-winged teals, yellow-headed blackbirds, minks and muskrats live. The beauty of the marsh's shoreline and reflective pools provides a feeling of serenity for the occasional passerby.
Outdoor Recreation
Trails
Whether by foot, bicycle, ski or horseback, you can explore Herrick Lake via several multipurpose trails that feature benches and numbered trail markers to guide you along the way. A path around the lake connects both parking lots to the picnic grounds and the trailhead, and additional trails cut through the central and southern parts of the preserve. In the winter, trails are groomed for classical and skate-style cross-country skiing when conditions permit.
Horseback Riding
Riders are welcome to enjoy the trails at Herrick Lake. On the trail, riders should restrain their horses when riding through woods or around sharp corners to avoid colliding with less-visible hikers. Riding in developed picnic areas and in the youth-group cabin area is prohibited, as is riding on the trail directly around the lake. Please use the south lot for parking horse trailers.
Picnicking
Herrick Lake has long been a favorite DuPage County picnicking spot. Visitors are welcome to choose sites anywhere in the grassy open areas around the lake for a family picnic or informal field games.
Two shelters and two picnic areas can be reserved for special group or family events. Ground fires are not allowed, but visitors are welcome to bring their own grills and use the hot-coal disposal containers on site. Permits for reservable areas are available through District headquarters and must be made at least three business days in advance. For permit and other information, call Visitor Services at (630) 933-7248.
Fishing
Herrick Lake has been part of the District's fisheries management program for more than 30 years. Due to the District's efforts, hundreds of largemouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, crappie, and sunfish provide sport for county anglers. Periodic stocking of catchable-sized sport fish supplements the natural fishery. Fishing can be done from the shore or from rental boats.
Ice fishing is permitted at Herrick Lake. However, ice conditions are not monitored by rangers, so all ice-related activities are done at the user's own risk. As a guideline, not a guarantee, at least four inches of ice are recommended for any ice activity.
All persons age 16 and older (except legally disabled persons) are required to have in their possession a valid Illinois sport fishing license. All anglers must follow District and state regulations.
Boat Rentals
Canoes, kayaks and rowboats are available for rental at Herrick Lake on an hourly or daily basis. The rental area operates on weekends from mid-May through the end of September and daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. A wheelchair-accessible dock is located on the eastern shore of the lake. Vending machines are available at this area as well. Private boating is not allowed at Herrick Lake.
Personal flotation devices are provided for all boaters; federal and state regulations require that watercraft contain one well-fitting PFD for each member on board and that children under 13 wear PFDs when underway in recreational vessels. In addition, all individuals, regardless of age, must wear PFDs when underway in District-rented canoes and kayaks.
Boat Rental Hours
- Mid-May - Memorial Day: Weekends Only 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Memorial Day - Labor Day: Weekdays 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Holidays & Weekends: 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Labor Day - End of September: Weekends Only 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Youth-Group Cabin
Herrick Lake offers a youth-group cabin with a capacity of 26. Open year-round, the cabin is set aside for use by youth groups, which are defined as recognized, nonprofit organizations. Only members of these groups, with their accompanying leaders, may use the cabin. Permits and adult supervision of one leader over 21 years of age for every 10 children are mandatory for cabin use. For further information and permits, see the permits and fees page, or call Visitor Services at (630) 933-7248.
Urban Benefits
In addition to its natural beauty and recreational opportunities, the landscape of Herrick Lake provides other benefits to area residents in the form of flood control and greenway formation.
The Forest Preserve District cooperated with the corporate community and local governments to complete the Hesterman Drain Project. The main length of the underground drainage system helps control flooding in local neighborhoods, and a shorter section of the system allows overflow from the marsh at Herrick Lake to enter a retention pond on the commercial property. The 19-acre lake also helps by collecting rainwater from the surrounding watershed.
An important link in the greenway of open space across the center of the county, Herrick Lake is bordered by Danada Forest Preserve on the east and is near Blackwell Forest Preserve on the west. Forest Preserve District commissioners adopted the idea of creating continuous bands of green space throughout the county in 1929. Greenways increase the benefits of forest preserve land by providing travel corridors for wildlife and by separating communities to prevent urban sprawl. They also provide sites for regional trails like the section connecting Herrick Lake to Danada and Blackwell forest preserves.
Accessibility
Herrick Lake is one of DuPage County's most accessible preserves for visitors with special needs. People who like to wander will find the limestone trails of flat terrain well-suited for wheelchairs and strollers. Boaters, canoeists and kayakers will enjoy the easily accessed boat dock. Modernized restrooms are near the wheelchair-accessible east shelter and rental area. Other accessibility improvements have been made to the youth-group cabin, parking lots and latrines.
For special accessibility needs or concerns, please contact the District's ADA coordinator at (630) 933-7683 or TTY (800) 526-0857 at least three business days in advance of your visit.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857