Illinois · Hiking

Prairie Creek Woods Trail

Prairie Creek Woods TrailPhoto: Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.2 mi
round trip
66 ft
climb
547 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Oct
best months

Is Prairie Creek Woods Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. It doesn't name Prairie Creek Woods Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Prairie Creek Woods Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike of about 1.2 miles on the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is nearly flat, with a high point of 547 feet and a low of 533 feet, and the steepest stretch comes early on, at about 0.16 miles in, with a grade of about 2 percent. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 72°F and September highs around 77°F, with July the warmest month at about 85°F. Blodgett Marsh Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and Route 53 Trail, Group 63 Trail and Henslow Trail are all within about 3.4 miles.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Prairie Creek Woods Trail

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      32° / 17°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    2. Feb

      37° / 20°

      10 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      48° / 30°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    4. Apr

      61° / 40°

      11 wet

    5. May

      72° / 51°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      81° / 60°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 65°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 63°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      77° / 56°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 44°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 33°

      10 wet · 1 snow

    12. Dec

      37° / 23°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Channahon Dresden Isl Dam, IL, 6.6 mi away at 505 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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