Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

The 30-mile trail network is split between hiker-only routes and multi-use trails open to bicyclists and equestrians. The most popular short walk is the Prairie Creek Woods Trailhead loop, roughly two miles of mowed grass and crushed limestone path that passes a small woodland, a creek crossing and an interpretive sign explaining the arsenal's wartime history. For families with young children, the Welcome Center has a quarter-mile paved loop with benches and bird feeders that works in any weather.

Serious hikers head for the Iron Bridge Trailhead, a 9.5-mile circuit that includes the Twin Oaks observation deck overlooking one of the bison pastures. Be prepared for full sun and limited shade on prairie sections, especially in July and August when grasses can reach over your head. Pack at least a liter of water per hour of walking, sunscreen, and bug spray; ticks and chiggers are active from May through October. Trail surface is mostly grass with some gravel, and most loops are passable in road-tire bicycles.

Cell phone coverage is spotty in remote sections, so download the PDF trail map ahead of time from the U.S. Forest Service website. Trails are open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for those who want to catch sunrise prairie light, but the Welcome Center hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rangers regularly lead guided wildflower walks and bison viewing programs during the warm season; the schedule is posted online and slots fill quickly during peak Route 66 travel weekends.

The bison reintroduction at Midewin began in October 2015 with the arrival of 27 animals from Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The herd is closely managed as part of a Forest Service research project investigating how grazing affects prairie biodiversity, and the population now hovers near a hundred animals depending on the time of year and calving cycles. You will not see them up close, but well-placed observation decks and binocular-friendly viewing platforms make sightings reliable, especially in the cooler months when the herd is more active in the open.

Beyond bison, Midewin supports more than 100 species of breeding birds, including grassland specialists like Henslow's Sparrow, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and the occasional Northern Harrier. Coyotes, white-tailed deer, badgers and bobcats are also present though typically only glimpsed at dawn or dusk. The seasonal wildflower bloom transforms the prairie three or four times a year, with prairie phlox in May, compass plant and rattlesnake master in midsummer, and the dramatic gold-and-purple of goldenrod and aster in September.

Photographers should bring a long lens for wildlife and a wide-angle for sweeping landscapes. The combination of prairie horizon, old ammunition bunkers and grazing bison is rare anywhere in North America, and the late afternoon light during fall migration is especially good for both birds and grasses. Drones and off-trail walking are not permitted, so plan your composition from the trail or designated viewing platforms.

From 1940 to 1976 the land that is now Midewin operated as the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, producing TNT, ammonium nitrate, and a variety of shells and explosives for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. At peak production during the Second World War the site employed more than 10,000 workers, many of them women, in two enormous manufacturing complexes that stretched across more than 23,000 acres. Concrete bunkers, rail lines, blast walls and a few crumbling office buildings remain visible from the trails today.

When the arsenal was closed by the Department of Defense, the land was transferred in stages to the U.S. Forest Service, the Veterans Affairs Department, and a number of local entities. The Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995 set aside 19,000 acres for ecological restoration, paving the way for the establishment of the National Tallgrass Prairie a year later. Restoration involved removing unexploded ordnance, demolishing contaminated structures, replanting native seed harvested from nearby remnant prairies, and reintroducing controlled fire as a management tool.

The blend of natural and military history is one of the most unusual aspects of a visit. Interpretive signs scattered along the trails explain how specific bunkers were used, where TNT was packed, and how the prairie ecosystem responded once the disturbance ended. It is a working laboratory for ecological recovery, and a quiet reminder that even heavily damaged land can come back with patience, planning and time.