An ideal day for the Rockford Fringe involves hiking. Whether we’re hiking for a quick mile or spending all day in the woods, hiking makes us happy, especially in the winter.
Northern Illinois is beautiful every day of the year but winter is our favorite season. The bare trees, coursing creeks and snow-kissed woods give us the chance to stretch our legs and open our minds.
Here are some of the parks we enjoy. Join us!
Aldeen Park / Rockford University. If you want to get two quick and rugged miles in, Aldeen has a terrific trail system. You’ll cross a creek and climb some steep hills. You’ll see a dam, a meadow and bluffs. In the warm weather months, the park hosts an abundance of mushrooms and wildlife. Coyotes, deer and owls peacefully coexist in this city park that is less than a 10-minute drive from downtown Rockford. Leashed dogs are welcome but there are no public restrooms. Though there is a nature center with indoor bathrooms at Aldeen, it is rarely open. For this reason alone, we only do short hikes here.
Aldeen is a terrific city park that also connects with Rockford University. We enjoy hiking through the peaceful campus in all seasons, so if winter isn’t your jam, be sure to check out the wheelchair-friendly campus!
Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. The trails take you through prairies and woods and right down to the Kishwaukee River. There is an abundance of biodiversity and the “springs” are always a verdant delight, no matter what season it is. It’s easy to get a quick three miles at Blackhawk but you can track several more if you have the time. This forest preserve connects with other preserves and offers paved paths as well as rugged terrain. Blackhawk is a 20-minute drive from downtown Rockford. Best for hiking, trail running, cycling, rollerblading, wheelchairs. Leashed dogs are welcome, there is plenty of free parking and there are a a few public outhouses throughout the preserves.
Cedar Cliff Forest Preserve. Located near the Chicago-Rockford Airport, this preserve offers a lovely prairie, a mostly hardwood forest (there are a few white pine trees) and views of the Rock River. You’re likely to encounter deer, a barred owl or two, and bald eagles on this hike. In the spring, you’ll see snails, wildflowers and at least a dozen species of mushrooms! This woods portion is a loop and the prairie section is an out-and-back. All in all, it’s less than 2.5 miles long. Be very careful when approaching the cliffs. The drop-off is very steep!
The Rockford Fringe likes to get at least three miles in so after we hike at Cedar Cliff, we drive a couple minutes down the road to Indian Hills Forest Preserve and hike for another mile or so. Cedar Cliff is a 15-minute drive from downtown Rockford. Great for hiking, running. No paved paths. Leashed dogs are welcome and there is one outhouse at the trailhead.
Fuller Forest Preserve. Peaceful preserve that offers a unique loop around a bird sanctuary, sumac, lodgepole trees and prairie. Leashed dogs are allowed and there is one public restroom in the center of the park.
Funderburg Forest Preserve. This is our favorite preserve because there are several hiking options. No paved paths — just rugged trails. Leashed dogs are allowed and there is one public outhouse at the trailhead. You can cover a lot of miles here, but don’t go too fast because the trails have lots of roots and windfall from walnut, oak and hickory trees. If you’re not careful, you can twist your ankle and nobody wants that.
Funderburg is lovely in all seasons, but winter is our favorite time to slow down and have fun in the woods.
Howard Colman Hall Creek. Lots of hills, a variety of creek crossings (some wet) and lovely, expansive views. You can get a quick mile in or hike for four or five more if you have the time because it has farm and prairie loops. This preserve also connects with Funderburg (allows dogs) and Severson (doesn’t allow dogs). Howard Colman’s dog policy isn’t clear so we recommend not bringing Fido, especially if you venture into Severson Dells. Howard Colman has one outhouse at the trail head.
Indian Hills Forest Preserve. Its beautiful, fragrant trails inspire us to get another mile-plus in after we’ve hiked at Cedar Cliff (see above). Like Cedar Cliff, it’s only a 15-minute drive from downtown. Leashed dogs are welcome and there is a public restroom at the trailhead.
Rock Cut State Park. Located in Loves Park, Illinois. This park features a beautiful forest, lovely lakes, camping and delightful trails. In the summer, we like to rent a pedal boat or a kayak and hit the water in the early morning when it is quiet and misty. But in the spring, winter and fall, we love to hike all over the park.
Whether you want a quick 30-minute hike, an all-day affair or something in between, we have it right here in the Land of Lincoln. If you would like to join us, find our schedule on the Events page of rockfordfringe.org.
Thank you for reading (and hiking!) -Connie
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