Nachusa Grasslands Hours of Operation

The Nachusa Grasslands Preserve is open every day from dawn to dusk, 7 days a week. Visitors may hike anywhere, except inside the fenced North and South Bison Units.

When is the preserve closed?
During Controlled Burns. In late fall and early spring, portions of the preserve will be closed for controlled burns. 

During Hunting Season. Please note that certain woodlands are closed during shotgun hunting season for deer.

Shotgun hunting season runs the Friday through Sunday before Thanksgiving and the first full Thursday through Sunday in December.

Downloadable Trailhead Map (very large file)

Where to Park and Enter

Nachusa Grasslands Visitor Center
2075 Lowden Road, Franklin Grove IL
​Open dawn to dusk 7 days a week
NO DOGS or OTHER PETS ALLOWED

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• When you arrive at the Visitor Center, park in the diagonal spaces and climb the low hill to the pavilion featuring exhibits that tell the story of Nachusa.
  
• There is also an unpaved overflow lot north of the Visitor Center, west of Lowden Road.
• From the pavilion, you can hike around the Center or drive to one of five marked trailheads and explore on- or off-trail.

Additional parking lots can be found in the following locations:

• ​Meiner's Wetland — Located on Naylor Road, 2.4 miles southwest of the visitor center.
• Clear Creek Knolls — 1.4 miles north of the visitor center, on Lowden Road.
• Big Jump — 2.6 miles north of the visitor center, on Lowden Road.

Pull–off parking:

• Stone Barn Savanna — At the dead–end of Stone Barn Road, 2 miles northwest of the visitor center.
• Carpenter Prairie — On Carthage Road, 2.4 miles northeast of the visitor center.

Park in designated lots if present, or pull completely off the roads. Please do not block the gates. Enter the trails through the designated fence openings. No climbing over any fences or entering the bison units.

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UPDATED 06/2024

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