Our Sites
The Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards care for a total of ______acres across multiple sites. All sites are within the Arthur L. Janura Preserve which is part of the Forest Preserve of Cook County. The preserves feature a wide variety of ecosystems including woodland, tallgrass prairie, and transitional edge habitats. All sites are stewarded in partnership with the Forest Preserve Department of Cook County.
These public lands are open year-round for walking, birdwatching, and exploration. Below you’ll find an overview of the major restoration sites, along with trail and map information to help you plan your visit.
Plan Your Visit
All sites are open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Carl R Hansen Woods
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Carl R. Hansen Woods is a scenic and ecologically rich natural area that is part of the Poplar Creek Trail System in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. This forested preserve encompasses a large expanse of restored woodland, tallgrass prairie, and transitional edge habitats that offer a peaceful setting for nature walks, birdwatching, and quiet exploration. Originally part of an agricultural landscape, much of the site now reflects decades of restoration work by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and volunteer partners like the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards. Volunteers have helped clear invasive plants, reestablish native vegetation, and nurture a mosaic of ecosystems that now support a diversity of plants and animals.
Visitors to Carl R. Hansen Woods can enjoy miles of forest trails shaded by mature oak and hickory trees, open areas where prairie grasses and wildflowers flourish in season, and glimpses of woodland birds and other wildlife. The site lies just south of Shoe Factory Road — one of the original remnants of native prairie that was central to early restoration efforts — and connects to a broader network of preserves and paths within the forest preserve system. Its combination of forest and prairie settings makes it a rewarding destination for people seeking both peaceful nature experiences and a closer look at ecological restoration in action.
Best for: Shaded forest trails, oak–hickory woodland walks, spring ephemerals, fall color, and birdwatching in a peaceful, wooded setting.
Schaumburg Road Grasslands
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Schaumburg Road Grasslands is one of the largest and most dynamic prairie restoration areas within the Arthur L. Janura Forest Preserve in Hoffman Estates. Once dominated by agricultural fields and non-native vegetation, the site has been steadily transformed through decades of volunteer-driven restoration led by Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards in partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Today, sweeping tallgrass prairie stretches across the landscape, anchored by native grasses such as big bluestem and Indian grass and punctuated by seasonal wildflowers that change dramatically from spring through fall.
Visitors experience open skies, expansive views, and a strong sense of prairie scale that contrasts beautifully with nearby woodlands. Restoration work here includes invasive species removal, prescribed burning, seed collection and planting, and ongoing habitat management to increase biodiversity. The result is a thriving grassland ecosystem that supports pollinators, grassland birds, and a wide diversity of native plant life.
Best for: Expansive prairie views, summer wildflower displays, grassland birds, big skies, and experiencing the scale of tallgrass prairie restoration.
Shoe Factory Road Nature Preserve
Trail Map | Google Maps | Apple Maps
Shoe Factory Road Nature Preserve is one of the ecological gems within the Carl R. Hansen Woods in Hoffman Estates. This approximately 9-acre Illinois Nature Preserve protects one of the last high-quality remnants of native tallgrass prairie in the Poplar Creek area. When restoration began in 1989, this small prairie remnant — along with nearby oak-hickory woodland — was among the only surviving native habitat in the region. Its protection became the foundation for the broader restoration movement that followed.
Today, Shoe Factory Road showcases an exceptional diversity of native prairie plants, including conservative species rarely found outside protected preserves. Seasonal wildflowers create waves of color from spring through fall, supporting pollinators and grassland birds. Ongoing stewardship — including invasive species removal, prescribed fire, and careful seed collection — helps maintain the ecological integrity of this remnant landscape. For visitors, it offers a chance to experience what northeastern Illinois prairie looked like before settlement: intimate in scale, rich in biodiversity, and quietly powerful.
Best for: Seeing one of the last high-quality prairie remnants in the region, rare native plants, intimate prairie landscapes, and a glimpse of what northeastern Illinois looked like before settlement.
Poplar Creek Land and Water Reserve
The Poplar Creek Land and Water Reserve encompasses 572 acres of restored prairie and woodland within the Carl R. Hansen Woods in Hoffman Estates. Designated in 2023 as an Illinois Land and Water Reserve — one of the state’s highest conservation recognitions — this landscape reflects more than three decades of dedicated restoration work by the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards in partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. What was once heavily altered by agriculture and invasive species has been carefully restored into a thriving mosaic of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and woodland habitats.
Today, the Reserve supports hundreds of native plant species and more than 200 bird species, making it one of the most ecologically significant restoration areas in northwest Cook County. Ongoing stewardship includes prescribed fire, seed collection and planting, brush removal, and habitat monitoring to protect and expand biodiversity. For visitors, the Poplar Creek Land and Water Reserve offers expansive prairie views, seasonal wildflower displays, and the opportunity to experience one of Illinois’ most successful volunteer-driven restoration efforts firsthand.
Best for: Experiencing one of Illinois’ most significant volunteer-driven restorations, diverse prairie and woodland habitats in one landscape, seasonal color, and spotting wildlife across a large, connected preserve.
Inspired? Join us at an upcoming workday and take part in the restoration efforts or make a donation.
Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards 