Healthy Driven

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #1

HYOH: Hike Your Own Hike

Have you heard of the term “Hike Your Own Hike,” or HYOH? It means that every hiker is unique and should find their own hiking style that suits them. Some people's main goal is to push themselves to complete a hike as quickly as possible, while others like to take their time, stop to take photos, and take in the nature around them. From a light stroll on a flat trail to a more challenging terrain, almost anyone can find a hike that suits their preferences.

Kick off the first week of the Take a Hike! Challenge by HYOH! If you’re going in a group, come up with some ground rules to help set expectations with your fellow hikers ahead of time. Before you hit the trail, here are some tips to get you started:

• Consult with your doctor to make sure you’re healthy enough for hiking. 
• Check the local weather forecast to determine the best day and time of day to hike. Dress appropriately for the conditions, including lightweight, moisture-wicking clothes and comfortable shoes.
• Pick the right trail for your fitness level (and your hiking companions) and familiarize yourself with the trail on the map beforehand. 
• Bring a small backpack or bag so you can carry essentials like a first aid kit, map, a battery pack for your phone, plenty of water (more than you need), sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, and nourishing snacks.
• If you’re hiking solo, let others know where you’ll be hiking and when you expect to return.
• You may want to bring a camera, journal, or sketchbook to chronicle your hike.
• While hiking, make sure to stay to the right of the trail especially when hiking in groups, keep dogs on leashes, pack out whatever you pack in, and use provided garbage and recycling containers.

Want more helpful hiking tips? Check out 8 tips for a successful hike from Edward-Elmhurst Health and How to avoid ticks on your hike from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.  

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #2

Week #2: Delightful Hikes – Closer Than You Think!

For this week of the Take a Hike! Challenge, it’s time to focus on what’s right in front of you! You don’t have to travel to the mountains of Colorado or even the bluffs of Starved Rock to enjoy a beautiful and fulfilling hike. We are lucky to have so many parks, forest preserves, and green spaces to explore. 

Celebrate living in the “Prairie State” by going for a stroll through the 35-acre restored prairie at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton or the Schulenberg Prairie at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, one of the nation’s oldest and most successful prairie restorations.

Have you heard of an oak savanna? An oak savanna is a lightly forested grassland where oaks are scattered throughout the landscape. It was once one of the most common vegetation types in the Midwest but is today highly endangered. Check out our local oak savannas at the Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale and the Mayslake Forest Preserve in Oak Brook. 

With so many wonderful local wonders to explore, make a plan to head out on one of incredible trails located throughout the Chicagoland area this weekend! Explore our interactive map below to find your next hike.

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #3

Week #3: Connect With Nature: Forest Therapy

Feeling anxious? Finding it hard to focus? Or just need an energy boost? Get outside and take in the benefits of nature!

Elevate Your Hike this week by connecting with nature through forest therapy. Inspired by the Japanese practice of “forest bathing,” forest therapy is an outdoor healing practice that encourages you to experience the pleasures of nature through all your senses.

Nature has a calming effect. Research suggests that spending time in nature can help lower stress, reduce blood pressure, improve concentration and memory, lift your mood, and boost your immune system, among a number of other benefits.

For this week’s hike, try to let go of the thoughts in your head, breathe in the fresh air and focus on the sights, smells and sounds around you.

Learn more about forest therapy and how you can find a forest therapy guide through The Conservation Foundation. Or listen to a Naperville Park District’s podcast about the benefits of Nature Therapy.

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #4

Week #4: Time to Pump it Up! Dynamic Hike

This week is your chance to add a little extra energy to your hike. Hiking already works your entire body so Elevate Your Hike with a good workout!

Take time to stretch your muscles so they are warmed up before you jump in. Always listen to your body, move gradually and gently, and breathe deeply. Once you’re feeling warmed up and loose, turn your hike into an outdoor workout. If hiking with family or friends, you could even create a mini fitness challenge!

Every 10-15 minutes, take a break from hiking and complete one of these exercises (or make up your own to suit your fitness level):

• 25 arm circles
• 20 jumping jacks
• 20 toe touches
• 20 squats
• 30 alternating lunges
• 30 controlled punches
• 20 high knees

Need more motivation? Read this blog: Get outside to meet your movement goal

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #5

Week #5: Celebrate OAKtober!

Did you know that this month has officially been deemed OAKtober in Illinois? Oak trees are historically significant in the Chicagoland area and play an important role in our state’s ecosystems. These trees clean our air and water, reduce ambient air temperature, and support over 2,300 species including over 800 different caterpillar species! (Watch this video to learn more about OAKtober.) If you see a majestic oak while on one of your hikes this month, make sure to give it a hug, a high five, or even just a nod to show how much we appreciate all oaks do for us.

This week, Elevate Your Hike by playing some fun games with your fellow hikers:

• Celebrate OAKtober by going on a quest to find the different types of oaks that can be found in our region! Use the Know Your Oaks! Guide from the Conservation Foundation to help identify which oak is which.
• You could also play ID that tree! Bring binoculars and use this Common Trees of the Chicago Region Guide to help you identify the trees you see on your hike. Keep a checklist of the species you find. Apps like iNaturalist use image recognition technology to identify the plants/animals you spot.
• Check out this Field Museum Prairies and Savannas Guide from the Chicago Park District to help you identify species of flowers, grasses, bird and butterflies.
• Grab the kids and go on a Wildflower Walk or try this Hiking Scavenger Hunt. Mark down what you see and hear along your hike, such as birds, butterflies, leaves, acorns, etc. You can search for items as a team or make it a contest to see who can find the most.

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #6

Week #6: Go Back in Time: Trail History

Ever wonder how our beautiful trails and parks came to be? This week, Elevate Your Hike by going back in time to learn the history of your favorite trails.

Check out this DuPage County Trail History document from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for more information about the history of your local trails. Here are some examples:

The Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve in Winfield is named after burial mounds of prehistoric Native Americans who lived along the West Branch DuPage River. The three dome-shaped mounds are set in a triangular pattern and are the only documented prehistoric burial site in DuPage. The mounds lie west of the river along the edge of a mature oak-hickory forest. Vandals in the 1920s and subsequent scientific digs by the University of Chicago and Wheaton College likely removed all artifacts from the site.

In the 1930s, McDowell Grove was a camp for the Civilian Conservation Corps — a work-relief program that was part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation designed to combat Depression-era unemployment while conserving the nation’s natural resources. Workers constructed picnic areas, a plank bridge across the river, a boathouse, bridle path and a limestone dam on the West Branch DuPage River. During World War II, the site served as a secret installation for developing radar technology. The camp eventually served as a training site for Office of Strategic Services (the precursor of the CIA) until 1944, and in 1946 the buildings were sold.

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #7

Week #7: Fuel For Adventure

This week is all about fueling your body with healthy foods for your hike. Pack snacks to keep you nourished and energized. Check out some of our favorite hiking snacks for quick, nutritious, easy and non-perishable snack ideas:

• Nutbutter and jelly or honey sandwiches
• Fresh fruit – apples, bananas, tangerines (make sure to pack out the peels!)
• Dried fruit – mangos, apples, apricots
• Granola or granola bars
• Energy or protein bars
• Beef jerky

Even better, create your own trail mix with this Healthy, Happy Trail Mix Builder.

And, of course, hydrate! Hydration is crucial before, during and after your hike. As you exercise, your body works harder and uses the fluids you take in at a higher rate. Aim for about a half liter of water per hour of moderate activity in moderate temperatures. Take frequent water breaks throughout your hike.

Now you’re all set to fuel your body for adventure! Grab a light blanket and pack a picnic for your hike. Don’t forget to bring a spare trash bag to clean up when you’re done.

For more tips, read this blog: Food as fuel before, during and after a workout

Take a Hike! Elevate Your Hike: Week #8

Week #8: Take In The Beautiful Fall Colors!

It’s the final week of the Take a Hike! Challenge and your last chance to get in your final hikes!

As we all know, our falls can be fleeting here in the Midwest. Make the most of the seasonal splendor by taking a fall color hike and take time to appreciate the variety of colors around you. Collect a few leaves to make a collage to display in your home. Pause and take a photo to help remember the beauty of the season.

Curious about colors? Learn more about the timing and variations of our fall foliage on Naperville Park District’s Fall Colors podcast.

Make sure to look up occasionally on your hikes to catch a glimpse of the wide range of migrating birds flying through our area. Check out The Conservation Foundation’s fall migrating birds webinar to learn more.

Featured trails: Week #1

Eldridge Park – Elmhurst
Home to two playgrounds and the Eldridge Lagoon, Eldridge Park is an excellent place to spend time outdoors. A path winding around the perimeter of the park serves as a link to Salt Creek Greenway Trail. The park is located along Salt Creek and hosts an ADA-accessible canoe launch. The canoe launch is assimilated into the Salt Creek Water Trail, which is part of the Northeastern Illinois Water Trails System. Learn more.

Lincoln Marsh Natural Area – Wheaton
Enjoy 150 acres of beautiful woodlands, savannas, and prairies surrounding an open water marsh. Limestone trails are accessible to wheelchairs, bicycles, and strollers. Bicycles are not permitted on the woodchip trails. There is a small accessible trail loop around a prairie planting near the east end of the park that is perfect for the tiniest of hikers! If hiking with little ones, you can end your journey at the Prairie Patch Play Area which incorporates surrounding landscape and vegetation for kids to better experience nature. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #2

Fullersburg Woods and Graue Mill Loop – Oak Brook
Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook offers a 220-acre prime wildlife haven in an urban setting, hosting a wide variety of wildlife, nesting songbirds, and spring and fall migratory birds, especially warblers. It is home to the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, which offers hands-on, interactive exhibits and native wildlife on display, and the historic Graue Mill and Museum, which features the only operating waterwheel gristmill in Illinois in its original spot. Learn more.

Meacham Grove Forest Preserve – Bloomingdale
On the east side of Meacham Grove, the lake and adjacent wetlands are excellent places to hear western chorus frogs or see great egrets, great blue herons, swallows and other native wildlife, including beavers and dragonflies. On the west side of Bloomingdale-Roselle Road, native plants – some endangered – grow in an upland forest etched with intermittent streams. In 2012 the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission gave this area an extra level of protection by designating it as the Meacham Grove Nature Preserve. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #3

Herrick Lake Forest Preserve – Wheaton
The 887-acre Herrick Lake Forest Preserve is home to an impressive variety of wildlife. Ecologists have recorded more than 254 types of year-round and migrating wildlife among the preserve’s 470 different types of plants. Here you can enjoy more than 7 miles of trails, including a section of nationally designated Danada-Herrick Lake Regional Trail. Learn more.

Churchill Woods Forest Preserve – Glen Ellyn
At 255 acres, Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn is one of the county's smaller forest preserves and home to an impressive range of habitats. Its Babcock Grove surrounds visitors in a savanna of bur oak, white oak and black maple trees. Churchill Prairie Nature Preserve contains one of the county's few remaining native prairies and is home to several state endangered and threatened species. It is a perfect setting to wander along and take in the autumn beauty. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #4

Waterfall Glen – Darien
The 2,503-acre Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien is one of the most ecologically impressive parcels of open space in the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, if not northern Illinois. It is also one of the District’s most popular forest preserves, known for its Rocky Glen waterfall, Sawmill Creek bluff overlook, and extensive trails. Waterfall Glen offers gently rolling to hilly terrain with 11 miles of trails. Learn more.

Riverwalk Park – Naperville
The West Branch DuPage River flows through the 465-acre McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in With scenic views of the West Branch of the DuPage River, this park includes trail sections in downtown Naperville as well as a forested area called Sindt Woods. With a total of 2.75 miles of mostly brick trails on either side of the river, this popular destination includes riverside shelters, fountains, cafe, picnic areas, a playground, views of Centennial Beach, the Millennium Carillon, horseshoe pits, sled hills and restrooms.  Learn more. 

Featured trails: Week #5

Greene Valley Forest Preserve – Woodridge
The 1,388-acre Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville is home to more than 540 native plant species, making it one of the county's most botanically diverse sites. It also boasts a high-quality oak woodland north of 79th Street, an area one former owner set aside for plant and animal conservation more than 50 years ago. And to take a glimpse even further back in history, the savanna between Greene Road and the East Branch DuPage River and the aged oak woodland in the youth-group campground are excellent examples of how plant communities looked in DuPage County more than a century ago. Learn more.

Oldfield Oaks Forest Preserve – Darien
Oldfield Oaks is an excellent example of an intact, mature oak woodland, a natural wetland, and a restored prairie. With this diverse mix of ecosystems, the preserve is home to a variety of wildlife, from foxes to great horned owls to western chorus frogs. It has a 0.6-mile South Loop Trail and a 1.1-mile limestone North Loop Trail, which weaves through mature oak woodlands and restored prairie and has several switchbacks that offer uphill and downhill hiking. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #6

Blackwell Forest Preserve - Warrenville
The 1,366-acre Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville is one of the District's most popular forest preserves and has been repeatedly voted among the best in the western suburbs. It offers hiking trails, fishing, camping, archery, picnic shelters, an off-leash dog area and more! It offers 8.1 miles of primarily crushed limestone trails. One of the highlights of Blackwell is the panoramic view from atop Mt. Hoy, at an elevation of 150 feet. Learn more.

Hidden Lake Forest Preserve – Downers Grove
The 390-acre Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove is an ideal place to fish, paddle, picnic or just relax. It features two lakes and a river, trails, fishing, boating and picnic areas, including a new picnic shelter. More than 2 miles of trails wind through Hidden Lake, making it a great destination for hikers, joggers, birders and other wildlife watchers. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #7

McDowell Grove Forest Preserve - Naperville
The West Branch DuPage River flows through the 465-acre McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville, providing fishing opportunities and attracting waterfowl and shorebirds like egrets and great blue herons. The preserve also has nearly seven miles of trails and two reservable picnic shelters and areas. McDowell Grove’s maples put on a spectacular show of colors in the fall. Learn more.

Salt Creek Greenway Trail – Elk Grove Village to Brookfield
The Salt Creek Greenway Trail is a nearly 25 mile-long, regional pedestrian/bicycle trail that extends from Busse Forest in Elk Grove Village to the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield. It serves as a key link in the development of a 210-mile integrated trail network in northeast Illinois that includes the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail, among others. The Salt Creek Greenway Trail generally runs parallel to the creek and can be accessed in Elmhurst from Eldridge Park, the Illinois Prairie Path, along St. Charles Road just west of Route 83 and from the intersection of Thomas Street and Monterey Avenue in the Pick Subdivision. Learn more.

Featured trails: Week #8

Illinois Prairie Path & Great Western Prairie – Elmhurst
The Illinois Prairie Path, paralleling Wild Meadows Trace in Elmhurst, was the first successful "rail-to-trail" conversion in the United States in the mid-1960s. The trail is named for its rare segments of original, thousand-year-old prairies, one of which – the Great Western Prairie – is right in Elmhurst. With 62 total miles of biking, hiking, jogging, equestrian and nature trails, the Prairie Path runs through Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. Learn more.

Lyman Woods Nature Center & Preserve – Downers Grove
Lyman Woods is 150 acres of oak woods, prairie, and marsh habitats that support over 300 species of native plants. Discover an amazing diversity of plant life, including six species classified as rare in the Chicago region. During your visit, you'll find three rare kames, glacially deposited hills of gravel, which support native prairie and oak woods. The most outstanding feature is a 19-acre oak woods that has remained undisturbed since it was purchased by the Lyman family in 1839. Learn more.

Time in nature has been proven to decrease stress and anxiety, which is essential as we deal with the challenges of the pandemic. You will reap the health rewards of movement — including being stronger and happier, and reducing your risk of illness. Hiking is also relationship-building, as families can enjoy spending time together while getting healthier.

Note: Please consult with your doctor before beginning this challenge or any new exercise program.