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This fall, The Morton Arboretum is excited to be a partner in The Conservation Foundation and Endeavor Health’s Take a Hike! Challenge.
For eight weeks, from Tuesday, September 1, through Tuesday, October 27, complete and track six hikes to rediscover the benefits of being active and earn a Take a Hike! Trail Blaze Award.
Hikes may be completed anywhere, and there is no minimum distance or steps required. Record six hikes on the Take a Hike! Tracker and submit it at the end of the challenge to earn your award.
Details
Join the Take a Hike! Challenge Facebook group for weekly themes, featured hiking trails, and special walking events.
Make the most of your hiking experience with accessible paths, hiking trails, and upcoming nature programs at The Morton Arboretum.
Registration
Participation in the challenge is free. Register online for the Take a Hike! Challenge.
Each participant must register individually. The deadline to register is Wednesday, September 30.
Arboretum general admission is not included with Take a Hike! Challenge registration and must be purchased separately. Save $2 per ticket when you buy general admission tickets online.
Become an Arboretum member to enter any day without purchasing general admission tickets.
Accessible Paths
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The Arboretum provides a network of ADA-accessible paved paths that invite the whole family to enjoy outings together.
Manual wheelchairs are available for free loan on a first-come, first-served basis at the Visitor Center during Arboretum open hours. Visit Accessibility at the Arboretum for more information.
East Side Accessible Paths
Meadow Lake Trail (0.55 mile)
The Meadow Lake Trail (parking lot P-1) is about a half-mile long and loops around a manmade lake directly outside the Visitor Center. Depending on the season, guests can see birds, turtles, and native prairie plantings. The path connects to other ADA-accessible paths for a longer outing.
Conifer Walk (0.45 mile)
The Conifer Walk (parking lot P-1) is an easy paved path between tall trees that are green all year round. A small side loop through garden conifers has a wood-chip surface and is not accessible. The accessible Conifer Walk can be reached by paths from Arbor Court, the Meadow Lake Trail, and The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden.
The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden
The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden (parking lot P-1) showcases the beauty and diversity of plants, with paved paths, benches, intimate seating areas, and sparkling fountains. A 2-acre rectangle across Arbor Court from the Visitor Center, it is adjacent to the accessible Ground Cover Garden and connected to other ADA-accessible paths. The Sterling Morton Library, in the accessible Administration and Research Building, is at the west end of the garden.
Temperate Asia Collection (0.16 mile)
The Temperate Asia Collection (parking lot P-16) of trees and other plants native to China, Japan, and Korea includes a 0.16-mile-long ADA-accessible path to a scenic overlook.
Big Rock Visitor Station (0.25 mile)
The Interpretive Path at the Big Rock Visitor Station (parking lot P-13) is a .25-mile paved loop that offers a sample of the native woodland ecosystem.
West Side Accessible Trails
Fragrance Garden
The Fragrance Garden (parking lot P-21) is an intimate garden with a paved path that showcases trees, shrubs, and flowers that are notable for their scent. It is adjacent to the accessible Thornhill Education Center.
Prairie Visitor Station (0.25 mile)
The Interpretive Path at the Prairie Visitor Station (parking lot P-25) is a paved and accessible path about a quarter mile long. The path loops through a sample of prairie plants and gives views of the Schulenberg Prairie.
East Side Main Trail Loop 1 is about a mile long and runs through the Midwest Collection, the Magnolia Collection, and the Temperate Asia Collection. Reachable from parking lots P-2, P-5, P-16, and P-17, it connects to East Side Main Trail Loop 2 for longer hikes.
Woodland Trail (0.56 mile)
The Woodland Trail is a loop of about .6 mile from the Big Rock Visitor Station (parking lot P-13) that showcases a restored oak-dominated woodland ecosystem. It connects to the Heritage Trail.
Heritage Trail (1.11 miles)
Big Rock, a 14-ton chunk of granite dropped by a glacier about 15,000 years ago, is a highlight of the Heritage Trail, which is a loop of a little more than a mile from the Big Rock Visitor Station (parking lot P-13). The Heritage Trail links to the Woodland Trail for a longer hike.
Featured Trails on the West Side
Prairie Trail (0.74 mile)
The Prairie Trail makes a .74 mile loop through the Schulenberg Prairie. It has a gravel surface. It is reached from the Prairie Visitor Station at parking lot P-25, and is connected by a mowed trail to parking lot P-30.
West Side Main Trail Loop 4 (0.51 mile)
West Side Main Trail Loop 4 is about half a mile long and links Sterling Pond to the Prairie Visitor Station and the Schulenberg Prairie. It can be reached from parking lots P-24 and P-25, and connects to West Side Main Trail Loop 3 and the Prairie Trail.
Thornhill Trail (0.82 mile)
The Thornhill Trail loops around the Thornhill Education Center and follows part of Joy Path, for a total length of just under a mile. It can be reached from parking lots P-20 and P-25, and connects to main trail loops 1 and 2.
