Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 7 sights
8.4 mi · ▲ 195 ft · 2 hr 54 min
Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 7 sights is an 8.4-mile out-and-back in Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve near Willow Springs, IL. The route passes Longjohn Slough and Maple Lake before reaching Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve at the turnaround, 4.2 miles in. It is mostly level, with 195 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 32/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 7 sights
8.4 mi · ▲ 195 ft · 2 hr 54 min
Elevation 654–727 ft
Out & Back · Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve
Trailhead: 41.70846, -87.87683
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:39 AM · sunset 6:52 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Longjohn Slough.
- 50 ftTurn left onto White Oak Trail, heading SE.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Tan Single Track Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Black Single Track Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading NW.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto Yellow Single Track Trail, heading W.
- 1 miPass Maple Lake.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Cemetery Hill Loop, heading SE.
- 1 miReach Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear right onto Yellow Single Track Trail, heading E.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Black Single Track Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Tan Single Track Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto White Oak Trail, heading NE.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Tan Unpaved Trail & White Oak Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 222 ft
- Longjohn Slough–Tomahawk Slough, 6 sights 5.1 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Boomerang Slough & White Oak Trail via Yellow Unpaved Trail 6.4 mi · ▲ 136 ft
- Pollywog Slough & White Oak Trail via Yellow Unpaved Trail 4.4 mi · ▲ 136 ft
- Belly Deep Slough–Cranberry Slough, 3 lakes 6.5 mi · ▲ 164 ft
- Longjohn Slough–Black Oak Trail, 5 sights 3.1 mi · ▲ 79 ft
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