Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 5 sights
14.7 mi · ▲ 410 ft · 5 hr 6 min
Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 5 sights is a 14.7-mile out-and-back in Willow Springs Woods near Willow Springs, IL. The route passes Maple Lake before reaching Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve at the turnaround, 7.3 miles in. It climbs 410 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 22/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve–Maple Lake, 5 sights
14.7 mi · ▲ 410 ft · 5 hr 6 min
Elevation 611–727 ft
Out & Back · Willow Springs Woods
Trailhead: 41.73215, -87.87820
Weather Sep 22: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Transit-accessible: Archer & Willow Springs stop 113 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Yellow Single Track Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Tan Unpaved Trail, heading E.
- 1.5 miSharp right onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading NW.
- 1.5 miTurn right onto Tan Single Track Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading SW.
- 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 NW.
- 0.9 miPass Maple Lake.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Cemetery Hill Loop, heading NE.
- 1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftReach Paw Paw Woods Nature Preserve, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right, heading W.
- 1.1 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Yellow Single Track Trail, heading S.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Black Single Track Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Tan Single Track Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Yellow Unpaved Trail, heading SE.
- 1.5 miSharp left onto Tan Unpaved Trail, heading E.
- 1.5 miTurn left onto Yellow Single Track Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftSharp left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 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
- Transit-accessible: Archer & Willow Springs stop 113 m from the trailhead
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Centennial Yellow Paved Trail & John Husar I&M Canal Paved Trail 13 mi · ▲ 60 ft
- Tan Unpaved Trail & Yellow Single Track Trail 6.1 mi · ▲ 191 ft
- John Husar I&M Canal Black Paved Trail 6.4 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Redwing Slough–Boomerang Slough, 4 lakes 4.5 mi · ▲ 110 ft
- Longjohn Slough–Crawdad Slough, 3 lakes 3.7 mi · ▲ 166 ft
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