Mission #3 is in the books! We’re taking care of my sister-in-law’s dog, Fred, for a few days and decided to bring him along to O’Hara Woods in Romeoville. And I have to say – looks can be deceiving.
First of all, the start of the walk wasn’t how we’d pictured it. In fact, our first attempt was a bust because we started at the complete opposite side of the preserve, off of Beverly Griffin. The true trailhead seems almost urban – it starts near the Police Department and Village Hall buildings, on Grande Blvd. We parked in front of the police department, then headed toward the residential area and picked up the paved path there.
Once we began to follow it around the building the landscape morphed into vast greenery, spreading behind the buildings and beyond. We paused at the fork. To the right, the path lead to the pavilion and the park. We turned left and within a few steps we were swallowed up in the forest.
From there, it was like we’d stepped into another world. We saw a few houses through the trees and an open area with a retention pond, but the rest was completely wooded. Birds everywhere. Squirrels darting from tree to tree. It was quiet. It was cool and peaceful. The paved path eventually turned into packed dirt that meandered through the woods. We followed an old wooden bridge that lead deeper into the forest and eventually to an open area.
Here is where our journey ended. We checked in at the Goosechase checkpoint, and contemplated going further but poor Freddie looked like he didn’t have much left in the tank. Besides, the path from there was grassy and grown over. We weren’t really comfortable taking him through so we turned back.
It wasn’t what we expected, for sure, but it really was a pleasant surprise. And now that we know where we’re going, we’ll probably head back again – maybe once the trees turn. It’s definitely worth a visit. A nice, quiet walk in the woods.
Happy hiking!
#OHaraWoods
#WoodsWalk2025
Wholeness Health and YOU! 