I’ve heard more than a little grumbling lately from people whose vacation plans have been altered by the current economic conditions. Paris has been postponed, Hawaii’s on hold, even Wisconsin may have to wait until things turn around.
The good news is, some of these folks are starting to reexamine their definition of “vacation.” Maybe it doesn’t have to be an extravagant excursion to some far-flung land. Maybe it doesn’t have to last a week or more. Maybe it doesn’t have to cost even one thin dime. That’s right—it’s possible to grab a few hours of total relaxation right here in Kane County, in one of our many outstanding parks and forest preserves.
Okay, I’ll admit, I’ve been a fan of these special places for years. I’ll never forget the first time I saw white pelicans at Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia, or the time my young neighbors and I surprised a deer family (or, rather, they surprised us) on a trail at Tekakwitha Woods in St. Charles. I remember watching a mom wood duck skillfully guide her young brood past the double dangers of a big snapping turtle and a really large largemouth bass; stumbling on cancer root, a rare plant that lacks chlorophyll; and finding fairy shrimp, cute little Sea Monkey-like crustaceans that appear and disappear like, well, fairies. Some of these are once-in-a-lifetime memories, yet they happened with little effort and virtually no planning. How many big vacations can you say that about?
Of all the local mini-vacation destinations, one of my favorites has to be Campton Hills Park, the big chunk of green space at the southwest corner of Peck and Campton Hills Roads in St. Charles. Many of you may know this place by its rows of athletic fields. Maybe you’ve cooled off at its Splash Park, taken Rover for a romp at its fenced dog park, or tended a community garden plot there. But have you ever explored the park’s natural areas?
The part of the park I’m talking about lies just west of the garden plots, on the other side of the road that leads to the Illinois Youth Center. Prairies, woodlands, wetlands…this park has them all, along with a seemingly endless array of wildflowers, and wildlife.
Spring is a great time to visit, too. The greenish-purple shoots of our early spring blooms are just starting to creep up through the leafy carpet of the woodland floor. Many birds are busy setting up breeding territories, with new species returning every day. And the frogs! If you’re looking for a one-stop spot to hear spring peepers, chorus and leopard frogs, Campton’s your place.
But perhaps the park’s best feature is one that’s been there every day, for thousands of years: the hills of Campton Hills Park. Formed by the ebb and flow of the Wisconsin glacier as it beat a long, slow retreat from this area 10,000 years ago, the “hills” are actually glacial formations known as kames and moraines. There are potholes at Campton, too. Pothole wetlands, that is, depressions left by chunks of remnant glacial ice.
These formations run directly opposite of the commonly held notion that our area is “boring.” True, we don’t have Rocky Mountains, or even Smoky Mountains. But we do have terrain. Like my friend Valerie (Blaine, nature programs manager for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County) says, “Illinois isn’t flat like a pancake, it’s bumpy like an omelet.” An omelet with everything, that is.
I know. You’re probably thinking, “Hey, wait a minute. Campton Hills Park. St. Charles Park District. She’s just writing this because she has to.” Ah, but that is so untrue.
I started strolling around Campton Hills Park years ago, long before I ever started working for the park district. One of my favorite things back then, and one that remains true today, is that you can literally get lost in the hills there. No, not the dangerous kind of lost that involves signal flares and dramatic helicopter rescues. Rather, I’m talking about the good kind of lost—the sort where your body relaxes, your mind unwinds, and you’re free to get lost in the moment.
If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, go ahead and give Campton Hills Park a try. Dress for the weather, bring a lunch and—I mean this in the best possible way—get lost!
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services for the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at potto@stcparks.org or 630-513-4346.