Hiking McHenry County in July

By Marlene Bertolozzi

Photos taken by author.

Having spent a lot of time hiking suburban Chicago, I was surprised to find there are hidden charms scattered around McHenry County. On July 7, we hiked through Pleasant Valley Conservation Area with its somewhat steep forest trails, a small lake, and rolling meadows. 

On July 17 we hiked Marengo Ridge Conservation Area, a favorite of mine. When you arrive, you’ll find spread out before you a panoramic view of summer flowers – bee balm, black-eyed Susan, compass plants, and in the distance the Marengo Ridge stretching across the horizon. In fact, once you know what you are looking at, you can see it as you exit I-90 at Route 23. 

The trails meander through the meadows and then cross over to the woodlands. Flowers everywhere. I have never experienced flowers in the summer in Illinois before. The county also provides a few not very well-kept informational signs, such as the history of wild turkey in the area and a description of the moraine and ridge that make up the area. And to top it all off, beautiful, sunny weather graced our days. Hope to see you on one of these hikes soon!