Lyman Woods

How did I not know this place was here? Love to go hiking with my young son, and we usually make the trip out west to Blackwell and various surrounding preserves. Lyman is so much closer and just perfect for a nice hour or two walk, no need to make a whole day of it. Trails are really nice, slightly challenging (maybe a 2 out of a 5). Think there is a total of 2 or 3 miles of total trail with shorter options. The building here has some fun things to do for young children, you can even have birthday parties there. The trails have a few things to see, bee hives, a vegetable garden, and a butterfly garden. The trails themselves have different terrains from paved to soil, to grassy. Passes through some nice forest, and a marshland. Even has a lookout at one point and a dock at another. Wildlife is abundant, we saw a red headed woodpecker and a Great Blue Heron from only a few feet away. Pretty awesome stuff!

Nice quiet place for a morning run. There’s at least 5 miles of trail so you can get a solid run here with some mild and fun terrain if you go off the main paths.

let me preface this review by saying I hope this place isn’t over run by people that work in the office building across the street after reading this. I started working in the office in November of last year and needed somewhere quiet to get away from all the craziness. I happened upon this place and as many people have stated in previous reviews; this place is amazing. After you get back into the woods/​meadows you forget you are in a suburban area. Occasionally in the Meadows you can look up and see some of the tall buildings in the distance as a reminder that you are not in the wilderness.
One of the first things I noticed when coming here was that they do not allow dogs or bicycles. Being a dog lover that put me off a bit at first. But quite honestly after coming here for a while I realize that the wildlife is so much happier without little doggies and people on bicycles.
If you go early in the morning or around dusk you’ll get to see some amazing beautiful deer including some very big bucks with racks. Haven’t run into any coyotes or other predatory type Critters yet.
Occasionally you’ll run into a class or group of kids with teachers/​parents, but for the most part you’re in a have solitude and commune with nature. The staff is nice and helpful they seem to have a number of college kid intern types here during the summer who are also very nice and helpful. But quite honestly when you come to a place like this you don’t want help from people you just want to enjoy nature, solitude, peace and quiet.
I love this place so much I’ll probably leave them in endowment in my will and maybe I’ll get a bench with my my name on it.

I work in the highland landmark buildings across the street and love coming to Lyman Woods on lunch break. Who would’ve thought there’d be such a nice, peaceful place to retreat to close by?!
It feels like another world in there when you’re deep in the woods. The sounds of nature drown out traffic noises from the surrounding streets. Whoever helped design this place had a nice touch with the bridges and benches. I’ve come here to take pictures before, I’ve come to take walks, and I’ve come for jogs. There are numerous paths to choose from, ranging from about .5 miles to 1.5 miles in length.
This is a great place to unwind during a hectic work day. Just be sure to bring bug spray!

I was working in the suburbs and decided to check this spot out. Initially I wanted to do a speed workout but once I started running this place wasn’t right for this type of workout. A little paranoid about tripping on a root at a fast speed. I came around 6:30 pm and hardly anyone was here. It’s somewhat scary to be alone in the woods, so I didn’t have any music on and was always on alert. Also this place is a tad hilly, which is something I can appreciate. Good running spot for trail running and hill workouts.

My father and I go walking at Lyman woods all the time. We love coming here. Once inside, it’s hard to believe this forest preserve is at the corner of 31^st and Highland. It’s quiet and we always see lots of wildlife… birds, deer, butterflies, rabbits, etc.
It is so beautiful and serene here! There are a couple of trails that we haven’t explored yet, and we intend on getting to those before the end of summer.
One thing to keep in mind is that some of the trails can get muddy if there were recent rains. Also, be prepared for a mosquito invasion in the summer. Bring that bug spray!

This has some great trails that are very extensive and interwoven through a very large forested area, smaller meadows, and a pond and wetlands area.
Off of 31^st avenue, just east of Highland, there is an entrance that has a nature building mostly made for kids that’s open each day, EXCEPT MON&FRI. Playing animal puppets is a blast. They have a little stage for puppet shows. ;) They have live animals and showings. Much like a small zoo educational area for kids.
This place is great for kids, but could also be a hassle for less adventurous parents to navigate some of the trails with kids. I didn’t take the main paths, so there were a few times when I had to carry the stroller over a little tiny creek and a couple muddy and wetland bits of the trail. I think it’s a BEAUTIFUL park-​forest. I loved the meadows and fresh air also. Sometimes you forgot how nice fresh air is in a meadow surrounded by a forest when living in Chicago.
I think the highlight for the kids was the pond. When we arrived we immediately noticed a large school of Carp fish wrestling in the pond’s shallows like a bunch drunken goofy oafs and a white crane elegantly swooped in when we were there. Definitely a duality of animals was on display.
Also, they do have very limited hours for the nature center -
Interpretive Center is open:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 1 – 4 pm
Saturday 9 am-​4 pm
Sunday 1 pm-​4 pm

Trapped in my glass prison — surrounded by paper, with deadlines looming, voicemail from unpleasant people, and working with crabby coworkers because they sit under fluorescent light and their skin glows the hues of their computers screens — I could go a bit batty. Then I look out of the window from my prison and gaze upon the Lyman woods. If I’m lucky, I see a redtail hawk swooping the tree line, or a family of young deer foraging in the meadow. All is indeed well.
The Lyman Woods is a 150 acre oasis with nature trails, whose interpretive center is located at 31^st Street and Highland Avenue in northern Downers Grove, near the Yorktown Mall. The trails are well-​kept, and even though you can hear the faint buzz of the traffic on I-​88 and local roads, as you get «deeper» into the woods, the buzzing of the bugs and chirping of the birds is all you end up hearing.
At the trailhead by the parking lot, Lyman Woods does supply a map of the loops you can do. If the Nature Interpretive Center is open when you are there, it will have more information on the wildlife, burn schedules, etc. It also has restrooms. The Center also has picnic benches if you cannot stand to eat at your desk yet another lunch hour.
Interpretive Center is open:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 1 – 4 pm
Saturday 9 am-​4 pm
Sunday 1 pm-​4 pm
Need a place to get your mind off the grind? Lyman Woods offers a great option for a midday hike!