Nature reserve · Illinois
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area is a nature reserve in Illinois, at a modelled elevation of 156 m. The nearest named place is Grant Creek Prairie Nature Preserve, a nature reserve 1.4 miles away. Historic Route 66 passes 1.3 miles off.
What to expect
- Operated by
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
How to reach it
Coordinates41.36953, -88.21701
- 1.3 mi off the Historic Route 66, National
- 12.7 mi off the Lincoln Highway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Viewing area · 5 mi
Named places within 25 miles
Nature reserves
- Grant Creek Prairie Nature Preserve: 1.4 mi
- Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area: 4.9 mi
- Hitts Siding Prairie Nature Preserve: 5.3 mi
- Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5.6 mi
- Lake Chaminwood Preserve: 6.5 mi
Parks
- Des Plaines State Conservation Area: 1.7 mi
- Diamond Park: 2.2 mi
- Red Hawk Park: 2.8 mi
- Channahon Parkway State Park: 3.8 mi
- Arroyo Trails: 4.0 mi
Historic sites: 37
- Veteran's Memorial: 6.0 mi
- Coal City Bell: 7.0 mi
- Old Train Caboose: 10.7 mi
- Karen R. Olson Memorial: 10.9 mi
- High Prairie Trail: 13.9 mi
Museums: 21
- Wilmington Historical Society Building: 5.6 mi
- Braidwood Area Historical Society: 7.2 mi
- Illinois Mining Museum: 9.3 mi
- Grundy County Historical Society: 11.0 mi
- Joliet Area Historical Society Museum: 13.0 mi
Attractions: 14
- Dollinger Family Farm: 4.2 mi
- Gemini Giant: 5.6 mi
- Elvis: 7.2 mi
- Braidwood Zoo Animal Sculptures: 7.3 mi
- Old telephone poles: 9.9 mi
Gardens: 7
- Wingren: 20.2 mi
- Stephanie's Garden: 22.9 mi
- Sensory Garden: 24.3 mi
- Lenore's Backyard Garden: 24.3 mi
- Sandy Dawe Memorial Butterfly Garden: 24.3 mi
Rest areas: 4
Artworks: 4
- Mary Alfred Moes 1828-1899: 12.8 mi
- Louis Jolliet: 13.0 mi
- Yugo Griffin: 21.2 mi
- Green Eggs and Ham: 23.5 mi
Picnic sites: 4
- Akin Park Picnic Area: 13.3 mi
- Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve: 18.0 mi
- Tall Oaks Picnic Area: 24.3 mi
- Fox View Picnic Area: 24.5 mi
Cliffs: 2
- Kankakee Bluffs: 2.9 mi
- Holderman Hill: 16.5 mi
Waterfalls: 2
- Canyon Creek Falls: 24.8 mi
- Canyon Creek Cascade: 24.8 mi
Beaches: 1
- Michigan Beach: 13.0 mi
Springs: 1
- Lake Strini: 20.1 mi
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:57 | 18:29 | 19:05 |
| June solstice | 05:20 | 19:49 | 20:30 |
| September equinox | 06:41 | 18:15 | 18:52 |
| December solstice | 07:16 | 15:43 | 16:27 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 24 | 29 | 39 | 50 | 61 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 66 | 54 | 42 | 30 |
| Precip in | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Channahon Dresden ISL DAM, 4 mi away.
- cutleaf teasel52 obs
- bloodroot35 obs
- prairie trillium33 obs
- blue phlox30 obs
- bristly greenbrier28 obs
- mayapple24 obs
- Virginia bluebells24 obs
- rue anemone24 obs
Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/107341106
Day trips start here
- Joliet · 11 mi
- Bolingbrook · 24 mi
- Lemont · 24 mi
- Naperville · 26 mi
- South Suburbs · 26 mi
- Tinley Park · 26 mi
Private beta · Free to join
Take the scenic way to Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.