Get Directions to O’Hara Woods
(See important “Access & Parking” information below.)
With an invigorating jolt of green and an eye-popping carpet of spring ephemerals, this intimate woodland is a springtime paradise and a visually explosive place to visit.
In April, a spectacular show of Virginia bluebells tales place at O’Hara Woods Nature Preserve in Romeoville, Illinois.
Features:
- Large, lush woodland
- Curving stream
Highlights:
- April is when shimmering white toothwort makes the ground beneath your feet sparkle like firecrackers and when Virginia bluebells erupt all across the landscape.
Best Times to Visit:
- Springtime for the wildflowers
- Fall for the changing colors
Trails: To best begin your hike, take the main trail north from the trail head for about 400 feet until and head left (west) down a narrow dirt trail to your left (west). The main trails of this preserve are wide and made of gravel. The more scenic trails are narrow and made of dirt, though not a danger for ambulatory individuals.
Access & Parking: Park on Arsenal Road by the tennis courts or in any of the nearby spots. Walk west along the road and past the tennis courts. On your left, you’ll come to a line of trees and sign for O’Hara Woods. Continue ahead on the wide gravel trail. In just moments, you’ll see a set brown concrete bunkers straddling the trail. When you reach the bunkers, keep your eye to the left. In another hundred feet, you’ll see a narrow dirt trail that takes you into the best part of the preserve.
Restrooms: There are portable toilet by the tennis court. You can also use the nearby park district facility located southwest of the tennis courts.
Mike’s Thoughts: “Dynamite” is the perfect word to describe tranquil O’Hara Woods. Hidden away inside a quiet Romeoville neighborhood behind Conservation Park, this intimate woodland of mature sugar maple and oak was once called Dynamite Woods. Concrete bunkers, the remains of which are scattered. In the spring, come to peaceful O’Hara Woods and be awed by the silent and breathtaking explosions of the flora.
Learn more about O’Hara Woods Preserve from these websites:
