About Beaubien Woods
Beaubien Woods Forest Preserves is a 250-acre site located almost entirely within the City of Chicago, IL, in the southeast part of Cook County. It is home to several 100+ year-old oak trees, high-quality prairie, oak savanna, and wetland habitat, and hundreds of species of native plants and migratory birds. Beaubien has a 15-acre man-made lake and is adjacent to the Little Calumet River. Great egrets are known to gather here, and you can find evidence of beavers having chewed on wood for their lodges in Flatfoot Lake (named for its shape). Before European settlement, Beaubien Woods was a wet prairie and open savanna community. The oak savannas of the Midwest form a transition zone between the drier Great Plains to the west and the broadleaf forests to the east. There are five acres of oak savanna at Beaubien today.
History
The soils here are a combination of glacial lake bottoms and ancient beach ridge with some small pockets of artificial fill. The US Public Land Survey indicates that Beaubien Woods was a mosaic of marsh, wet prairie and timberland in the early nineteenth century. Tree densities and species recorded along section lines at that time suggest that the landscape in the southeast portion was open savanna or woodland. Aerial photos from 1938 indicate that much of the current site was disturbed by agriculture or other human cultural practices. A large portion of the site is made up of recreational areas such as mowed picnic groves, trails and an artificial fishing lake in the center of the site (Flatfoot Lake). Railroad tracks bisect the site in a northwest-southeast fashion.
Amenities & Things to Do
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Accessible Fishing Area
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Accessible Picnic Area
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Accessible Portable Bathrooms
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Boat Launch Nearby
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Hiking: A trail on the north end takes you through a mix of woodland and prairie habitats to Flatfoot Lake at the center of the site.
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Ice Fishing
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Parking
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Gathering Space at Riverfront
Boat Launch
Provides a scenic overlook and is located at E 132nd St, east of S Greenwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60827. The parking lot and ramp allow access to the Little Calumet River and will have interpretive signage and a small pavilion. Construction begins in 2023.
Osprey Nesting Platform
Keep your eyes to the sky in warmer months for these fish-eating raptors, as well as for bald eagles that have been known to fly overhead.
Gathering Space “Prairie Boat”
Designed by sculptors Christine Perri and Roman Villareal, in partnership with Imani Village, this artistic gathering space provides a beautiful place to convene and view the waterfront (opened June 2023). Prairie Boat is inspired by the African American Heritage Water Trail and native prairie landscapes (a boat in the sea of prairie).
Images courtesy of Field Museum
I am a Conservation Ecologist for the Chicago Region in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum. Since the summer of 2022, I’ve been helping to steward Beaubien Woods. Part of my role is to raise awareness about Beaubien and to create space for the local community to feel comfortable coming out to enjoy nature in their own way. We organize stewardship volunteer days and incorporate nature art or short hikes, providing an opportunity for people to care for and experience nature through family-friendly activities. I'm passionate about plants and am always looking to expand my knowledge in insects, birds, fungi, and more. I am also an illustrator who loves to paint plants and animals of the Midwest.
Catherine Hu
Laura Milkert
Beaubien Partners
