Plan Your Winter Visit to Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County might just serve as the perfect suburban Chicago way to keep cabin fever at bay with snow tubing, trail adventures, ice fishing, sledding, skating and more.

Ready for a ski adventure? Rangers groom more than 80 miles of forest preserve trails for cross-country skiing in the winter, weather permitting.

Worried about staying on your feet? Try snow tubing instead with a thrilling 800-foot ride down the Mount Hoy tubing hill. It’s open weekends and school holidays when there is enough snow (3 inches or more).

Enjoy a snowshoe exploration through the preserve. Snowshoe rentals are available from December through February, and there are plenty of trails to try out.

See more: Warm Up with 4 Fun and Kid-Friendly Winter Recipes

The forest preserve district welcomes sledding and ice skating throughout the winter months. However, monitor the conditions and make sure you are safely participating in these activities.

The area even offers a spot for dog sledding. When snow falls in abundance, mushers are welcome to bring their dog-sled teams to select trails in the preserve. During the rest of the year, visitors can use wheeled carts under 4-feet wide on any trails that allow biking.

Many of these activities are weather-dependent. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County posts updates on its Facebook page, so check the status before visiting. For more information, visit its website dupageforest.org/things-to-do/get-outdoors/winter-in-preserves.