Santa Fe Prairie

(Satellite)

(Update: a duplicate post)

Hidden behind what most people would consider an industrial wasteland of railroad yards and freight warehouses is an undisturbed prairie near Hodgkins, IL. Because of the 75th street exit that was added to the I-294 tollway for the UPS facility, it is easy to get to. Go east on 75th street and follow the curve until it terminates at Santa Fe Drive. Follow Santa Fe and turn right on the first road, Leon Cook Drive. At the turn should be a sign indicating you should turn there to go to River Road. It is easier to catch that sign than the street sign. At the end of Leon Cook Drive, turn right and go to the parking lot. When I was on the Leon Cook bridge taking pictures of the tracks, I had noticed a wetlands. After I read the plaque

I went back up on the bridge to take a picture of the "wetlands".

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I also drove along River Road. Much of the river is blocked by trees growing along side the river. But I did find some breaks in the trees.

Unfortunately, the light poles and billboards do remind you that I-55 is just on the other side of the river.

Dennis DeBruler posted three photos with the comment:

In 1998, BNSF donated the native prairie land behind this caboose to the I&M Canal Civic Center Authority for continued preservation. They also donated the caboose as an interpretative center. Very little prairie land is left in Illinois. This land is even more rare because it is a mesic gravel prairie.

License: Creative Commons Attribution: Dennis DeBruler (CC BY)

Location: https://www.google.com/.../@41.757627,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

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