The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County encourages people to get outdoors and make use of its 100-mile trail this summer.
As part of its yearlong centennial celebration, the district will unveil its commemorative DuPage Forest Preserves Century Trail on Saturday at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton.
“It’s a real nice initiative to show people the breath of our forest preserves and have people really enjoy and take advantage of it,” said District 5 Forest Preserve Commissioner Mary Lou Wehrli of Naperville.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County collaborated with a group of community volunteers to come up with the plan for the trail.
The 100-mile trail consists of roads and trails that connect and travel through 33 forest preserves, including McDowell Grove, Greene Valley, Waterfall Glen and Danada.
“A lot of the forest preserve trails have become more accessible because of links over the last 20 years,” Lou Wehrli said. “I think this trail offers the opportunity to see how expansive the trail system is in the area.”
The trail also features 11 informational signs that point out historical details, such as the discovery of a 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton at Blackwell.
The event runs Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon and will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony and looped bike trail rides of five, 10 and 15 miles starting at 9 a.m.
There will also be exhibits on trail etiquette, bike safety, and information on how to earn collector’s pins with the district’s centennial golf, hiking and biking challenges.
“I think studies have proven that being outside helps people feel refreshed, more creative and more productive at work,” said Susan Olafson, director of communications and marketing at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. “We really tried to come up with idea to get people out in the forest preserves and enjoying the trails.”