Moraine Hills State Park, IL

Moraine Hills State Park is a recreational paradise in northeast Illinois. Located three miles south of the city of McHenry in McHenry County, about half of the state park’s 2,200 acres is composed of wetlands and lakes. The diverse habitats support an abundance of plants and a great variety of wildlife to enjoy along ten-plus miles of trails. McHenry Dam State Park is located along the east side of the Fox River and overlooks McHenry Lock & Dam. The river attracts anglers, waterfowl, eagles, birders and photographers alike.

The waters and wetlands of Moraine Hills are home to abundant wildlife; more than 200 species of birds have been identified at the park. Fishing is available on both Lake Defiance and on the Fox River. The McHenry Dam area provides access to the Fox River, and a fishing pier accessible to visitors with disabilities is available. More than 10 miles of trails make Moraine Hills popular for hikers, skiers and cyclists, and provide one of the park’s main recreation features.

Closing times vary with the season; plan to be back to the parking lot no later than sunset. Closing time might be EARLIER than that so PLEASE look for the closing time posted as you enter.

Welcome to another hike focused on Glacial activity. We continue to learn about how the land was formed in the Great Lakes area. Moraine Hills State Park also has significant wildlife due to the wetland areas of the park. Follow us on another Hike 360° adventure.

We are almost complete with the 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Chicago guide book. On this particular hike, the designated hike is counter clockwise but we recommend going with the flow of traffic in a clockwise fashion.

Long views await hikers on the Fox River Trail. We discuss the glacial remains in sight as we hike toward the McHenry Dam area.

Make sure and use the 360° controls to look around this beautiful pine forest. The McHenry Dam picnic area and concessions have this pine backdrop. Today’s lunch menu includes our homemade bread, sunflower butter and rhubarb/strawberry jam. Who knew Scott had such a liking of rhubarb. Goji Berries are our snack for today. A superfood and a good snack if you can find a good supplier.

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We continue to mess-up the names, this is the McHenry Dam area along the Fox River and south of the Chain O’Lakes area. We have a fun time watching the fishing and water flows along the dam. Please spin around using the 360° controls.

In 1939, the State of Illinois made the initial McHenry Dam State Park land acquisition of 15 acres on the east bank of the Fox River. Major acquisition of the Lake Defiance area began in 1971, and construction of park facilities took place in the spring of 1975. The present Moraine Hills State Park opened in October 1976.​ The park name is derived from a geologic formation known as a moraine, which is an accumulation of boulders, stones and other debris deposited by a glacier.

This is an interesting stretch of trail with the Fox River on the right and the Black Tam Marsh. Make sure and get a printed map when you arrive, the online map is not ideal.

We are walking up the East side of Lake Defiance talking about the wildlife that use this area as their habitat. I talk about the efforts of The Illinois Conservation Foundation. The Illinois Conservation Foundation promotes and hosts conservation, environmental and outdoor education activities to cultivate critical thinking skills, hands-on learning and appreciation for our natural resources.

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We talk about our big winter hike and camping trip next week to the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. We drive up to Kettle Moraine North and hope to hike 40+ miles over the following week. Tune into our Ice Age Trail videos to see what happened.

The 48-acre Lake Defiance, located near the center of the park, is one of the few glacial lakes in Illinois that has remained largely undeveloped, maintaining a near-natural condition.

We talk about hike direction preferences for Moraine Hills SP. Our book directs us to walk counter clockwise but we might suggest going the opposite direction in a clockwise motion.

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This location is ideal for a 360 video, so spin around and see the whole view. There are some great educational signs at the overlook which talk about the glaciers and the wildlife. Just before the lake, there is an Osprey nest. A second nest is at the southern end of the park. Be sure and check out these 360° nests. Also, head to our website for the latest deals on Osprey backpacks.

We missed a turn at the beginning and our hike was only 7+ miles. We enjoyed this location and look forward to coming back during the summer when the wetlands and wildlife will be alive with visible activity.

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