The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners.

The District is a belt of 68,000 acres of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. It provides recreational areas consisting of six nature and educational centers, nine bike trails, 200 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing, hundreds of picnic groves, 30 fishing ponds and lakes, access to fishing and canoeing on rivers and streams, golf courses, swimming pools, model airplane flying fields, dog training areas, toboggan slides, a cross-country ski center, and other winter sports areas are among the facilities provided. Woodlands, prairies, and marshes, including 4,400 acres dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve, are habitat for birds and other wildlife, where hikers may see wildflowers, fall colors and many more delights of nature. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.

You can buy your permit online or in person. The Forest Preserve District can be reached at 800-870-3666.

Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake-Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022 847-835-5440

Brookfield Zoo 1st Avenue & 31st Street Brookfield, IL 60513 708-485-0263

Recreational Facilities

* 10 golf courses	*3 organized youth group cottage camping facilities
* 3 swimming pools	* 30 fishing centers and lakes
* 124 baseball fields	* 52 miles of trails for bicycle use only
* 5 winter sports areas	* 2,200 picnic areas and190 picnic groves
* cross-country skiing through most of the preserves	* 6 tent camping sites
* 200 miles of trails for hikers and horseback riding	* The Chicago Portage National Historic site

Educational Services

The District’s Conservation Department is responsible for wildlife management and public instruction. The district cooperates with public and private school systems to provide workshops, field trips and courses for teachers in outdoor science education. Four nature centers, a museum of living examples of forest preserve fauna and an adult education center provide opportunities to study plant and animal life of marshy meadows and sand dunes:

* Little Red Schoolhouse, Palos Preserves	* Crabtree Nature Center, South of Barrington
* River Trail Nature Center, South of Wheeling	* Trailside Museum of Natural History, Thatcher Woods
* Sand Ridge Nature Center, Dhabbona Woods	* Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve, Palos Hills