New Area to Replace Pratt’s Wayne Woods Site
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will celebrate the opening a new 34-acre off-leash dog area at Hawk Hollow Forest Preserve in Bartlett with a ribbon-cutting at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 1.
The new area features four separate and fully enclosed fields (one just for dogs under 25 pounds), an enclosed 1.2-mile limestone trail, and a 60-vehicle asphalt parking lot off Bittersweet Drive just south of Stearns Road. It replaces the off-leash dog area 5.4 miles away at Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve in Wayne, which will remain open until Dec. 31, 2015.
To use the off-leash area, dog owners must have valid District permits, which are available weekdays through Visitor Services at (630) 933-7248 or 3S580 Naperville Road in Wheaton.
A key feature of the new facility is its rotating activity fields, which will allow the District to close off one area to give the turf a rest while keeping a second area open for use.
“The Hawk Hollow area is a hybrid design of a lot of the best elements of all of the District’s off-leash dog facilities,” said Kevin Horsfall, District manager of planning.
The area is the result of a 2012 cooperative agreement between the District and CN, which allowed the railway and transportation company to use 5 acres at Pratt’s Wayne Woods for track improvements in exchange for roughly $3.1 million in forest preserve improvements, including habitat enhancements, a new model airfield at Pratt’s Wayne Woods and the new off-leash area at Hawk Hollow.
“This is a win-win situation not only for the District, but more importantly for the environment, wildlife, businesses and homeowners in this corridor,” said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Al Murphy, District 6.
“Collaborative projects like this help us be mindful stewards of our natural lands,” said Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President Joe Cantore. “By working together we were able to meet the needs of CN while also providing improved amenities, habitat and flood protection for DuPage County residents.”
At more than 1,100 acres, Hawk Hollow features rolling grassy meadows accented by mature woodlands and wetlands. With one of the largest unbroken tracts of grassland habitat in DuPage County, the West Branch DuPage River runs through its middle.
In addition to Hawk Hollow, the District has off-leash dog areas at Blackwell in Warrenville, East Branch in Glendale Heights, Springbrook Prairie and Greene Valley in Naperville, and Mayslake in Oak Brook. Work is also under way to open another off-leash dog area at Oldfield Oaks in Darien.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for 100 years. More than 4 million people visit its 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, five education centers and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube pages.