A redevelopment project combines action and nature to draw a crowd
By Robert Gunther
Coming soon to Park Forest, Ill., Somonauk Nature Adventure Park combines adventure and nature in one park-redevelopment strategy. Planned renovations for the 16-acre park include construction of a two-acre pond with native, prairie, and emergent wetland, recreational fishing, and kayaking. Additional site amenities include walks; accessible, elevated seating; and opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and ziplines. The project also becomes part of the village’s Best Management Practices (BMPs) for stormwater management.
Located approximately 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, Park Forest is a community of about 22,000, and is one of America’s first post-war, planned communities; its innovative design has been recognized and used as a model for towns elsewhere. The community’s original master plan ensured convenient commercial centers, a child-safe pattern of curved streets, a business and light-industrial park, and multiple, neighborhood school and recreational facilities. Village residents have access to more than 2,000 acres of parks and public lands, which include 18 neighborhood and community parks and the Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve.
Project Details
Somonauk Park, the second-largest community park in the village, was last renovated with new playground equipment in 1992. The large picnic pavilion dates from 1976. About 10 years ago, the idea to renovate the park as a natural play area was conceived by parks staff, and plans were developed. The Village Board of Trustees then reviewed the plans, and with their approval, monies were set aside to fund the project. Over time, the design evolved into The Somonauk Nature Adventure Park project, as described above. The renovation is funded by a $395,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Open Space Land Acquisition & Development (OSLAD) program, matched by funds from the village. The overall goal of the project is to redevelop Somonauk Park as a destination for residents, offering numerous, unique recreational and adventure opportunities not found in the greater Chicago south-suburban area.
Adventure opportunities include a two-acre pond for fishing and recreational kayaking and a terraced hill with 175 feet of ziplines that follow the contours of the hillside. Fishing is available from two accessible piers and the boat house, which also includes the kayak launch. Kayaking will be open seasonally, free of charge for those with their own kayaks. Kayak rentals will also be available for a small fee, during specified hours. A distinctive landscape feature is the “Wave Field,” an area of small, contoured, grassy mounds on which to run, roll around, or just sit on. The Wave Field will be adjacent to a relocated basketball court, providing spectator seating and visual interest.