DuPage County forest district picnic, camp permits go on sale Jan. 2
Permits for DuPage County Forest Preserve District picnic areas and campsites for 2015 will go on sale at 8 a.m. Jan. 2 at the district headquarters, 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton.
Visitors can purchase permits with cash, check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover through Visitor Services between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays in person or by calling (630) 933-7248. All fees are nonrefundable.
Application forms and fees are on the district's website, dupageforest.org, under Things to Do and Permits and Fees.
Visitors can make reservations as early in the calendar year as they wish, but must make advance reservations at least three full business days before their check-in or event date. They should make holiday reservations as early as possible.
Picnickers can choose from more than 22 reservable shelters and open areas for family reunions, church functions or other gatherings. Some shelters have fireplaces, built-in grills or electricity or can accommodate district-rented canopies or large grills. Fees vary, and permit holders must be 18 or older.
The family campground at Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville has more than 60 sites and can accommodate visitors with tents, trailers or motor homes. Each has electricity, a gravel parking pad, fire ring and picnic table and can hold up to eight people, two tents and one vehicle. The campground has restrooms, showers, hand water pumps and a dump station. Firewood costs $5 a bundle, cash only; outside firewood is not allowed.
From May 1 through Sept. 26, the Blackwell family campground is open on Friday and Saturday nights; between May 21 and Sept. 3, it's also open on Thursday nights. To accommodate holiday campers, sites are also available the nights of Sunday, May 24; Sunday, June 28 to Wednesday, July 1; and Sunday, Sept. 6.
Permits are $20 per site per night for DuPage County residents and $30 per night for nonresidents. Permit holders must be at least 21 and remain on site. Senior citizens may receive one free permit per household for one consecutive two-night stay.
Youth-group campgrounds with tent sites are available at the following forest preserves: Blackwell, Churchill Woods in Glen Ellyn, Greene Valley in Naperville, Pratt's Wayne Woods in Wayne and Waterfall Glen in Darien. Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton has a youth-group cabin.
Youth groups are defined as recognized, nonprofit organizations whose members are 17 or younger. Only members of these groups with their accompanying leaders may camp in these areas. Fees vary, and permit holders must be 21 and remain on site.
All youth-group sites are open year-round and have portable toilets, water pumps and limited supplies of firewood; outside firewood is not allowed. Only the cabin has electricity. Each site has picnic tables and a fire ring. The cabin and sites at Blackwell and Greene Valley are Ada-compliant.