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Celebrate fall in DuPage forest preserves

Residents can enjoy displays of fall colors at one of many Forest Preserve District of DuPage County programs starting this week.

The district's 62 preserves offer countless opportunities to celebrate the season by hiking, biking, paddling or enjoying a hayride.

Fall Colors Wagon Tours are offered from 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 4, 9, 11 and 15 at St. James Farm in Warrenville.

Participants will learn about trees, natural areas, buildings and the equestrian roots of the preserve on a 30-minute tractor-drawn ride. The rides are $5 a person and free for kids younger than 5. You can register online or by calling (630) 580-7025.

Here's a look at some of the district's other seasonal activities:

• The Danada Fall Festival is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Danada Equestrian Center, 3S507 Naperville Road, Wheaton. Visitors can enjoy a parade of breeds, continuous equestrian performances, hayrides, pony rides, face painting, grooming demonstrations, educational displays, and food.

The fest is ideal for all ages and admission and parking are both free (although there are fees for some activities).

Info: (630) 668-6012.

• Fall Colors Along Salt Creek takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 15, at Fullersburg Woods, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook.

Visitors can enjoy the fall color show as it dances and shimmers on the water during this guided paddle. Bring your own canoe or kayak or rent a kayak for $20 per person.

The program is for those 14 and older. Register online or at (630) 933-7248.

• Fall Colors Hikes are from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17 at Maple Grove in Downers Grove; 3:30 to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 at Waterfall Glen in Darien; 9 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24 at Greene Valley in Naperville; and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 31 at Meacham Grove in Bloomingdale.

Participants will learn about wildlife, plants, history and forest preserve features on a guided hike.

The walks are free and you can register online or by calling (630) 933-7248.

• Little Sprouts Tales and Trails is offered from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Fullersburg Woods, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook, with a focus on pumpkins, and 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Fullersburg Woods with a focus on leaves.

You can ignite your toddler's sense of wonder for the natural world as you enjoy stories, songs, movement and guided outdoor explorations together.

The program is designed for those ages 2 to 5 with an adult and the cost is $5 per child. Register online or at (630) 850-8110.

• Autumn Moon Hayrides take place at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 20 and 27, Nov. 3 and 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11, at St. James Farm in Warrenville.

You'll have a rare chance to experience the preserve after the sun sets and hear stories about the moon on a tractor-drawn ride and then enjoy hot cocoa and s'mores by the fire. The cost is $5 per person; kids younger than 5 are free. Register online

• Corn Harvest is celebrated from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct 21 and 22, at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago.

Take a horse-drawn hayride to the fields and help shuck and store corn to feed the farm's cows and sheep in winter. Stop by the farmhouse, too, to make a corn-husk figure for home.

The program is free and no registration is required. Info: (630) 876-5900.

• Paddling: West Branch Color Tour is offered 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at multiple locations. Skilled paddlers get a double dose of fall colors in the treetops and on the water during this 8.5-mile guided trip from downtown Winfield to Warrenville Grove.

Bring your own canoe or kayak to this free program or rent a kayak for $20 per person. You must arrange for your own ride back to the launch site. Ages 14 and older; younger than 18 with an adult.

Register online or at (630) 933-7248.

• Myths and Legends is presented from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook.

Do bats really get caught in your hair? Was there a glass coffin hidden on the estate holding the remains of the original owner?

Enjoy s'mores and a discussion around the campfire as you discover the truth behind wildlife myths and the legends of Mayslake Peabody Estate.

Ages 12 and older; younger than 18 with an adult. Cost: $10 per person. Register online or at (630) 206-9566.

• Ride the Trails Fall Color Tour is offered 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, starting at Danada Forest Preserve, 3S507 Naperville Road, Wheaton. Bring your bike and tour several preserves on a 15- to 18-mile ranger-led ride. Ages 12 and older; younger than 16 with an adult.

The program is free and you can register online or at (630) 933-7248.

• Halloween Night Walks are from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28, at Fullersburg Woods, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook.

Enjoy Halloween tricks and natural-history tales during a 75-minute guided walk through the woods after dark. Short stops along the way will include dramatic antics and humorous tales.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Fullersburg Woods (no phone or online orders). The cost is $12 per person. Info: (630) 850-8110.

• Lamplight Stories of ghoulish tales told outside in the dark are presented from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago. Ages 15 and older; younger than 18 with an adult. The program is free and no registration is required. Info: (630) 876-5900.

• Cast-Iron Cooking Thanksgiving is offered 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at Churchill Woods in Glen Ellyn. Celebrate Thanksgiving by helping to prepare a traditional meal over an open campfire. Cost: $10 per person ages 13 and older; $5 for ages 7-12. Register online or at (630) 933-7248.

  A white-tailed buck peers out from the trees in the Danada Forest Preserve of DuPage County in Wheaton. BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com
Residents can hike, bike, paddle or enjoy hayrides to see fall colors in DuPage forest preserves. Courtesy of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
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