DuPage Forest Preserve’s scenic overlook open during fall

Visitors are invited to watch the seasons change from summer to fall from the top of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s scenic overlook in Green Valley Forest Preserve.

The overlook, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends through Oct. 27, can be accessed off Greene Road, south of 79th Street in Naperville.

“This is a great time of year to enjoy the perspective from the highest public ground in the county,” says Matt Blazek, a district site operations manager. “Visitors will watch scores of migrating birds on their annual journeys, and they’ll see the prairies turn golden and the forests turn rich reds and browns.”

District staff members provide binoculars and a spotting scope to help visitors see far-off vistas and migrating birds. Picnic tables and a short trail are available, too. For a more “down-to-earth” exploration, hikers and bikers can use the 1.9-mile Hawk Trail, which circles the hill’s base.

Visitors can drive to and park at the summit, which stands at 190 feet above land surface. However, due to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency maintenance activities, the overlook may close during the season without notice.

The overlook rests on top of a closed landfill, which operated from 1974 until 1996. A gas-to-energy plant converts methane the landfill produces into enough energy to power thousands of homes. Revenues received from the landfill’s former disposal operations and current gas-to-energy plant operation — not tax dollars — funded the construction of the recreational improvements and continue to fund the maintenance of the overlook.

For information on the forest preserve district, contact dupageforest.org or (630) 933-7200.