Opening day nears for Greene Valley overlook

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's scenic overlook at Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville opens on weekends starting May 4, providing a birds-eye view of DuPage County and the chance to see Chicago's skyline from 190 feet above ground level.

The overlook will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27, weather permitting, although Illinois Environmental Protection Agency activities may cause it to close without notice.

The access drive is off Greene Road, south of 79th Street. Visitors can park at the summit, where district staff members will be on hand to answer questions and provide binoculars and a spotting scope for views of far-off vistas and migrating birds.

Visitors with valid district permits can launch nonpowered crafts from the top; permits are available online or through Visitor Services at (630) 933-7248.

For more down-to-earth exploration, hikers and bikers can use the 1.9-mile Hawk Trail, which circles the hill's base and is open only during the scenic overlook operating hours.

The district periodically opens the overlook for special viewings of the sunrise, sunset or lunar eclipses. Follow @dupageforest on Facebook for notices.

The overlook rests on top of a closed landfill, which operated from 1974 to 1996. A gas-to-energy plant converts methane from the landfill into energy, which powers thousands of area homes.

Revenue from the landfill's former disposal operations and the gas-to-energy plants - not tax dollars - funded construction of the recreational improvements and continue to fund maintenance of the overlook.