How Lake Carina Forest Preserve plan would make a hidden gem more accessible
Actions to get planned improvements at Lake Carina Forest Preserve near Gurnee off the drawing board and ready to go when state funding becomes available are underway.
Forest commissioners Wednesday approved a $214,267 contract with Civiltech Engineering Inc. of Itasca for planning, estimates and other work associated with improving public access and other amenities.
“The resulting plans and supporting documents will be ‘shovel ready’ and better position the district to pursue potential grant funding for the project,” according to a district overview.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced $36 million in grant funding for 67 local park and outdoor projects.
The list includes a $600,000 match for accessibility site improvements at Lake Carina, but it was not immediately clear what that could mean for the project timetable.
Lake Carina is a 23-acre former gravel pit and fishing hole along the Des Plaines River and Greenway between Route 21 and Interstate 94. The main entrance to the parking lot leading to trails, an accessible fishing pier and restrooms is off Route 21.
A bridge and trail connection to the Des Plaines River Trail has been on the to-do list for several years and is considered a separate piece of the overall project. Last October, engineering for public access work was included in the forest district’s 2026 capital improvement plan.
Lake Carina is one of seven public access projects that emerged from dormancy following voter approval of a $155 million tax hike in 2024 and the subsequent first bond issue.
“It is a beautiful area, but it’s cut off,” said Jennifer Clark, vice chair of the forest board’s planning committee. “It’s like a hidden gem that hopefully will be less hidden.”
The intent was to proceed with planning and engineering for those projects in advance of full funding and construction.
Lake Carina Forest Preserve is 494 acres. The lake is encircled by a one-mile mowed grass trail and surrounded by woodlands and open fields, a pond and wetlands. A gravel trail connects the parking lot to the fishing pier on the lake stocked by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
But the existing facilities need to be modified and upgraded because of their age, to improve compliance with accessibility standards and “enhance the user experience,” according to the district.
That includes redesigning the grass path to a continuous hard surface trail along the lake and accommodating a new bridge crossing the Des Plaines River and connecting the Des Plaines River Trail to the parking lot trailhead off Route 21.
“This new trail section will connect thousands of nearby Gurnee residents to the regional Des Plaines River Trail, promoting recreational and nonmotorized commuting opportunities,” according to a district information.
Planning committee member Carissa Casbon said pending improvements mesh with Gurnee’s plan to make the area more accessible and bikable.