Greene Valley overlook set to open for summer season

Visitors can see a soaring hawk, launch a model glider or view the Chicago skyline from 190 feet above the ground at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's scenic overlook at Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville.

"The scenic overlook gives you a birds-eye view of DuPage County and is a great spot to fly a kite, look for migratory birds or have a picnic," forest preserve President Joe Cantore said.

The overlook will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, May 5 through Oct. 28, weather permitting, although 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 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 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays 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.

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 plant - not tax dollars - funded construction of the recreational improvements and continues to fund the maintenance of the overlook.