MCCD hosts candlelight hikes Dec. 13-14
Discover the beauty of a crisp, winter evening through woodland trails lit only by candlelight.
The McHenry County Conservation District will host a Candlelight Night Hike from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, at the Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road in Crystal Lake. The Prairieview Education Center is located in the Silver Creek Conservation Are, an 840-acre site featuring several natural communities, including wetlands, prairie, and savannas.
In the event of inclement weather, check the front page of MCCDistrict.org for latest trail conditions or follow www.facebook.com/DiscoverMCCD/ for event updates. Drop in anytime for this free activity. Get some fresh air, exercise, and enjoy the frosty night with hot chocolate and snacks around the campfire. No pets, please.
If there is 4 inches or more of snow, the trails will be groomed for skiing. Skiers of every experience level and age are welcome but you must bring your own equipment. Gather around the campfire for refreshments after your time out on the trail.
Save the date! Additional Candlelight Hikes/Cross Country Skis are scheduled for Jan. 10-11 at Coral Woods in Marengo; and Feb. 7-8 at Rush Creek in Harvard.
Enjoy night skiing/hiking? Did you know you can ski/hike every night until 9 p.m. on solar-lit trails at Pleasant Valley Conservation Area in Woodstock, half-mile loop through prairie, and at Hickory Grove Highlands in Cary, a three-quarter-mile looped trail through the wooded savanna. The sites open late during daylight saving time change. After March 8, sites close at sunset.
The 2,080-acre Pleasant Valley Conservation, a mosaic of natural areas, has 5 miles of trails. Within its borders exist a high-quality oak savanna, a grade "A" stream, a never-plowed wetland, and an impressive prairie ecosystem.
Hickory Grove Highlands has an interpretive and solar-lit trail.
For more information, call (815) 479-5779 or visit MCCDistrict.org.