Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Illinois, 27,566 acres by the boundary data. No Wikipedia article matched the name closely enough to quote.
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗| Designation | National Forest |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Illinois |
| Size | 27,566 acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres)) |
| Forest Service code | 0915, region 09 |
| Center point | 41.3757, -88.1123 |
| Night sky | Noticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 102) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 6 recreation sites in this forest, among them 2 viewing Plantss, 2 viewing Wildlifes, 1 visitor center, 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miTurtle Pond ↗Viewing Wildlife · January 1 to December 31
- 2 miChicago Road Seedbed ↗Viewpoint · January 1 to December 31
- 2 miWelcome Center ↗Visitor center · January 1 to December 31
- 4 miRiver Road Seedbeds ↗Viewing Plants · January 1 to December 31
- 4 miButtonbush Pond Overlook ↗Viewing Wildlife · January 1 to December 31
- 4 miSouth Patrol Road Prairie Restoration ↗Viewing Plants · January 1 to December 31
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
The Forest Service trail layer records 10 named trails in this forest, 29 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Oaks Trail ↗ | 5.8 | |
| Henslow Trail ↗ | 5.2 | |
| Blodgett Marsh Trail ↗ | 4.6 | |
| Group 63 Trail | 3.4 | |
| Route 53 Trail | 2.6 | |
| Bailey Bridge Trail | 2.4 | |
| Hedgeapple Trail | 1.5 | |
| Prairie Creek Woods Trail | 1.5 | |
| Group 63 Trail Spur | 1.2 | |
| Turtle Pond Trail | 0.3 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
All 10 trails in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie on Trailhead Atlas ↗
This unit has no description or nearby campgrounds in the sources this site reads. The boundary, size, agency and states above come from the agency layer.
Checked nightly. Sections appear when the sources fill in.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.2 miSmall--Towle House ↗Wilmington, IL
- 1.4 miEagle Hotel ↗Wilmington, IL
- 6.3 miJoliet Municipal Airport ↗Joliet, IL
- 6.4 miHenry, Jacob H., House ↗Joliet, IL
- 6.4 miWill County Courthouse ↗Joliet, IL
- 6.5 miUnion Station ↗Joliet, IL
- 6.5 miChrist Episcopal Church ↗Joliet, IL
- 6.5 miScutt, Hiram B., Mansion ↗Joliet, IL
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
27,566 acres.
Source: Forest Service boundary data
Who manages Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: U.S. Forest Service
What state is Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in?
Illinois.
Source: How states are assigned
Where are the trailheads in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
The Forest Service lists 6 recreation sites here, including 2 viewing plantss, 2 viewing wildlifes and 1 visitor centers. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.376, -88.112. Pullman National Historical Park is 29 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Forest Service
How dark is the night sky at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 102 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, noticeable light pollution.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
Pullman National Historical Park (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
23 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Small--Towle House and Eagle Hotel.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by forest code.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.