Lyons Woods Forest Preserve

The personal injury firm of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. is dedicated to giving back to our community. We pride ourselves on our civic duty and commitment to our local communities throughout Chicago and Waukegan, IL. We encourage you to volunteer at nature preserves in the area, including Lyons Woods Forest Preserve, and enjoy everything our nearby natural settings offer.

Lyons Woods Facts & History

Lyons Woods Forest Preserve is named after the Lyons family of Waukegan. Isaac Reed Lyons moved to the area in 1843. He was an alderman and township supervisor. He also owned a grocery and dry goods store in Waukegan.

Various people owned parts of the Lyons Woods Forest Preserve before it became the public land that it is today. Philip Blanchard, a Warren Township judge, helped lead others to freedom through the underground railroad, which was believed to have a route through Lyons Woods. In 1868, he donated the land for a schoolhouse. Also, Smith Sherman, former mayor of Chicago, owned a portion of the land, along with Asiel Blodgett, a former mayor of Waukegan, IL. In 1940, George Pavlik acquired land at the southeast corner of the preserve and established a nursery that is still there today.

The land was eventually acquired as a forest preserve in bits and pieces between 1976 and 1986. A forest preserve referendum solidified the preserve’s place in Waukegan, IL in 1996. Today, the preserve spans 345 acres and is home to five state endangered species that ecologists and volunteers look after. Preserve workers have also planted more than 1,000 native shrubs and trees at Lyons Woods.

Things to Do at Lyons Woods

Lyons Woods is the perfect spot to enjoy nature in the Waukegan, IL area. Some favorite pastimes for locals and visitors include:

Hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing – Lyons Woods includes 2.5 miles of natural terrain for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing.
Birdwatching – Birdwatchers come to Lyons Woods to watch townsend’s solitaire, goshawk, white-winged crossbill, blue-winged warblers, long-eared owl, common yellowthroat, and the ovenbird. There is an observation deck at Lyons Woods to enhance this experience.
Nature observation – The preserve’s various prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands provide habitats for wildlife, plants, and birds. White, bur, and black oak trees are also the perfect spot for various animals to take refuge in the bluff lands of Lake Michigan.

Directions to Salvi Schostok & Pritchard

Lyons Woods Forest Preserve is located in the far northeast corner of Lake County in Waukegan, IL. Access to the preserve is at the corner of Blanchard Road and Sheridan Road. You can reach the Waukegan office of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. located at 218 N Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Waukegan, Illinois 60085 from the following directions from Lyons Woods:

Head east on Blanchard Rd toward N Sheridan Rd
Turn right onto N Sheridan Rd
Continue straight to stay on N Sheridan Rd
Turn right onto Grand Ave
Turn left onto N Martin Luther King Jr Ave