Find the natural area
5010 N. Jugtown Road
Morris, Illinois 60450
Use the Illinois DNR’s official park information for directions and visitor details.
Places to Explore / Illinois
Wide prairie skies, changing wildflowers, and wildlife encounters from one of my favorite places in Illinois.
Goose Lake Prairie was one of my top three favorite places in Illinois. This collection brings together photographs from my visits. — Brian
A surviving prairie landscape
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area protects prairie and wetland habitat in Grundy County. Open views, tall grasses, and trails through the flowers give a sense of the landscape that once covered much of Illinois.
In its account of the park’s establishment, Openlands describes it as the largest remnant tallgrass prairie east of the Mississippi. “Remnant” refers to surviving original prairie; this historical description is more specific than a ranking of all prairie landscapes today.
The photographs move between broad fields, marshy water, and the paths connecting them. A view of Cragg Cabin adds a glimpse of the site’s human history.
Flowers through the seasons
Prairie Shooting Star, Blue Wild Indigo, and Violet Wood Sorrel bring delicate shapes and color to the collection. Later flowers include blazing star, ironweed, Royal Catchfly, and several milkweeds.
Some photographs show a whole plant beside the trail; others move close enough to reveal the flower’s structure. Sedges, cottony seed heads, and orange dodder stems add their own textures to the prairie.
Monarchs and other flower visitors connect the plant photographs with the wildlife found throughout the gallery.
Prairie birds & wetland encounters
The collection includes Dickcissels, meadowlarks, a Yellow-breasted Chat, and a Marsh Wren among the wetland stems. Shorebirds feeding in shallow water show another side of this prairie landscape.
A Blanding’s Turtle, a Snapping Turtle, a crayfish on the path, and a Mink beside the water are among the smaller discoveries. White-tailed Deer with fawns and a Killdeer family add memorable moments from past visits.
These photographs record individual encounters. Wildlife sightings and flowering times vary with season and conditions.
From my photo collection
Explore 86 photographs from past visits, grouped by subject. Select any photograph to open the slideshow.
Historic views of boardwalks and other structures reflect conditions when photographed. Check current access information before visiting.
Plan a visit
5010 N. Jugtown Road
Morris, Illinois 60450
Use the Illinois DNR’s official park information for directions and visitor details.
Plan your walk using current trail information. The visitor center and Cragg Cabin area offer a starting point for learning about the prairie and its history.
Consult the DNR’s current closure notices before visiting, including seasonal hunting closures. Past photographs do not indicate whether a particular structure or route is currently open.
Watch animals from a respectful distance, leave flowers and other natural features undisturbed, and follow designated trails and posted guidance.
Visitor information: Illinois DNR — Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area · Current closure notices. Prairie history: Openlands.
Photographs by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife.