Places to Explore • Illinois

Mallard Lake Forest Preserve

Autumn light, lakeside trails and bridges over blue water.

Hanover Park, Illinois • Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Golden grasses, orange leaves and wide skies frame this walk around Mallard Lake. Brian’s photographs follow the shoreline and footbridges, with pauses for a woodpecker in the trees and gulls resting in the shallows.

A footbridge and autumn shoreline reflected in the lake at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A footbridge and autumn shoreline reflected in the lake

Water and open skies

A lake with a changing landscape

The 948-acre preserve includes wetlands, fields and woods around an 85-acre lake—the district’s largest recreational lake.

Its land sits on the Valparaiso Moraine, a ridge shaped by glaciers. Later uses included gravel and peat extraction; a landfill operated here from 1974 to 1999.

Watch the edges

The meeting of water, grasses and trees makes this an inviting place to slow down with a camera. Reflections change with the wind, while bare branches make small birds easier to notice.

These photographs show moments from an autumn visit. Look for your own discoveries along the marked trails; wildlife sightings and seasonal color will vary.

Plan your visit

Before you head out

Getting there

The main entrance is on Schick Road west of Gary Avenue. Another parking area is on Greenbrook Boulevard east of County Farm Road.

Trails & bridges

The district lists about 4 miles of trails, including a 2.5-mile system around the lake with a boardwalk and two bridges. Connections reach Hawk Hollow and the North Central DuPage Regional Trail.

Hours & facilities

Open one hour after sunrise until one hour after sunset. Main-lot flush restrooms are seasonal; portable toilets serve that area in colder months.

Bring your binoculars

Scan the water and shoreline, then check nearby tree trunks and branches. Stay on designated trails, leave plants in place, and give resting birds space. Check the official page for current access details and activity requirements.

Photographs by Brian Woolman

Explore the visit

19 selected photographs, grouped by subject. Open any photo for the slideshow. “Load more” adds the remaining images to the same gallery.

Lakeside trails & footbridges

A footbridge and autumn shoreline reflected in the lake at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A footbridge and autumn shoreline reflected in the lake
A footbridge crossing the lake beside dry shoreline grasses at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A footbridge crossing the lake beside dry shoreline grasses
Long shadows across a wooden footbridge at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Long shadows across a wooden footbridge
A pale gravel trail curving around the water at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A pale gravel trail curving around the water
A lakeside trail beneath wispy clouds at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A lakeside trail beneath wispy clouds
A straight trail through the autumn woods at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A straight trail through the autumn woods
A broad gravel trail beside the lake at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A broad gravel trail beside the lake

Blue water & autumn color

Blue water and golden grasses beneath an autumn sky at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Blue water and golden grasses beneath an autumn sky
A wooden bridge reflected in still water at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A wooden bridge reflected in still water
Calm blue water beneath a clear sky at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Calm blue water beneath a clear sky
Orange autumn leaves against blue sky at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Orange autumn leaves against blue sky
A narrow waterway bordered by tall grasses at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A narrow waterway bordered by tall grasses
A gravel point extending into blue water at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A gravel point extending into blue water
Golden shoreline grasses beside open water at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Golden shoreline grasses beside open water
A grassy strip between stretches of lake at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A grassy strip between stretches of lake
Load 2 more photos
A lakeside tree framed by sweeping clouds at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A lakeside tree framed by sweeping clouds
A curving line of shoreline rocks at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
A curving line of shoreline rocks

Birds along the way

Male Downy Woodpecker beside a tree trunk at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Male Downy Woodpecker beside a tree trunk
Gulls resting together in shallow water at Mallard Lake Forest Preserve in Hanover Park, Illinois
Gulls resting together in shallow water

Official information & maps

Visitor details and preserve history come from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Consult its current information before visiting.

Official Visitor Information Official Trail Map ← Back to Places to Explore

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