Lake Renwick Preserve – Heron Rookery Nature Preserve

Tucked away in humble Plainfield, this is a fantastic hidden gem with nice walking paths, beautiful birds (plus nice scenery even when the birds are on vacation), and fantastic staff.
Details:
Nice walking paths:
— We started from Turtle Lake Access Point — there’s a nice paved path that leads to a gazebo overlooking a lake. Great for a jog or a low-​key stroll.
— We also went to the Heron Rookery Nature Preserve (per their website, it’s open from May 1 to August 15, with guided tours on Wednesdays from 10 – 11 AM and bird viewing on Saturdays from 8 AM to 12 PM).
Beautiful birds:
— Not only herons, but also egrets and more
— The Preserve has done a great job with building an environment that draws a lot of birds
Fantastic staff:
— It was almost like going to a family reunion where you actually want to see and talk with everyone! The ladies at the information booth were warm and thoughtful, and the guides at the Nature Preserve were friendly and informative (we were lucky enough to have gone on a Saturday morning).
— The guides had set up telescopes that provided clear views of the birds, enabling visitors to see their true majesty while learning some fun facts as well.
Thank you, Lake Renwick Preserve /​Heron Rookery Team!

This place is awesome, but as the previous reviewers have mentioned. Don’t follow your GPS. There are several entrances and some have specific hours. Check the website before heading there.

For those of you that are touched by the creatures this world still has to offer and for those of you who choose to teach your kids that there is something mystical about how creatures find their way in this world, then this is a place to be had. The Heron Rookery is a true must see. But, I learned just in time you have to hit it (for its full effect) at very particular times.
This year, on last years recommendation of my Unilocal friend Robert, I hit this place within the time frame of the breeding season of these beautiful birds. And, having done so, the visitor centers guides made sure I didn’t miss a thing. Although there are a variety of small wetlands in the burbs that play home to groups of migratory herons and egrets, this place, I was told is considered major league.
The nesting islands are well protected, the peeps get the privacy and security they need and we, the general public, get acre on acre of peace and the opportunity to visualize what is unmistakeably innate.
If you go, try to get in «this window» and join one of their interpretive hikes. It’s beautiful, no matter the weather and the experience itself will put everything else in your life in complete perspective. The preserve, I found, has additional hours too … you can even enjoy sunset … and there are other venues in the preserve that are a little less restrictive.
Make the time, take the trip, and the herons will take care of the rest. Awesome.

Do not follow the Google Maps link (top right) for this location. It puts you at Mather Woods Forest Preserve (which is very nice!), not Lake Renwick Preserve.

Does Mother Nature intrigue you? Have you ever seen a community of Herons continue the circle of life right before your very eyes? Well, it’s not too late and only a short car ride away on Rt. 30 in Plainfield, Illinois.
Located on the northern side of Renwick Rd and Rt. 30, beautiful Lake Renwick is hidden behind walls and walls of cat tails and reeds, but if you keep looking as you pass, you’ll notice a small break in the foliage that reveals a man-​made island in the middle of the Lake with (what looks like) a bevy of telephone poles strewn together every which way. Now look closer… you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of nests and birds perched all around, either mating or carefully attending to their newly born babies. It’s amazing to watch the Heron as they fly overhead or patiently wait for dinner to surface from the water, below. Bring a lunch. You’re gonna want to stay a while
You’ll notice a small parking lot off of Rt. 30, complete with bathrooms, a few tables and a public telescope to bring the Heron community closer to you. If you have them, I strongly suggest bringing binoculars. That way you don’t have to wait for whoever’s using the telescope to walk away. Have kids? I think they’ll find this experience to be like something at Busch Gardens… only better, because it’s FREE!