Lakewood Forest Preserve Trail

At 2,835 acres, Lakewood is Lake County's largest forest preserve, offering dedicated equestrian trails, and additional trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Biking is not allowed on the preserve's trails, only along sections of the Millennium Trail and the Fort Hill Trail as they run north through Lakewood. Trail tunnels for both of these regional trails allow for continuous travel and easy passage under Route 176. Other preserve amenities include a Dog Park, picnic shelters, a variety of fishing ponds, and a lighted Winter Sports Area. From roughly 1835 to 1865, this site's large forested areas were divided into smaller parcels used by local farmers as a source of firewood and lumber. After the Civil War, small farms dominated the property. In 1937, Malcolm Boyle, a general contractor from Chicago, made his first of many purchases here and created Lakewood Farms, a country estate. Over the next 20 years, his farm became one of Lake County's largest, with livestock, orchards, gardens and crops. Boyle landscaped the ponds, dug Banana Lake and built 16 major buildings. In 1961, Howard Quinn purchased the 1,250-acre farm and converted it into a large dairy ranch, which operated until 1965. In 1968, our acquisition at Lakewood began and has continued in stages for more than 30 years. You can still identify the large show barn, the chicken coop and the bull barn.