Heller Nature Center

2821 Ridge Road
Highland Park, Illinois 60035
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Phone: 847.433.6901     Fax: 847.433.8856

Contacts

Liza Fischel, Naturalist
Phone: 847.579.4184 lfischel@pdhp.org

Theresa Greinig, Naturalist
Phone: 847.579.4183 tgreinig@pdhp.org

Jeff Smith, Manager
Phone: 847.579.4182 jsmith@pdhp.org

Aude Wilkins, Office Coordinator
Phone: 847.579.4181 awilkins@pdhp.org

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
(Closed some holidays.)
Grounds open dawn to dusk daily.

Rental Information

Click here to view our brochure.

Trail Map Challenge

Appeal to your outdoor senses this summer and take the Trail Map Challenge. Collect punches at each of the programs in which you and your family participate (eligible programs are listed on the Trail Map Challenge flyer). Get four punches and receive free admission for a family of four to Autumn Fest on September 26. Click here for more details and to view the Trail Map Challenge flyer.

Welcome to Heller Nature Center, where oak-hickory forests, tall grass prairie, oak savanna and natural wetlands are an oasis for native plants and animals. Heller Nature Center, a 97-acre preserve of the Park District of Highland Park, has been under public stewardship since 1977. Heller’s careful resource management, including restoration and controlled burns, provides a taste of an authentic native landscape. Visitors to Heller can also enjoy a picnic in our woodlands, visit our Design in Nature exhibit in the Goodman Log Cabin, or rent cross-country skis and explore our three miles of trails.  At Heller, every season is suitable to enjoy the outdoors.  Three miles of marked trails (view our trail map) offer close contact with nature and a little bit of solitude amidst the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s northern suburbs.

NEW Interpretive Center! Click the link below to take a tour.
Click Here For A Photo Tour

Features

Oak-hickory forests, tall grass prairie, oak savanna and natural wetlands, native plants and animals, 97-acre preserve, nature exhibits, cross-country skiing, three miles of trails, public programs, nature classes and summer camps.

Affiliates, Sponsors or Recognized Organizations

Lake Cook Audubon Society

Ask a Naturalist

Ask a Naturalist at the Heller Nature Center