Cross-Country Skiing
Heller Nature Center
2821 Ridge Road
Highland Park,
Illinois
60035
View Map
Phone: 847.433.6901
Fax: 847.433.8856
Contacts
Leah Holloway, Naturalist
Phone: 847.579.4184
lholloway@pdhp.org
Jeff Smith, Manager
Phone: 847.579.4182
jsmith@pdhp.org
Jessica Soto, Naturalist
Phone: 847.579.4183
jsoto@pdhp.org
Aude Wilkins, Office Coordinator
Phone: 847.579.4181
awilkins@pdhp.org
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
Saturday, 9:00am-3:00pm
Grounds open dawn to dusk daily.
Cross-Country Ski Conditions We are not renting cross-country skis at this time due to poor snow conditions.Rental Information
Rental Information
Click here to view our brochure.
Birthday Party Information
Click here to view our brochure.
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.
HELP PRESERVE HELLER NATURE CENTER
Respect our plants and animals, leave them for all to enjoy.
Hike the trails. Leave bicycles and motorized vehicles in the parking lot.
Do not release animals into Heller's eco-system.
Keep your pets leashed, and remove any waste.
Enjoy Heller's picnic areas, but do not bring alcohol on site.
Be sure to stop by the Interpretive Center (pictured below) during business hours to check out our Nature Exhibit! Through interactive displays, you will learn about the three main biological communities found at Heller Nature Center (Oak-Hickory Woodlands, Northern Flatwoods and Prairie). Featured in the exhibit is a bird watching station where visitors are able to observe, identify and even draw the birds they see, and a 450-gallon aquarium that showcases native fish and aquatic plants. View the photo tour to see everything the Interpretive Center has to offer.
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.
