Penny Road Pond in Barrington, Illinois

Looking for a new place to hike, we headed over to Penny Road Pond in Barrington over the weekend. The trails adjacent to the pond area are a bit less defined than in other preserves. In general, the area experiences less traffic which lends to a particularly peaceful experience.

The pond is quite beautiful and there is plenty of space to picnic. Since it is so quiet, we encountered quite a few birds near the pond. We spotted them both in the trees and in the grass.

Bobolink flying

We saw a number flying up from the grass that I believe to be bobolinks. Bobolinks migrate to the area in the spring from northern Argentina and Paraguay.

Hiking Area Including Prairie and Forest:

There are hiking trails across Penny Road that take you through the prairie and the woodlands. The area is designated as a significant bird area. The preserve is definitely a bird haven! We saw plenty of my husband's favorite red winged blackbirds. If you visit, bring your binoculars!

Lovely red winged blackbird on a reed

We did have a nice overlook into a field. My husband spotted deer. I probably was too busy taking photos of birds! The photo of the overlook below really does not do the moment justice.

There is quite a web of trails around Penny Road Pond and other nearby bodies of water including Spring Lake. The trails are not well marked like other more frequented preserves, so I would be sure to have a compass, plenty of water, snacks and a phone with good charge if you go wandering. Some areas allow horseback riding which gives another option for exploring.

The prairie blends into the forest at the Spring Lake Forest Preserve near Penny Road Pond.

In our section of the preserve system, we experience prairie blending into forest. I would like to return to see how the scene changes.

Into the forest

Who can resist a forest path?

There are many more trails in the Spring Lake Nature Preserve system. The season has just begun, so I cannot wait to try out some more! Overall, Spring Lake Nature Preserve is full of a variety of ecosystems, so there is plenty to experience on forthcoming journeys. We saw quite a few birds on our first excursion, I am excited to see what we discover next!