VoloBogStateNaturalArea����
Just45milesnorthwestofChicagoisastatenaturalareafeatur-ingthestate’sonlyquakingbogwithanopenwatercenter.VoloBogowesitsexistencetoglacialactivity,asdoestherestofthelandscapeofnortheasternIllinois.AstheWisconsinglacierbeganitsfinalstagesofmeltingor“receding”thousandsofyearsago,itdepositedablanketofdebris,includingclay,sand,gravelandboulders,collectivelycalledglacialtill.Embeddedinthetillwerelargechunksoficethatbrokeoffthemeltingglacier.Asthecli-matecontinuedtowarm,theiceblocksmelted,formingdepres-sionsthatdevelopedintolakes,bogsandmarshes.
VoloBogwasatonetimeadeep,50-acrelakewithsteepbanksandpoordrainage.Accordingtoresearcherswhohavestudiedpollengrainspreservedinthebog,thelakebeganfillingwithveg-etationabout6,000yearsago.Afloatingmat,consistingprimar-ilyofsphagnummoss,formedaroundtheoutsideedgesamongthelake’scattailsandsedges.Astheseplantsdiedanddecom-posed,thepeatmatthickened,formingsupportmaterialforroot-edplants.Becauseofpoordrainageandthepresenceofsphag-nummoss,thewaterinthebogbecameacidic.Thislimitedthetypesofplantsthatcouldsurviveandresultedintheuniqueplantcommunitiesfoundinthebog.
VoloBogwasfirstdocumentedbyW.G.WatermanofNorthwesternIllinoisUniversityin1921whenitwasownedby
dairyfarmerGeorgeSayer.Afund-raisingcampaign,managedbyCyrusMark,thefirstdirectoroftheIllinoisChapteroftheNatureConservancy,collected$40,000indonationstopurchasethe47.5-acrebogin1958.DeededtotheUniversityofIllinois,thelandfacedthethreatofdevelopmentinthelate1960s.Localres-identsformedthe“SaveVoloBog”committee,whoseeffortsresultedinthetransferofVoloBogtotheIllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResourcesin1970.Thatsameyear,itwasdedicatedasanIllinoisNaturePreserveandin1973wasregisteredasaNationalNaturalLandmarkwiththeU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior.Throughtheyears,morethan1,000additionalacreshavebeenpurchasedtoprotectandenlargethestatepreserve,whichnowincludesmarshes,prairierestorationareas,wood-landsandtwootherbogs.
VisitorCenter����
Arenovateddairybarnbuiltintheearly1900sservestodayasavisitorcenter.ItsdisplaysandexhibitsexplainbogsingeneralandhighlighttheinnerworkingsofVoloBog.Thebuildingalsohousesaclassroom,naturalhistoryreferencelibrary,parkoffices,publicrestroomsandabook/giftshop.Thevisitorcenterisopen9a.m.to3p.m.WednesdaythoughSundayandsomestateholidaysexceptChristmasandNewYear’sDay.
Programs����
Anexcellentoutdoorlaboratoryandclassroom,VoloBogoffersawidevarietyofeducationalprogramming.Asiteprogramcoordi-nator/naturalistisonstafftoassistgroupsinplanningprogramsandtours.GuidedpublictoursofVoloBogareconductedSaturdaysandSundays.Abroadspectrumofspecialevents,tours,lecturesandworkshopsareheldthroughouttheyear.Groupsshouldscheduleprogramswellinadvance.
NaturalFeatures����
VoloBogissignificantinthatitexhibitsallstagesofbogsucces-sion.Afloatingmatofsphagnummoss,cattailsandsedgessur-roundsanopenpoolofwaterinthecenterofthebog.Assub-stratematerialthickens,ashrubcommunitydominatedbypoisonsumacandleatherleafinvadesthemat.Thisiseventuallyreplacedbytamarackforest.Surroundingthisforestisasecond,moreextensiveshrubzone,whichabruptlyendsandbecomesamarsh/sedgemeadowcommunity.
EachseasonbringsitsownbeautyandwondertoVoloBog,andseasonalvisitsallowforobservationofawidevarietyofplantandanimallife.Inthespring,fernfiddleheadsrevealtheirbeautiful
Picnicking � � � �
A picnic area, featuring tables, a shelter with grills, and an out-door privy, is adjacent to the visitor center parking lot. Groundfires and alcohol are strictly prohibited anywhere in the park.
For more information, contact Volo Bog State Natural Area, 28478W. Brandenburg Road, Ingleside, Ill. 60041, (815) 344-1294.
Recreational Trails Program � � � �
This trail brochure was made possible due to funding provided bythe Federal Highway Administration through the RecreationalTrails Program (RTP).Monies are funded through the FederalMotor Fuel Tax and administered through the Recreational TrailsFund Act. Trail projects are supported by the federal government,which provides up to 80% reimbursement of cost. State fundsprovide the balance of the funding for the projects. The trails pro-gram encourages trails management practices to serve a widevariety of trail users.The program is administered in Illinois by theDepartment of Natural Resources in cooperation with the IllinoisDepartment of Transportation.
Exotic Species � � � �
Plants and animals not native to Illinois are exotic species. Mostof them are harmless to our state; however, some can be veryinvasive to native plant communities and can overwhelm or wipeout native species. Prevention and control of exotic, invasivespecies requires tremendous cooperation between managersand all users of parks, natural areas, and privately owned land.To learn more about exotic and invasive species and how youcan help prevent their spread, visit the IDNR Exotic SpeciesWebsite at: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/ExoticSpecies/exoticspintro.htm.
State of IllinoisIllinois Department of Natural Resources
Volo BogS T A T E N A T U R A L A R E A
Volo Bog State Natural Area28478 West Brandenburg Road
Ingleside, IL 60041, (815) 344-1294
Volo BogState Natural Area
� While groups of 25 or more are welcome and encouraged to use thepark’s facilities, they are required to register in advance with the siteoffice to avoid crowding or scheduling conflicts.
� At least one responsible adult must accompany each group of15 minors.
� Pets must be leashed. No pets on the Volo Bog Interpetive Trail.
� Actions by nature can result in closed roads and other facilities. Wehope you enjoy your stay. Remember, take only memories, leaveonly footprints.
� For more information on state parks, write to the Department ofNatural Resources, Clearinghouse, One Natural Resources Way,Springfield, IL 62702-1271 visit our website at www.dnr.state.il.us.
� For more information on tourism in Illinois, call the Illinois Departmentof Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Tourism at1-800-2CONNECT.
� Hearing-impaired individuals may call the Department of NaturalResources’ TTY number, (217) 782-9175, or use the AmeritechRelay Number, 1-800-526-0844.
Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) andthose funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individualsregardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other nonmerit factors. If you believeyou have been discriminated against, contact the funding source’s civil rights office and/or the EqualEmployment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271;(217) 785-0067; TTY (217) 782-9175.
Printed by the Authority of the State of IllinoisDNR75 –100M –11/09 • IOCI 0319-10
�
Keep Your Eye on Every Issue ofOutdoorIllinoisDNR’s monthly magazine provides currentnews and articles on hunting, fishing andother outdoor recreational activities, aswell as information on the natural and cul-tural resources of Illinois.
A one-year subscription is only $15, andeach December you’ll receive a full-color
calendar featuring important outdoor dates and events. To sub-scribe, contact DNR at (217) 782-7454. The TTY number for thehearing impaired is (217) 782-9175.
fronds.Bogbuckbean
andleatherleaf
bloomin
abundance.Agreatvariety
ofsongbirds,waterfowlandwading
birdsstop
byas
theymigrate
northto
theirsummernesting
areas.
Asspring
moves
intosum
mer,the
orchidsappear,including
thedelicate
grasspink
androse
pogonia.Great
blueand
greenherons,
sandhillcranes,white-tailed
deer,mink,
muskrat,
rac-coons
andmany
othersmallercreatures
areoften
observed.
Fallisone
ofthemostdram
aticseasons
andfeatures
thegold
ofthe
tamarack
needles,thered
ofpoisonsum
acand
thegreens
ofsphagnum
moss.
Winteris
agood
timeto
identifytrees
andshrubs
bytheirbark.
Thebrightred
berriesofthe
winterberryholly
andmaroon
leavesofthe
leatherleafareastriking
contrasttothe
brightwhitenessof
thesnow-covered
ground.Animaltracks
inthe
snowprovide
evi-dence
oflifein
thebog—
muskrat,weaseland
rabbitsmake
theirhom
esin
thepreserve.Periodically,when
seedavailability
tothe
northis
small,crossbills
willvisitthebog
andcan
beobserved
crackingopen
tamarack
cones.
Trails�
��
�
VoloBog
InterpretiveTrail:Designed
forhikersonly,this
half-mile
interpretiveloop
leadsvisitors
througheach
stageofbog
succession.Itisconstructed
ofwooddock
sections,boardwalksand
awood-chipped
path.Trailbrochures,adaptedforeach
sea-son,are
availableatthe
visitorcenter.
Tamarack
ViewTrail:This
3.0-mile
isdesigned
onlyfor
hikingand,when
thereis
aminim
umsnow
baseof6
inches,cross-country
skiing.Aspark
visitorstraverse
throughwoods,wetlands,
fieldsand
prairie,theyare
giventhe
opportunityto
observethe
diversenaturalcom
munities
withinthe
park.Fromhighereleva-
tionsalong
thetrail,they
canlook
intothe
VoloBog
basinand
viewtam
aracktrees,which
arelisted
asathreatened
speciesin
Illinois.Thetrailbegins
southeastofthevisitorcenterand
goescounterclockwise.It’s
especiallyadvisable
tomove
inthis
direc-tion
whenskiers
areon
thetrailto
avoidaccidents.
LincolnRoad
BrandenburgR
oad
Rt.134
U.S. 12U.S. 12
BigH
ollowR
oad
McHenry County
Lake County
McHenry County
Lake County
BayR
oad
SullivanLake
Road
Tamarack
ViewTrail
PrarieRidge
Trail(.9m
i)
DeerPathTrail(1.1
mi)
VoloBog
InterpretiveTrail
VoloBog
NaturePreserve
PistakeeBog
NaturePreserve
PistakeeBog
NaturePreserve
OP
–Observation
Platform
OT
–Observation
Tower
OB
–Observation
Blind
OT
OP
OB
PRIVATE
PRIVATE
PRIVATE
PRIVATE
Pond
Pond
ONLY
Pond
��Vo
lo B
og
State N
atural A
rea
60
134120120
McHenry
Volo
Fox Lake
Brandenburg Rd.
Sullivan Lake Rd.
12��
12�� Vo
lo B
og
State N
atural A
rea
NO PETS
Park Offices/Visitor C
enter
Park Boundary
Restroom
s
Parking
Interpretive Center
Interpretive Trail
Picnic Area
Cross-C
ountry Skiing
Hiking
Dog W
alk
Tamarack View
Trail (2.75 M
iles)
Volo Bog InterpretiveTrail (.5 M
ile)
Direction of X/C
Skiing
Leg
end
