Preserve Closings & Winter Deer Management
The Winnebago County Forest Preserve District will have reduced vehicle access to interior roads this winter. Most preserves will be gated closed to vehicular traffic for the winter season. We will not be plowing inside of closed gates. Many preserves will accommodate public access by having the front parking lots plowed. Users are welcome to access all preserves on foot for hiking, cross-country skiing and other winter recreation. Paved trails at Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Severson Dells Forest Preserve and Klehm Arboretum will be plowed and open during the winter season.
WCFPD will be posting “closed/keep out” signs at some of the south-east area preserves in the afternoons of weeknights that the district will be conducting its deer management program. This will result in the early closure of only two-three preserves at a time, for one to two nights per week from January through early to mid-March.