Bloomingdale

Bloomingdale offers several distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: nature and wildlife viewing at Meacham Grove Forest Preserve, a museum in the oldest building in town, and recreational activities on the water, in the park, and along local trails. If you’re looking for a hotel in Bloomingdale, you can organize these destinations around the activity you want to shape your stay.

Nature and Trails at Meacham Grove

The 255-acre Meacham Grove Forest Preserve includes stands of trees, meadows, and wetlands. Its 2.5-mile trails loop around the lake and through the adjoining wetlands, where you can hike, bike, or cross-country ski. A section of the North Central DuPage Regional Trail is also part of the preserve. This means the area combines a specific trail length with several ways to experience the landscape.

In 2012, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission gave Meacham Grove Nature Preserve an additional level of protection through its designation. At the lake and in the adjoining wetlands, you can hear western chorus frogs and spot great egrets, great blue herons, swallows, beavers, and dragonflies. Wildlife viewing adds a different focus to activities on the trails: you can also pay attention to the sounds and animals around you. Trail operating conditions may change, so check for current notices before setting out.

Museum and Recreational Activities

The Bloomingdale Park District Museum is the oldest building in Bloomingdale and houses five to seven exhibits. As a cultural point of interest, it differs from the natural areas: the focus at the museum is a single building with a manageable number of exhibits. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider a cultural highlight in addition to the landscape and outdoor activities.

At The Oasis water park, Mango Bay is a recreational pool with a zero-depth entry, geysers, tipping buckets, spray features, and water slides. This is a different kind of recreation from hiking or wildlife viewing at Meacham Grove: here, the focus is on the pool and its water features. Water park features may change, so check current notices from the Park District before planning a visit.

Westlake Park has the Park District’s only sledding hill. It adds a winter recreation option that differs in activity from the pool and nature trails.

Understanding the Recreational Trails

Bloomingdale’s recreational trails connect Mallard Lake Forest Preserve to Springfield Park along Lawrence Avenue. The named destinations and Lawrence Avenue are the key points for finding your way here; the 2.5-mile length, by contrast, applies to the trails at Meacham Grove. This distinction helps keep the two trail details clear when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Villa Park, Warrenville, Westmont, Bensenville, Glen Ellyn, Lisle, Carol Stream, Itasca.

For the broader travel overview: DuPage.