Winnebago County Forest Preserve District celebrates over 80 years of providing open spaces and green places for recreation, education and preservation. The District’s first preserve, Hononegah, was purchased in 1924.

Today the Forest Preserve District maintains over 9,500 acres at 40 sites throughout the county. Nature preserves, golf courses, campgrounds, environmental education centers, botanic gardens, hiking trails and boat launches serve millions of Winnebago County residents and visitors each year.

©2010 WINNEBAGO COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT

Picnicking Shelterhouses

Plan your picnic or family reunion now. Schedule your summer event in the beautiful, relaxing, natural setting of a forest preserve. Now is the time to reserve a shelterhouse for your annual picnic, for your family, company or club. Twenty-eight shelterhouse facilities are available in 18 different preserves. Playground equipment is available at: Atwood Homestead, Blackhawk Springs, Hononegah, Pecatonica River, Roland Olson, Seward Bluffs, and Sugar River Forest Preserves. Firewood cannot be brought in to the forest preserves due to the spread of the Emerald Ash Borerer. A shelterhouse reservation requires a fee and covers the entire day, from 7:00 AM until sunset.

To reserve a date call the Forest Preserve District office at (815) 877-6100. We start taking reservations the first Monday in February of each year for that year.

FEES
Shelterhouses
Daily reservation small shelter $25.00
Daily reservation large shelter (up to 300 people) $35.00
Daily reservation large shelter (300 to 500 people) $350.00
Daily reservation with electric $5.00 additional
Note: 300 and over, Forest Preserve District will provide one extra set of port-o-lets along with one garbage dumpster.

Ground Use Permits
Rides & Amusements (Maximum 5) $30.00/day/ride

Building Use Permits- Headquarters, Pecatonica Study Center $50.00/day
Concessions (selling food or beverages) - special permit required - no charge
Other ground use permits (designated areas, tents, metal detectors) $10.00

PRESERVES WITH SHELTERHOUSES

Preserve
Shelterhouse
Max. People
Tables
Seating
Electric
Vehicle Access
Atwood Homestead
-Old Settlers
300
22
120
No
Yes
 
-River Oaks
300
22
120
No
Yes
 
-Willow Grove
200
22
120
No
Yes
Four Lakes
-Lake View
100
10
60
No
No
Fuller Memorial
-Bird Haven
300
20
120
No
No
Hononegah
-Bird Grove
100
10
60
No
No
 
-Indian Rest
200
20
120
Yes
No
 
-Towering Pines
300
20
120
Yes
No
 
-Red Cedar Ridge
200
20
120
No
No
Kilbuck Bluffs
-Edgewood
100
10
60
No
No
 
-Fort Chartres
80
8
48
No
Yes
 
-Sleepy Hollow
150
22
100
No
No
Laona Heights
-Ironwood
50
4
24
No
No
Macktown
-Highland
200
22
120
Yes
Yes
Pecatonica River
-Highview
300
27
150
Yes
No
Pecatonica Wetlands
-Arrowhead
300
25
150
Yes
No
Roland Olson
-Stuga
500
22
90
Yes
Yes
Severson Dells
-Prairie Knoll
200
25
150
No
No
Seward Bluffs
-Grove Creek
50
5
30
No
No
 
-Oak Ridge
80
8
48
No
Yes
Sugar River
-River View
80
8
48
No
No
 
-Sand Bluffs
100
14
85
No
Yes
Trask Bridge
-Coffee Tree
80
8
48
No
No

Playgrounds only at Atwood Homestead, Blackhawk Springs, Hononegah, Pecatonica River, Roland Olson, Seward Bluffs, and Sugar River Forest Preserves.



Laona Heights Sugar River Colored Sands Sugar River Two Rivers Hartley Memorial Trask Bridge Four Lakes Pecatonica River Pecatonica Wetlands Crooked River - Undeveloped Grove Creek - Undeveloped Seward Bluffs Carl & Lois Klehm Severson Dells Fuller Memorial Indian Hill Hinchliff Memorial Kilbuck Bluffs Trailside Kishwaukee Gorge South Kishwaukee Gorge North Rockford Rotary Kishwaukee River Oak Ridge Blackhawk Springs Deer Run Espenscheid Memorial McKiski County Line - Undeveloped Kieselburg Roland Olson Stone Bridge - Undeveloped Clayton Andrews Ledges Hononegah J. Norman Jensen Millrace Isle Macktown Atwood Homestead Forest Preserve Headquarters