Messenger Marsh

06/16/2023

Hit the trails early for a summer hike in search of the many bird species that call Messenger Marsh home in this beginner-friendly program from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, June 24. Registration is required.

6/24/2023: Enjoy a morning stroll around Messenger Marsh while searching for our resident summer birds.

11/30/2022

Heads up: The eastern loop of the Spring Creek Greenway Trail at Messenger Marsh will be closed for seven to 10 days.

The eastern loop of the Spring Creek Greenway Trail at Messenger Marsh preserve will be closed for a week to 10 days starting Thursday, Dec. 1, for pipeline maintenance work. 

09/15/2022

Ready for a ride? The second of our four-part Rec Bike Club series will travel about 5.5 miles along the Spring Creek Greenway Trail through Messenger Marsh from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Registration is required.

9/24/2022: Enjoy nature while getting a little exercise on this 5.5-mile bike ride on the Spring Creek Bikeway.

07/12/2022

The Forest Preserve District has five treasures waiting for discovery in its preserves as part of a new geocaching program.

The Forest Preserve District has placed geocaches in five preserves as part of a new recreational offering, which is the first time the District is sponsoring its own caches in the preserves.  

11/01/2021

Permits purchased now are good for the remainder of 2021 through December 31, 2022.

Dog park permits can be purchased online or in person at Sugar Creek Administration Center starting Monday, November 1, and at three other visitor centers beginning on Tuesday, November 2. The permits can be used at all six Forest Preserve District dog parks and are good through December 31, 2022.

10/07/2021

Fall is a great time for bird watching, so join us for a morning hike to see what we can find to the preserve from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, October 16. Registration is required.

10/16/2021: Summer birds are heading south, so join us for this guided bird hike in search of birds that use the preserve in the fall to rest and fuel up.

08/26/2021

Heads up.

All three dog enclosures at Messenger Marsh Dog Park will be closed for approximately one day each as a contractor blasts, primes and paints metal frames on the pavilions. The work will begin with the small-dog enclosure. Small-dog owners can temporarily access one of the larger enclosures, which wi...

08/23/2021

Our last Food Truck Friday of the season will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. this Friday, August 27. Mark your calendars to join us for some good food in the great outdoors for the last time this year. No registration required.

8/27/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.

08/11/2021

Heads up.

The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them....

07/19/2021

Food Truck Friday is coming to Messenger Marsh this Friday, July 23. Plan to join us for some great food served up in the great outdoors. The trucks will be serving from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

7/23/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.

06/21/2021

Food Truck Fridays are back this summer! Join us at Messenger Marsh from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 25, for good food in the great outdoors. No registration required.

6/25/2021: Food trucks are back this summer, so grab a bite to eat while enjoying the great outdoors.

06/18/2021

In all, 18 trees at Whalon Lake were severely damaged by one dog chewing the bark off of them. The issue was made even worse by another person who illegally sprayed a pruning substance on the trees in a misguided attempt to help.

A German shepherd gnawed the bark off multiple trees at the Whalon Lake Dog Park, which could lead to the trees' demise. The owner was ticketed, as was a person who illegally sprayed a pruning substance on the trees in a misguided attempt to help. Forest Preserve police are stressing that it's again...

06/09/2021

When you don’t want to cook on a Friday night ...

05/29/2021

Enjoy a morning hike in search of birds nesting in the preserve in this program from 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 6. Registration is required.

6/6/2021: This program is for birders of all backgrounds, from beginners to experts.

03/13/2021

This very good boy needs a home.

03/11/2021

Thanks to everyone who ordered a calendar and supported this effort!

Humane society kennel manager Malorie Ernst picked up the donation at the March 11 Forest Preserve Board meeting with an adoptable dog, Rocco, in tow. Calendar sales raised almost $6,000 for the shelter, which receives no government funding and relies on donations alone.

03/02/2021

Celebrate St. PAW-trick's Day with your pup and other furry friends on Saturday, March 13, at the Lower Rock Run Dog Park in Joliet. Don't forget to dress up your dogs for the occasion! Registration is required for human friends, and dogs must have valid 2021 dog park permits.

The Forest Preserve has lined up three St. Patrick's Day-themed programs starting with 'St. Paw-trick's Day' on March 13. Dress your dog in green and head over to the Lower Rock Run Dog Park for some fun. Or sign up to watch 'Irish in the Industries' and 'St. Pat's Charming Snakes' Zoom webinars onl...

01/31/2021

Heads up: With tonight’s snow, some preserves may be opening late on Sunday morning. Preserves are opened as operations crews get in to plow them. The priority is given to the District’s visitor centers and dog parks. Crews then work to have at least one access open at every preserve.

For the public’s safety, some preserves may remain closed immediately after a winter weather event as District staff work to plow the roadways to make travel less hazardous.

01/29/2021

12/01/2020

Here's a great way to support while also getting something in return.

11/30/2020

A gentle nudge to all the online shoppers out there looking for a great holiday gift ... grab one at www.willcountydogs.org.

11/27/2020

Here's a great way to do a little Black Friday shopping without leaving your house! We have a limited number of 2021 dog park calendars available for purchase online for those who missed the pre-order deadline. When these are gone, they're gone, so order today before it's too late. All proceeds go to the Will County Humane Society, so it's a great way to get a great holiday gift while helping the county's oldest no-kill animal shelter. 🐕🐶

One final batch of 2021 dog park calendars is being sold on a first-come, first-served basis just in time for the holiday shopping rush.

11/15/2020

Today is the last day to place your order for a 2021 dog park calendar. With many of our furry friends at the District's dog parks being rescues, this is a project near and dear to us, as all proceeds go to the Will County Humane Society. Buy a calendar and help out a great cause while getting a great calendar filled with adorable pooches!

All proceeds from the sale of this calendar produced by the Forest Preserve District of Will County will benefit the Will County Humane Society.

11/14/2020

The budget is balanced and reserves will be used for several capital projects, including repaving 4.5 miles of the Old Plank Road Trail, exhibit development at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, and electronic gates at all six of the District's six dog parks.

The Forest Preserve's 2021 budget includes funding for numerous improvement projects throughout the District as well as for land acquisition. The overall property tax rate will decrease by 1.57 percent.

11/14/2020

What a good looking bunch of dogs! ❤️❤️❤️

11/10/2020

The Tier 2 mitigations reduce the maximum size of outdoor events and gatherings, including programs and field trips, from 25 to 10 people. The 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings will remain in place in Will County forest preserves through the end of 2020, even if the state-mandated mitigations are lifted. Masks will continue to be required for facility visitors and all in-person, indoor and outdoor program participants.

At this time, dog parks, preserves, trails, parking lots and latrines remain open.

Outdoor Forest Preserve gatherings – including picnics, programs and field trips – will be limited to 10 people, per the state's Tier 2 mitigation measures, which are designed to to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

11/07/2020

11/06/2020

Millie — who will be appearing in our 2021 dog park calendar — was adopted by Becca Hebron earlier this year with the intention of training her to be a psychiatric service dog. Already, she has had a positive impact on Hebron’s life, helping lessen the symptoms of her medical conditions, which include post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Buy a calendar today at www.willcountydogs.org; the deadline to order one is Friday, November 13. All proceeds benefit the Will County Humane Society.

Millie, an almost 1-year-old golden retriever, might still be a puppy, but she has learned a lot in a short time about how to help her human.

11/04/2020

Calling all dog lovers! If you haven't purchased a 2021 calendar yet, you're on the clock. These calendars feature dogs from our dog parks and make great holiday gifts. Plus, all proceeds (approximately $10 from each calendar) go to the Will County Humane Society, the county's oldest no-kill shelter. The deadline to order is November 13.

All proceeds from the sale of this calendar produced by the Forest Preserve District of Will County will benefit the Will County Humane Society.

10/31/2020

What a cute girl!

Our 2021 Dog Park calendar reveal continues with Zoey, who may know be known as Ms. February.

Zoey was such a sweetie at her photo shoot and loves to cuddle and play. She's also a bit of a movie buff and will sit down and watch "Lady and the Tramp."

She's just one of the many adorable pooches in this year's calendar, which can be ordered at www.willcountydogs.org. The deadline to place your order is November 13. All proceeds benefit the Will County Humane Society.