Blackwell Forest Preserve Family Bike Campout in August with Out Our Front Door out of Chicago, IL

EVENT DETAILS

Start: Longfellow Park, 610 S Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304.

Meet: 10:30 am Friday; Depart: 11:00 am

Ride to and Overnight: Blackwell Forest Preserve, Warrenville, IL

Return to Oak Park by Bike 4:30 pm, Sunday

Registration comes with Guided Tour, Campsites, and food for all meals Friday dinner to Sunday breakfast.

Bring your tent and camping gear on your bike.

Day 1: 27 Miles | Day 2: Exploration of the park and a 8-mile ride to a community water park | Day 3: 27 miles

Ridership Level: Moderate

Pace: 10 MPH

All Are Welcome. Out Our Front Door even has resources including trained guides and bikes to loan for youth with disabilities. If you are interested in this option, please contact Out Our Front Door here.

WHY JOIN OUT OUR FRONT DOOR?

If you love biking and camping but aren’t sure how to combine the two, Out Our Front Door offers a supportive communal experience with accessible bike camping rides designed by fellow parents. The goal is to help you and your kids go from riding in the neighborhood to riding in nature; Out Our Front Door provides the organization, logistics, ride support, food, and community of family cyclists to make your first bike camping adventure fun, worry-free, and successful.

TRIP DESCRIPTION

Head west on North America’s first successful rails-to-trails conversion, the Illinois Prairie Path, to DuPage County. At twenty-seven miles from Oak Park, this is an accessible low-stress ride, suitable for beginners and experienced riders. The route is almost entirely on the off-street crushed limestone Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) and Great Western Trail, with some street riding to get to the path and street crossings.

Blackwell Forest Preserve features biking and walking trails, fishing, and over 1,000 species of native plants and animals. The terrain is made up of oak savannas, prairies, grasslands, and wetlands. Day 2 has a water park option at Wheaton’s Aquatic Center (8 miles from the campground).

Out Our Front Door provides the meals and the guides prepare them, though some helping hands are requested at times.

Transfers: Out Our Front Door has limitations for ticket transfers, but may accommodate in the event certain criteria are met. You may review this updated Transfer Policy flowsheet to determine what next steps you need to take.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Two Night/Three Day Tent Campsite Reservation
• Meals (Friday Dinner to Sunday Breakfast)
• Interpretative Trail Guides/Ride Leaders
• Campfire & Camp Snacks

WHAT TO BRING

• Your kid(s), bike, tent, sleeping bags, and gear
• Friday lunch, water, kid-friendly snacks, and adult energy snacks
• Bike lock, spare inner tubes, bike lights, & helmets
• Personal Items and changes of clothes and bathing suits!