LAKEWOOD FOREST PRESERVE
CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN
ADVISORY COMMITTEE – APPROVED MAY 17, 2007

LAKEWOOD CONCEPTUAL
MASTER PLAN
General Use Categories
Low Use Zone:
• Large concentrations of threatened & 5
endangered species, sensitive areas & 6
protected habitats
• Potential restoration as large non-fragmented
high quality habitats
• Very limited public access
1
• Primary access for maintenance, public safety 4
and restoration only
7
Moderate Use Zone:
• Existing low to moderate quality habitats
• Isolated high quality habitats 8
2
3
• Existing habitat fragmentation that will remain
9
in the future
• Adjacent to high use zones
10
• Potential public access and trails
15 11
12
High Use Zone:
• Minimal species diversity & no high quality 13
natural areas
16
• Land has been highly disturbed by past or
present land uses 14
• Major public access or recreation facilities
exist or are adjacent
• Potential for major public access or recreation
facilities

#1 MILLENNIUM TRAIL CORRIDOR
• Landscape Characteristics
– Former Wauconda Orchard lands
– Narrow trail corridor through residential
development
– Disturbed land with minor woodlands
and adjacent wetlands
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Millennium Multi-Use Trail
– Native tree planting along trail
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– No additional programming or
restoration recommended
– Additional native tree planting along
trail corridor
– Millennium Trail tunnel connection
under Bonner Rd.

#2 BROBERG MARSH
• Landscape Characteristics
– Regionally significant hemi-marsh bird
habitat
– Nine threatened and endangered bird
species use wetland
– Bordered by steep wooded slopes
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Wetland bird habitat
– Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Restoration and enhancement of bird
and other sensitive species habitat

#3 BROBERG MARSH BUFFER
• Landscape Characteristics
– Rolling topography broken up by
mature oak hedge rows
– Savanna restoration on former
agricultural fields
– Gravel trail
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Prairie and savanna habitat buffer
– Millennium Multi-Use Trail
– Native tree plantings along trail
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Continue habitat restoration and
enhancement of bird and other
sensitive species habitat area
– Millennium Trail tunnel connection
under Bonner Rd.
– Continued native tree planting along
trail
– Overlook for bird watching

#4 FAIRFIELD WETLANDS
• Landscape Characteristics
– Large parcel with three extensive hemi-
marsh wetlands
– Two wetlands with seven threatened
and endangered bird species each
– Agricultural fields on upland areas
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Licensed farming
– Wetland bird habitat
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– A large mostly non-fragmented
wetland, savanna, prairie complex
habitat restoration
– Preservation and enhancement of
threatened and endangered species
– In conjunction with Broberg Marsh &
Buffer this complex will create an
extensive wetland and grassland bird
habitat as well as for other sensitive
species
– Very limited public access on perimeter

#5 EAST RAY LAKE
• Landscape Characteristics
– Agricultural fields and drainage ditches
– Absent of native vegetation or wetlands
– Frontage on Fremont Center Road and
Erhart Road
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Licensed farming
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Heritage Farm
– Public access trails and parking
– Other recreation opportunities
– Wetland, prairie, savanna restoration

#6 WEST RAY LAKE
• Landscape Characteristics
– Former Ray Lake now a wetland
drained by farm tiles and ditches
– Extensive wetlands surrounded by
former agricultural fields that have been
planted in a grassland mix
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Restrictive conservation easement
– Informal public use by people parking
and walking on site
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Public access trail and Gilmer Rd.
tunnel connection
– Savanna and prairie restoration
– Wetland habitat and hydrology
restoration
– Ray Lake restoration or re-creation of
former Ray Lake, pending control of
wetland/water outlet

#7 EPSTEIN PARCEL
• Landscape Characteristics
– Access from Gilmer Road
– Agricultural row crops with existing
barn
– Oak woodland and hedge rows
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Licensed farmland and barn
– Millennium-Ray Lake Trail Connection,
construction Spring 2008
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Future public access trail and Gilmer
Rd. tunnel connection to Ray Lake
– Wetland, savanna and prairie
restoration

#8 FOUR WINDS GOLF COURSE
• Landscape Characteristics
– Access from Route 176
– Former golf course with existing facilities and
extensive mowed turf
– Existing path system and parking lot
– Scattered oak groves with extensive non-
native golf course tree plantings
– Open water channels and degraded wetland
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– No current programming
– Anticipated interim public parking & trail
access, Spring/Summer 2008
– Millennium/Ray Lake Trail Connection,
construction Spring 2008
– Cell towers
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Removal of existing buildings
– Relocation of group reserved picnic shelters
from Area #15
– Hiking/biking trails
– Other recreation opportunities
– Road system and parking
– Wetland restoration
– Non-reserved picnicking
– Fencing and landscaping along ATB property
– Future site of Lakewood Maintenance Facility

#9 DOG EXERCISE AREA
• Landscape Characteristics
– Access from Fairfield Road
– Grass fields with mowed trails and
gravel parking area
– Degraded oak woodland on steep knoll
at northwest corner and wetland on
east border
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Active dog exercise area
– Millennium-Ray Lake Trail Connection,
construction Spring 2008
– Tree planting in dog exercise area
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Paved parking lot
– Additional tree planting along trail
corridor and in dog exercise area
– Woodland restoration

#10 WINTER SPORTS AREA
• Landscape Characteristics
– Old Ivanhoe Road corridor
– Rolling topography dominated by
remnants of former tree nursery
– Paved parking area
– Sled hill and ice rink
– Gravel Trail
– East farm storage buildings
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Winter Sports facilities
– Millennium Multi-Use Trail and Fairfield
Rd. tunnel
– Winter Sports and Millennium Trail
parking
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– No change in programming

#11 EAST LAKEWOOD
• Landscape Characteristics
– Steep rolling slopes with extensive
degraded oak woodlands interspersed
with former agricultural fields and
wetlands
– Davis, Owens and Schreiber lakes
– Floating mat bog at Schreiber Lake
contains five threatened and
endangered plant species
– Successful savanna restoration area
– Gravel trails
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Millennium Multi-Use Trail
– Schreiber Lake is an Illinois Natural
Area Inventory site
– Informal walk-in fishing
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Public access trail expansion
– Habitat restoration

#12 WAUCONDA BOG
• Landscape Characteristics
– Rare tamarack bog ecosystem with 14
plant and 2 bird threatened and
endangered species
– Extensive adjacent wetland which
drains to Bang’s Lake
– Inaccessible even to foot traffic
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– State dedicated Nature Preserve and
Dedicated
Buffer
Nature
Preserve – National Natural Landmark
– Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site
– Lake County Forest Preserve
residence/ garage storage
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Habitat restoration

#13 WAUCONDA BOG BUFFER
• Landscape Characteristics
– Degraded oak woodlands
– Steep shaded slopes and ravines border
wetland
– Eroded dirt foot trails
– Agricultural fields and non-native tree plantings
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Educational programs / youth group camping
– Buffer to State Nature Preserve
– Dirt foot trails
– Licensed farming
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Woodland and slope restoration
– Public access trails
– Continued educational programming and youth
group camping
– No parking lots in this area
– Work with local residents to help determine
what type of uses/activities and buffering are
desired for this area
– Trail connection from Tamarack Subdivision to
the Millennium Trail
Buffer Zone – Any buffer requested by local residents shall
consist of native plant species suitable for
Lakewood Forest Preserve

#14 SOUTH OAK WOODS
• Landscape Characteristics
– Mixture of degraded oak woodlands,
wetlands, agricultural fields,
grasslands, and pine reforestations
– Steep to rolling topography
– Man-made Heron, Beaver, Acorn
ponds
– Three threatened and endangered bird
species
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Equestrian and hiking trails
– Gravel equestrian trailer parking
– Fishing ponds
– Licensed farming
– Overflow

#14 SOUTH OAK WOODS
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Trail additions and improvements to
accommodate 2016 Olympics
– Minimal trail routing improvements without
reduction in mileage
Conservation – Pond and woodland restoration
Area – Relocation of horse trailer parking to Area
#16 if 2016 Olympic plan improvements are
implemented
– Millennium Trail equestrian/hiking connection
to Area #15
– Preservation and enhancement of threatened
and endangered species
– Bicycle use on trails not allowed
– The zone located from the northeastern
forest preserve boundary along Barnswallow
Estates and west to Area #16 shall contain a
conservation area. The LCFP will work with
local residents to help determine what type of
buffer would be most suitable for this area.
Existing horse trails are acceptable, however
any additional trails shall be located as far
west as possible. Parking shall no longer
occur in this zone after the shelters have
been relocated and new parking
improvements have been established
– Any buffer requested by local residents shall
consist of native plant species suitable for
Lakewood Forest Preserve

#15 CENTRAL LAKEWOOD
• Landscape Characteristics
– Original dairy farm facilities
– Extensive mowed turf with picnic
shelters and Special Events area
– Degraded ponds and oak woodlands
– Extensive network of paved roads and
parking lots
– Open grass fields
– Over grown fields and oak ravines in
youth camping area
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Lake County Discovery Museum
– LCFP Operations Department
– LCFP Ranger Facility
– Reserved shelters and non-reserved
picnicking
– Special Events – Civil War Days, Farm
Heritage, Cross-country Meets
– Organized youth group camping
– Education programs
– Dirt and mowed grass trails
– Millennium Multi-Use Trail & Fairfield
Rd. Tunnel
– Fishing
– Other recreation areas

#15 CENTRAL LAKEWOOD cont.
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Relocation of LCFP Operations
Department and removal of unneeded
buildings
– Expanded Museum use in retrofitted
farm buildings and surrounding
landscape
– Entrance, vehicular circulation, parking
and utility reorganization and
improvements
– Remove reserved group picnic shelters
(except Shelter E) after shelters have
been built in Area #8
– Pond and oak woodland restoration
– Public hiking and biking trail
improvements
– Millennium Trail equestrian/hiking
connection to Area #14
– Special events area improvements
– Other recreation opportunities
– Organized youth group camping and
education facility improvements
– Temporary 2016 Olympic support
facilities

#16 SOUTH CENTRAL LAKEWOOD
• Landscape Characteristics
– Pine reforestation area
– Rolling agricultural fields
– Access from Ivanhoe Road
• Current Land Uses / Activities
– Licensed farming
– Lake County Forest Preserve ranger
stable and arena
– Operations Headquarters
– Existing parking and trail access
• Potential Land Uses / Activities
– Olympic Equestrian Venue and then
operated as District equestrian center
and trails
– Removal of District ranger stable and
arena
– Removal of former operations
headquarters if no use is determined
– In the event that the 2016 Olympic
Equestrian Venue is not built -
restoration and additional
equestrian/hiking trails are
recommended as the use for this area