Heron Pond-Little Black Slough Nature Preserve, Illinois, United States
4.5 (17 reviews) Spent Ranking #3 in Vienna Nature & Wildlife Areas
Wish we could have stayed longer
This location is so unique and gorgeous! It has a magical feel to it and I could have stayed watching the swamp all day. We saw multiple herons fly off, purple trillium, and mayapple. If my chatty 5 year old hadn't been with us we probably would have seen more birds :) You have to walk down the trail about 3/4 mile before you get to the boardwalk section. We also hiked to the champion cherrybark oak, which was impressive. We were there on a overcast day in mid-April and there were no biting insects. I would love to return someday.
Address
West Eden Road, Vienna, Illinois, United States.
Current local date and time now
Friday, May 10, 2024, 8:30
User Ratings
4.5 based on (17 reviews)
Excellent
82%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
6%
Terrible
0%
Reviews
-
5LRPajon 5:00 PM Sep 6, 2020
Perfect day hikes
This place is beautiful and a must see for any wildlife/bird watcher. The connected trails are well marked and a nice easy hike. You can see everything in a half a day. Pack plenty of bug spray if you are there in the summer. I recommend going to the Heron Pond boardwalk early in the morning before the crowds. It’s a short boardwalk that is quite pleasant to have all to yourself. We saw woodpeckers, herons, and cottonmouth snakes (they were in the water at a safe distance away and peacefully swimming along. Beautiful sight).
-
5Anthony H 5:00 PM Oct 9, 2014
A stunning surprise in Illinois
We were touring the area and were directed here by the National Forest staff or we wouldn't have heard about it. This is the largest and one of the only bald cypress swamps in Illinois. It is serene, off the beaten path and absolutely breathtaking. While "swamp" might not sound all that exciting, this is a very unique feature this far north. The nature preserve also contains some small streams and the largest Cherrybark Oak tree in the state of Illinois. It also contains a lot of poisonous snakes. For those of you who frequent the area, you are familiar with snake signage throughout the area, but this area is much more well signed and aptly so. We saw numerous cottonmouths in their natural habitat during our visit and hundreds of frogs. The frogs are bird-voiced tree frogs, which are a rare breed.
Spread the word 
