Waterfall Glen has a waterfall and is located in a glen.  Interestingly though, the waterfall has nothing to do with the name.  The DuPage county forest preserve was named in 1973 to honor Seymour “Bud” Waterfall, an early president of the District’s Board of Commissioners.  Armed with this piece of trivia, we tossed Nova into the car and headed out for our Date Day.

First stop Starbucks, for the usual, Tall black coffee (Tom), Grande Non-fat Latte (Theresa) and Puppuccino (Nova).  Fortified with coffee and listening to happy slurping noises from the back seat, we made the 40-mile drive to Lemont and arrived at our destination by 9:30am.

Waterfall Glen’s main entrance is on Northgate Road, just off Cass Avenue.  The problem with this parking lot is that it is about 3 miles from the waterfall.  We prefer to park in the much smaller lot just off Bluff Road.  This lot is only four tenths of a mile from the waterfall and is a great starting point for a hike.

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Today we decided to save the waterfall for last, so we set off on the main trail.  This trail is almost 10 miles long and circles around Argonne National Laboratory.  It’s a little spooky to think of a highly classified lab being in the middle of the forest preserve, but we’ve yet to run across any three-eyed fish or glowing animals.  We have, however, come across the ruins of the Old Lincoln Park Nursery, a great view of the Des Plaines River and a snake or two along this trail.

The main trail is great for a leisurely walk and is well groomed for biking as well.  It does, however, get a little monotonous after a while.  We recommend branching off on some of the many unmarked trails that crisscross the forest.  Just stay away from anything marked “Argonne”.  We didn’t see any cameras or microphones, but we bet they are there.

We walked a brisk six miles before heading to the waterfall.  Along the way, Nova sniffed a few butts and made some new friends, Theresa saw a bunch of frogs and was creeped out by a 6-inch snake and Tom dutifully carried a backpack full of water and didn’t complain.

The best, and most picturesque, part of the forest preserve is the tiered Rocky Glen Waterfall and its surrounding area.  The waterfall was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was so well done that it looks natural.  It’s a great place to hang out and enjoy the serenity.  Kids love to climb along the rocks and play in the water at the base of the falls.  We have, however see many snakes near the falls and along Saw Mill Creek in general.  Starting from the falls, there are many unmarked trails that take you along the creek or up the sides of the ravine.  These trails are not groomed and can get a little mucky when it rains, but they provide a more intimate look at the preserve’s flora and fauna.

One thing Waterfall Glen does not have in abundance is picnic tables.  In fact, we’ve never come across one while visiting.  So, after seven miles of walking, it was time for us to move on and find a place for lunch.  Luckily, we were in the heart of forest preserve country and quickly came across something.

The “something” ended up being Maple Lake, site of the 2006 Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock film The Lake House.  It was a little windy, but we had a nice view and Nova had a pig’s ear to munch on.  We drank our wine, munched on hummus and vegetables and thanked our lucky stars, again.