‘Always on the want list’: 1st section of walking path looping Three Oaks in Crystal Lake opens

A portion of the much-anticipated $3 million walking path that will loop around Crystal Lake’s Three Oaks Recreation Area is ready for visitors, with the rest on schedule to be complete in the spring, Crystal Lake officials said.

“People are definitely excited about the trail,” Deputy City Manager Nick Hammonds said Friday.

Planning for development at the former quarry – originally called Vulcan Lakes and where Vulcan Materials mined for sand and gravel – has been in the works for decades. Since the park opened in 2010, a walking path all the way around the lake to the south of Rakow Road “was always on the want list,” Hammonds said. “We are very excited to get it open.”

When complete, the entire path will be 3.1 miles, perfect for a 5K and the third piece of a triathlon, Hammonds said. The segment currently ready for visitors is about 0.7 miles and is adjacent to the north side of the south lake running along Pingree Road, city officials said.

The path will connect with the Prairie Trail at Main Street and Berkshire Drive, leading to the anticipation of more event requests, officials said.

The city “is currently extending these paths by constructing an additional 2.4 miles of path this year,” said Michael Magnuson, director of public works and engineering. “The Waterside townhome development, under construction at Main Street and Berkshire Drive, will construct approximately 1,600 feet of path as part of the development.”

The pedestrian-only path has more narrow segments where railings will be installed, Hammonds said. The steep sides and tight corners do not allow for the accommodation of both pedestrians and bicyclists, Magnuson said.

“In future years, the city is looking to add additional amenities along the path, such as a sun shade and benches,” Magnuson said.

Hammonds said that when the recreation park originally was developed, the estimated cost to construct a loop trail was more than $5 million. The city has been working on the lake loop trail project since 2023, spanning multiple fiscal years. The current construction cost is about $3 million, and the city received a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for $200,000 to offset costs.

Before Vulcan began excavating the area more than 70 years ago, it was flat farmland, Hammonds said. When the Vulcan operation ceased, the site was turned over to the city, Hammonds said.

Water began trickling into the north lake in the 1960s, according to Hammond and McHenry County Geographic Information System images. The deepest part of the lake – in which catch-and-release fishing is allowed and rental watercraft are run on batteries to keep the water clean – is about 50 feet.

In 2020, due to an abundance of rain, the lake reached its highest level. Hammonds said old cables and rusty metal barrels had washed up on the shore. The items are believed to be from the excavation decades ago. While clearing out trees in the fall for the walking path, old railroad tracks were discovered from previous mining operations, he said.

Hammonds said although there currently are no other plans in the works for Three Oaks beyond the trail loop, officials do “periodically look at possible expansion. Nothing is off the table.”

Entrance to part at Three Oaks Recreation Area is free to residents, who also receive a watercraft rental discount at the marina. The fees for nonresidents are $5 to park and $12 to enter the beach for adults, while nonresident senior citizens, children ages 4 to 15 and military veterans are $7. Children 3 and younger are free.