ROCKFORD — Sometimes in life, we can’t see the forest for the trees. We forget about the rest of the world when it’s drowned out by the din of distraction and daily demands. Sometimes we need a breath of fresh air — a place where we can see the forest and the trees.

A place like northern Illinois.

When the hustle and bustle of life becomes a bit too much and you feel like hitting the pause button, Winnebago County has the pause that refreshes and rejuvenates the spirit, with dozens of unique destinations you can escape to in the county’s 40-plus forest preserves, places where you can unplug and unwind. This impressive system of preserves encompasses 11,645 acres — each with stories to share and each a feast for the senses: the smell of fresh air, the sight of the sun dancing on dew drops, the gentle sound of a stream drifting through the trees, and a taste of the way life used to be, before settlers laid claim to the land and brought progress to The Prairie State.

It’s no coincidence that the county’s largest town is known as “The Forest City.” Rockford’s growth through the 20th century — today it’s the fifth largest city by population in Illinois — helped inspire the preservation of the natural areas in and around it.

The sites are managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, which serves as the stewards of the area’s natural heritage, while providing recreational and educational activities that provide peace of mind in an often noisy world. Whether visitors come seeking solitude, adventure, exercise, or a deeper connection to the land, they can find a place within the preserves that speaks to their interests and passions.

Winnebago County has four rivers flowing through it: the Sugar, which empties into the Pecatonica in the northwest part of the county; its largest, the Rock, which collects the Pecatonica near Rockton; and the Kishwaukee, which flows into the Rock southwest of Rockford and splits into two branches in the southeast portion of the county.

Nature thrives where waters wind; just ask Sarah Lorenz, communications director for the preserves, who enjoys paddling along the Rock River between preserves north of Rockford when she’s not working, enjoying the sights around and above her, from the gentle sway of the trees to the gentle breeze that carries raptors and eagles through the skies.

“Our sites are very diverse,” Lorenz said. “There are a lot of different ecosystems and habitats ... The recreational opportunities also are very diverse. You can spend a weekend camping, playing on the golf courses, and we have lots of canoe launches off of the Sugar, Kish and Rock rivers. That’s what makes us unique, is what people can do at our sites.”

That variety isn’t just in what visitors can do, it’s also in what they can see. The preserves protect landscapes shaped by ancient forces, where rivers, forests and prairies meet. Each trail or waterway offers glimpses into the region’s deep natural history, said Vaughn Stamm, director of operations for the preserves.

“As you get into northern Illinois, and especially northwest Illinois, you have some evidence of the glacier period and very robust upland forested areas with hardwoods such as oaks and hickories that are very plentiful,” Stamm said. “But also, there was a big portion of this area that was prairie, so we have the best of both worlds here. We have a lot of limestone formations in the area and along the Rock River. People don’t realize that until they go back and hike some of the trails and start to see some of these rock formations that they didn’t know were here.”

Much of Rockford’s growth during the late 1800s revolved around manufacturing, eventually becoming the second-largest city in Illinois (a distinction it held until the 1990s). As Rockford’s reach grew and more subdivisions popped up on its outskirts, a desire to preserve natural areas was born. The forest preserve district was organized in 1922, and opened its first park, Hononegah Forest Preserve in Rockton, two years later, named for a Native American woman who lived in the area during the early 1800s and was married to Stephen Mack, the first white settler in the Rockton area.

“I think, early on, the people of this county decided that they wanted to place an importance on setting aside areas to protect some of the forested areas, especially around the city of Rockford, because they were starting to see, even then, urban sprawl,” Stamm said. “They were concerned and wanted to preserve some areas.”

In the 1970s, Rockford’s growth spread into towns to the north of it, creating a more suburban area between it and Beloit, Wisconsin, putting even more emphasis on the establishment of preserves. It also made long-established places such as Hononegah more of a getaway. “It continues to provide kind of a safe haven for residents there, and they can go and kind of get away in nature right in their own back yard,” Stamm said. The district once was part of the auspices of the county government until a referendum in 2010 established it as a separate entity and today it’s a taxing body, with revenue going to support its goals.

While preservation is one mission of the district, restoration is also part of the district’s goals, with projects that have become public sites, such as the 1,048-acre Pecatonica Wetlands, along the Pecatonica River north of the namesake town. It was fully restored in the early 2000s after decades as farmland. Both the Pecatonica and Sugar rivers are on low floodplains, which have resulted in several current and former oxbow paths and thriving shade space.

The newest preserve is Funderburg, southwest of Rockford, established in 2020 on the site of a former farm. Work is on ongoing there to reseed 40 acres with diverse woodland species, including around 40 native plants. Another current project is the clearing of invasive species at Kishwaukee Gorge North, where 110 trees were planted during Arbor Day on April 25.

Sites such as Kishwaukee Gorge offer a contrast to the suburban life of Rockford’s southern subdivisions, Stamm said. The 128-acre park has diverse woodlands, prairie openings and rugged ravines, with a restored prairie, large oak tree forest and steep-sided gorges along the Kishwaukee River.

“If you went to the entrance of it, it’s off of a busy two-lane road with homes in the area and a busy interstate right there, but as you go in the back and hike on the trailheads there, then all of a sudden it starts to open up and you see oak savanna areas,” Stamm said. “You can still kind of hear the cars a little bit, but when you keep going down all of a sudden you realize that you’re dropping significantly in elevation and going down these limestone gorges a couple hundred feet or better to the river. It’s just very unique, and during the spring you’ll see water runoffs that form creeks through the gorges that will be trickling down, you’ll see moss and ferns on the side of the cliffs and be like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that was here.’”

Sites such as Sugar River Alder north of Durand and Kieselburg near Roscoe have sand prairies. “They have really great diversity as far as the plants that thrive there, and with the more plants you have there, the more pollinator species you can get,” Lorenz said. “It’s a very robust area for wildlife viewing.”

Balancing preservation with public access is a constant challenge for the preserves’ staff. Every trail, campsite or recreation area is routinely managed to protect sensitive habitats, with staff promoting a “tread lightly” and “leave no trace” mindset among visitors.

Agriculture and development also put pressure on the preserves, as farming practices, chemical drift and nearby construction can affect natural areas. Its staff works closely with neighbors while staying alert to land-use changes that could threaten wildlife and landscapes.

“We still have agriculture in the area, and sometimes it infringes on some of our properties,” Stamm said. “Sometimes some of the farming practices aren’t the best for being environmentally friendly, so it’s a concern for us, but we try to work with them. Whether it’s the drift from chemicals used, whether they’re doing no-till or not, it’s a concern that we’re sensitive to,” also adding that “they don’t want to see a backyard, parking lot or the back of a commercial store.”

In recent years, increased staffing and better data collection have improved conservation efforts, including grant-funded projects, the first of which was undertaken in 2017 at Kieselburg; others have been undertaken at other sites since then. Even routine maintenance, such as mowing trails, is timed and limited in order to safeguard habitats while keeping sites accessible. Around 1,200 trees are planted annually at the preserves.

Among current projects are ones focusing on improving wetland habitats for the threatened Blanding’s turtle and enhancing sandy soil areas for ornate box turtles. In the forested areas, efforts to support American kestrels — small falcons that nest in groves of older trees – have seen success, with four nest boxes producing hatches so far this year. Even the smallest members of nature’s family have been a focus, with efforts undertaken to protect butterflies and bees.

The district not only has traditional preserves, but also maintains other nature sites. The Klehm Arboretum in Rockford is a 155-acre living museum and botanical garden, featuring a diverse collection of rare and mature trees, themed gardens, paved and woodland trails, a children’s garden with interactive play areas, and rotating exhibits. The Sand Bluff Bird Observatory in Rockton is a large small-bird banding station, where volunteers conduct hands-on research with species such as migrating warblers, vireos, orioles, sparrows, thrushes and finches. The Macktown Historic Site in Rockton is a preserved 1830s settlement featuring original buildings, including the 1839 Stephen Mack Greek Revival home and the 1846 limestone Whitman Trading Post. Mack, who was Hononegah’s husband, was a fur trader along the Rock River during the 1820s and 1830s. Each of the three sites also hosts special events and educational seminars and classes (go to winnebagoforest.org/events for more information).

Visitors also can bring the clubs and enjoy a round of golf at Macktown and at Atwood Homestead forest preserves in Rockford; there’s also the Ledges Golf Course in Roscoe, but that’s strictly a golf facility, though its surroundings are maintained like the other preserves. Camping is also a popular pastime at the preserves, with campgrounds at Hononegah, Seward Bluffs and Sugar River booking 2,608 reservations in 2024.

The district’s headquarters, 5500 Northrock Drive in Rockford, has maps, fliers and a checklist of all of the places within the system to visit, and information is available at winnebagoforest.org. The building is surrounded by a park with open fields, prairie patches and a bike trail that follows the nearby Rock River. It’s where the start of a journey can lead from a quiet riverbank to miles of trails, or from a patch of prairie to a forested bluff — each a reminder of the natural beauty that still thrives within the county.

“In Winnebago County, looking at the demographics compared to surrounding counties, we’re a very urban county,” Lorenz said. “I think people really appreciate having those green spaces to go when they are surrounded by urban sprawl everywhere. It feels like you’re not in Winnebago County when you go to some of them.”

Go to winnebagoforest.org/district-map for a detailed list of all 44 sites with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. The district headquarters is located at 5500 Northrock Drive in Rockford. Find it on Facebook or go to winnebagoforest.org for more information.

Specific places within the forest preserve system also are online: Go to klehm.org for more information about the Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Rockford, macktownlivinghistory.org for the Macktown Historic Settlement in Rockton and sandbluff.org for the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory in Rockton.