Will County residents can celebrate the changing seasons with the 23rd annual Woods Walk challenge.

The challenge, which began Monday and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30, encourages people of all ages to explore 10 scenic trails across the county, ranging from a ½-mile stroll to a 3-mile adventure.

This year’s Woods Walk trails are:

• Hammel Woods, 2.5 miles
• Kankakee Sands Preserve, 3 miles
• Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve, 2.5 miles
• Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, 2 miles
• O’Hara Woods Preserve, 2.75 miles
• Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve, 0.5 miles
• Riverview Farmstead Preserve, 1.5 miles
• Rock Run Rookery Preserve, 1 mile
• Theodore Marsh, 2 miles
• Wauponsee Glacial Trail, 1.25 miles

Hikers who complete at least seven trails will receive a 2025 Woods Walk hiking medallion featuring a fox.

To view all the routes, visit the interactive map. To log walks, use the free Goosechase app on your smartphone. Search for the 2025 Will County Woods Walk Challenge or use the code 1EGVQC.

Travel log booklets can be downloaded online or picked up at select forest preserve visitor centers:

• Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet
• Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon
• Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook
• Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville
• Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township

Participants need to log their walks as they complete the trails. The deadline to submit a completed travel log is Sunday, Dec. 7.

Em Wilcher, the forest preserve’s recreation coordinator, said the program endures because of its simplicity and its focus on fall.

“With Woods Walk, we know the change of season will come and the trees will be beautiful, no matter how green they still look, or if they’re in their fall colors, or if weather brings the leaves down early in the season,” she said in a news release. ”Making a point to get out and enjoy a relief from the hot weather and enjoy nature is always a gift in the fall."

This year’s lineup also makes room for Messenger Woods Nature Preserve before its access road closes for spring repairs.

“I’m hoping everyone who is able to enjoy a walk there this fall will really go savor the woods before the project kicks off. Just be sure to take it slow on the road,” Wilcher said in the release.

No registration is required, and funding for the vWoods Walk has been provided by The Nature Foundation of Will County.