Crabtree Nature Center

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Crabtree Nature Center Crabtree Nature Center is a part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, IL. We have over 3 miles of
(203)

About Forest Preserve District of Cook County

Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful, there’s no better place to feel free. This page has been created for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Crabtree Nature Center and its visitors to share news, ideas and events. We welcome your engagement and feedback, but comments posted by a member of the public are the opinion of the poster only, and do not necessarily imply endorsement of or reflect the opinions or policies of the Forest Preserves. Comments containing any of the following content will not be permitted and are subject to removal and/or restriction at any time and without prior notice:

• Obscene, sexual or pornographic content and/or language
• Content that promotes discrimination by the government on the basis of race, age, religion, gender or other protected class
• Private, personal information published without consent
• True threats to any person
• Conduct that violates any federal, state, or local law or encourages illegal activity
• Spam, commercial promotions or links to malware or viruses
• Actual defamation

The Forest Preserves reserves the right to deny access to our social media sites for any individual who repeatedly violates the Forest Preserves social media policy, at any time and without prior notice. All comments posted to any Forest Preserves social site are bound by the social media platform’s terms of use or code of conduct. Users who enter private or personal information do so at their own risk, and the Forest Preserves is not responsible for any damages resulting from the public display of, or failure to remove, private or personal information. Content posted on the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s social media sites may be subject to disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and retention under the Local Records Act. This policy and terms of use may be amended from time-to-time, without further notice.

The hayride at Fall Festival is waiting for you!Fall Festival 2026River Trail Nature CenterSunday, October 18, 202610am ...
10/18/2026

The hayride at Fall Festival is waiting for you!

Fall Festival 2026
River Trail Nature Center
Sunday, October 18, 2026
10am - 3pm
3120 Milwaukee Avenue
Northbrook

Enjoy the beautiful fall day with hayrides, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin painting, fall color walks, live entertainment, food vendors, partners with exciting offerings, and selective activities available for purchase.

Parking for the event is at a nearby location. Free shuttles will be running throughout the event.

For more information, call 847-824-8360.

Rainy days are great for getting projects done here at Crabtree. Today, we are preparing for our Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt ...
10/15/2026

Rainy days are great for getting projects done here at Crabtree. Today, we are preparing for our Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt by painting pumpkins to look like animals. Can you guess what this pumpkin is dressing up as for Halloween? Join us on October 25th from 11 am to 3 pm to find out.

We are so excited to be participating in this year's Fall Fest. We hope to see you all there on Sunday!
10/12/2026

We are so excited to be participating in this year's Fall Fest. We hope to see you all there on Sunday!

If you have ever been in our outdoor nature play area, you will know that there are a lot of opportunities for creative ...
10/11/2026

If you have ever been in our outdoor nature play area, you will know that there are a lot of opportunities for creative fun. We really enjoyed seeing the nature table covered with tree cookies, rocks, and leaves to make a nice-looking play area for this not-so-happy pet rock.

Did you know that we track spring and fall bird migration at the nature center? Staff and the public are invited to keep...
10/09/2026

Did you know that we track spring and fall bird migration at the nature center? Staff and the public are invited to keep track of when birds are moving through the area on the birding board in our lobby. Some recent sightings include the pied-billed grebe, northern harrier, and wilson's snipe.

Before there was Crabtree Nature Center, this area was a patchwork of farms. When the equipment on these farms got old, ...
10/07/2026

Before there was Crabtree Nature Center, this area was a patchwork of farms. When the equipment on these farms got old, they were often left in the field. Today, we can still see farm equipment hidden in the tall grasses of the prairie. Join a naturalist on Friday at 5:45 pm to walk the old farm trails and see some of these old tractors, cars, and equipment with the setting sun. Registration is required. Call 847-381-6592 to register.

Join our wonderful Miss Karen for our FREE Children's Yoga class tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6th at 2pm. Register by call...
10/05/2026

Join our wonderful Miss Karen for our FREE Children's Yoga class tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6th at 2pm. Register by calling 847-381-6592. Recommended for children 3 and up. Siblings welcome!
https://fpdcc.com/event/childrens-yoga/

10/04/2026

Don’t miss out on the latest Forest Preserves of Cook County updates! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, Forest Way, to get news, events and volunteer opportunities delivered right to your inbox. 📬

Stay in the loop and be part of the action—📧subscribe now at: fpdcc.com/newsletter

📸: Jerry Attere

Address

3 Stover Road
Barrington, IL
60010

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm
Sunday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+18473816592

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Crabtree Nature Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Crabtree Nature Center:

Share