Welcome to Boger Bog
This intimate 38-acre site features a one mile nature trail with interpretive signs along a 300-foot boardwalk describing the wetlands communities and the plant and wildlife aspecies they support.
Not truly a bog (an acidic wetland community) but more of a graminoid fen (a grass-dominated alkaline wetland community), the site is comprised of numerous natural communities including a silt-loam prairie, calcareous seep and spring, an oak woodland and sedge meadow. The fens support calcium-loving plants like big and little bluestem and Indian grass, and provide habitat for frogs and turtles. An oak woodland also exists on site that sits a top a moraine and is dominated by red and white oaks that provide sanctuary for deer, turkeys, raccoons, possums and birds.
Frederick C. Boger purchased 38 acres of land in Woodstock in May of 1955 with money he earned singing in his church choir. This parcel of land served as a quiet place of retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life for over 40 years. When Boger passed this land to the District in 1999, he had two simple requests: that the land would be named “Boger Bog” and that it would be open for the public to enjoy as much as he had enjoyed spending time there. Following nine years of restoration as well as design and construction, Boger Bog opened to the public in the summer of 2008.
Visitors to Boger Bog can not only connect with nature as they walk through the site, but also with the history of the land. Mr. Boger collected a lot of interesting materials that the District tried to incorporate into the final design of the site; terra cotta tiles that are presumed to have come from the Chicago World Fair in the 1930’s were used on the roof of the shelter, and the granite cobblestones that make up the council ring and shelter columns came from the old streets of Chicago.
Cache Your Way Question
This was once the site of Fred Boger's home, which burned to the ground in the late 1990s. Reminents of his artistic oasis remain, including landscape statues and stonework. What is Fred quoted as saying when asked about the loss of his house and how he would move on into the future?
Geocachers
Please join us in playing! Geocaching is a high-tech “treasure hunting” game played throughout the world by adventure seeker. All are welcome who observe and obey the rules.
- Please do not move or vandalize the container.
- Once you find it, log your name in the book, take a trinket and leave one of your own behind for the next person.
- Replace the cache in the same spot that you found it, and make sure it is completely covered.
- Please do not remove the informational card from the containers, this is an essential game piece for cachers completing the GeoSeries.
- The real treasure is finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone who finds it.
For a complete list of rules and instructions on how to earn a special district geocoin visit MCCDistrict.org/Geocache
Email geocaching@MCCDistrict.org with any questions or concerns
McHenry County Conservation District Information
Visit our website at MCCDistrict.org or call (815) 338-6223
Photo Release
5/20/2021 Photos posted here may be featured on the McHenry County Conservation District's various social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and twitter, as well as our website (MCCDistrict.org) and print material such as Landscapes Magazine. By posting photos to this log you agree to allow us to share your work. Photographers will be acknowledged in any shares or posts of photos, so please include your name in your post if it is different from that of your username.