Welcome to Marengo Ridge
Marengo Ridge Conservation Area is one of McHenry County’s most popular and treasured areas. It contains over 818 acres of oak and hickory woodlands interspersed with spruce, aspen, ash and sumac groves. Hikers can explore 5 miles of trails as they wander through majestic oak woodlands and savanna. The 1.3 mile Kelly Hertel Nature Trail meanders through woodlands and crosses several small bridges that cover ephemeral streams that lace the moraine and drain into the nearby Kishwaukee River. The trail becomes steeper, the woods thicken and the path becomes more twisted. Another route is the 1.1 mile Long Hiking Loop flows into the Kelly Hertel Nature Trail for a combined 2.6 mile hike. The 1.25 mile South Hiking Loop trail travels through restored woodlands and prairie.
Geological History
The major glacial feature at Marengo Ridge Conservation Area is the Marengo Ridge, from which the site derives its name. Left by the retreating Wisconsin glacier, the Marengo Ridge moraine is 40 miles long, 3 miles wide, and creates one of the steepest, vertical moraines in Illinois at 1,050 feet above sea level. The Marengo Moraine was created about 24,000 years ago. The ridge is made up of rocks, gravel, sand and finer sediments that were carried within or pushed ahead of the ice sheet as it advanced and left behind as it melted. This rugged, fire protected topography supported wooded communities dominated by oak species. The the area around Shelter #2 offers excellent vantage points for surveying the geological history of the area.
GeoSeries Question
What is the largest species of rodent in McHenry County?
To learn how to participate in the GeoSeries and earn a special District geocoin visit MCCDistrict.org/Geocache
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
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.