Bailly Homestead, Chellberg Farm, Little Calumet River and Mnoké Prairie Trails

This loop packs a surprising amount of variety into a mellow three-and-a-half-mile ramble. You'll start in a hardwood forest thick with maple and beech — the kind of canopy that turns the trail into a cathedral of green in summer and a riot of color come October. The path winds past the Bailly Homestead, a fur trader's compound dating to the 1820s, and the Chellberg Farm, a preserved Swedish homestead where you can almost smell the wood smoke. From there, you'll trace the Little Calumet River through bottomland forest before the trees open up into Mnoké Prairie, a recently restored grassland that feels like stepping into a completely different landscape. The trail surface is mostly packed dirt and mowed grass — nothing technical, but expect muddy stretches after rain. History buffs and nature walkers who want a trail that tells a story will be in their element here.