Posts in Outdoors | Blog

Visit Forest Preserves of Winnebago County for Fall Colors

By Jamie Johannsen on Oct. 23, 2018

When people talk about the spectacular fall colors in the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, many times they are referring to our maple forests. The maple trees’ yellow, orange and red leaves create swaths of blazing color among the oaks’ subtler browns in our woodlands. Prior to settlement in the early 1800s, maple trees, which are fire intolerant, grew only in areas protected from natural fires, such as river corridors. As a result, maples were relatively scarce. In the last 200 years of human fire suppression, maples have become much more abundant throughout our wooded lands…

Our Beautiful Forest City

By Mary French on Oct. 04, 2018

Forest City and Forest City Beautiful…Most likely you’ve heard these terms, but what do they mean? Both serve as great compliments to our beautiful city. Simply put, Forest City is a nickname that stems from the many trees and forests that beautify our region. In my opinion, one of the area’s finest attributes. After all, a beautiful city is one that residents are proud to call home. An initiative powering that pride is Forest City Beautiful…

5 Things I Learned from Doing Tough Mudder

By Elizabeth Miller on Aug. 20, 2018

Tough Mudder was held in Rockford for the first time in 2016. Out of pure curiosity, I went to watch the event that first year and was completely entertained and mesmerized by all of the participants. So much so that I signed up for the next year. Gulp. Here are the 5 things I learned from participating in Tough Mudder in 2017…

Take (a friend) Out to the Ball Game

By Megan Greenlee on Jul. 06, 2018

Batter Up! The Rockford Rivets are in full swing at the Rivets Stadium. It is a great summer…

Where to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

By Sarai Guerrero on Aug. 17, 2017

If you’ve heard all the hype about the upcoming solar eclipse, this is something you want to make…

Hiking Through the Rockford Region

By Tyler Yomantas on Mar. 23, 2017

This past week I was in Rockford for spring break; I didn’t have a lot planned besides seeing a few people, and overall becoming a couch potato. Other than that, I was itching to get outside and hike, and for anyone that knows the Midwest in March the weather can be rather unpredictable, with this week’s weather ranging from the mid-teens to the high 40s, but that was not going to stop me…