Just at the edge of the Wisconsin glacier’s furthest southern reach, lies the rolling ravines of Warbler Ridge. The Warbler Ridge preserves are part of an extensive woodland corridor running along the Embarras River for more than eight miles from Charleston to Fox Ridge State Park. The 42-acre Warbler Bluff, also part of the conservation area, sits a few miles northeast of this corridor and offers tremendous views from high above the Embarras River.

This 1,059-acre property consists of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, and river shoreline owned and managed by Grand Prairie Friends since 2011.

This upland deciduous forest boasts a hearty spring wildflower display and a fiery fall foliage show, usually only viewed by the abundant audience of migrating and resident songbirds. The bottoms adjacent to the Embarras River, floods in the spring and then reveals three wetlands among blooming prairie. 

Warbler Ridge includes five areas protected within the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission system. These include Warbler Woods Nature Preserve, Embarras Ridge Land and Water Reserve, Warbler Woods North Land and Water Reserve, Warbler Bottoms North Land and Water Reserve, and Warbler Landing Land and Water Reserve. For these reasons, we encourage you to be mindful during your stay- taking only pictures and leaving only footprints.

Thanks to grant support from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, a meandering foot-traffic path passes through four Warbler Ridge areas. Visitors are invited to hike the approximate four-mile (one way) trail which begins at Bypass Road and terminates at Daileyville Rd. Limited parking areas are available at each trail head and the midpoint. As protected preserves, visitors should be prepared with their own amenities as visitor site restrooms and potable water are not available on-site.