NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WBBM Newsradio) – A $2.8 million improvement project at Greene Valley Forest Preserve will bring a safer entrance, new picnic amenities and easier access to the East Branch of the DuPage River.
Plans include moving the Greene Road entrance farther north to improve visibility, building a picnic shelter and adding a canoe and kayak launch with an accessible trail connection.
Kevin Horsfall, director of planning and development for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, outlined the work at a commission meeting in September.
“A new shelter, flush washroom will be added in this location, just on the east side of the parking lot,” Horsfall said.
The project also includes an interpretive plaza celebrating the heritage of the historic Greene farm barn.
Some amenities will be unavailable during construction. Horsfall said the south parking lot will remain open, but the nearby picnic area and latrines will be inaccessible.
“The off-leash dog park will remain accessible,” he said, along with the trail connecting to Hobson Road.
The improvements were included in the preserve’s 2023 master plan. Funding includes a $600,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and $200,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Horsfall said final completion was expected in October 2027.
