Location:
At 61st St. between S. Cornell Dr. and South Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60649
Location Notes:
The southern entrance is just west of the Jackson Park Driving Range. The northern entrance is southwest of the 59th St. Harbor.
Located Within:
Jackson (Andrew) Park
Features:
Lagoon, Prairie, Woodland, Birding Area, Nature Trail
Hours Notes
Natural areas are open from dawn to dusk daily.
Description
Bobolink Meadow is one piece of a network of nearly 100 acres of natural areas within Jackson Park. Explore its native prairie and shoreline habitat on the east side of the Jackson Park lagoon from a mulch trail that runs from the 59th St. Harbor to the Jackson Park Driving Range. In abundance grow grey-headed coneflowers (Ratibida pinnata), culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), and meadow anemone (Anemonastrum canadense).
In addition to maintenance conducted by the park district, Bobolink Meadow benefits from the dedication and hard work of volunteers who collect and scatter native seed, plant native species, pick up trash, monitor vegetation and birds, and remove invasive species. Learn more about volunteer opportunities by visiting our Community Stewardship Program page.
Help keep wildlife wild, safe, and healthy by following posted signage and Natural Areas Rules and Regulations. For questions regarding Chicago Park District Natural Areas, email nature@chicagoparkdistrict.com.
History
The land containing Bobolink Meadow was created prior to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago when lakeshore marshes were filled in order to create Jackson Park. In the decades following the Exposition the land was used for athletic fields, including baseball diamonds and tennis courts, and in the 1950s and 1960s, was then used by U.S. Army for the storage of Nike missiles.
In 1982, the meadow was designated as a natural area and named after the bobolink, a bird native to Illinois that birders hoped the natural area would one day attract. In 1989, additional restoration efforts attempted to establish native ecosystems on the thin layer of topsoil placed over the limestone and foundations from the Nike missile base. A mulch trail was installed through the meadow in 2005, and a new overlook on the northern end that provides views across the East Lagoon to the Japanese Garden and wooded island was installed in 2015.
Map & Facilities
Jackson Park - Bobolink Meadow
At 61st St. between S. Cornell Dr. and South Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60649
United States
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