Crews officially broke ground this week on a $2.8 million overhaul of Greene Valley Forest Preserve, the 1,388-acre Naperville green space that draws nearly 400,000 visitors a year. The project will relocate the preserve's entrance, repave and realign trails, add a picnic shelter and flush restrooms, and carve out a new canoe and kayak launch along the East Branch DuPage River.
According to the Daily Herald, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County held the groundbreaking on Tuesday, with elected officials, district staff and community partners on hand. The district says the work is meant to enhance safety, accessibility and recreational opportunities on the preserve's north side, starting with relocating the entrance itself to improve traffic flow, a change also described by audacy.com as a safety-driven fix for a preserve that sees heavy annual traffic.
District President Daniel Hebreard said the upgrades will make Greene Valley “safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for visitors,” per the Daily Herald. He added that the district is excited to bring the project to life while preserving the preserve's natural character, a sentiment that frames much of the design work baked into the plan.
What's Changing on the Ground
Beyond the relocated entrance, the project calls for paved trail connections and realigned paths designed to smooth out circulation through the preserve. The existing latrine-style toilets will give way to modern flush washrooms powered by a solar array, the station notes, while a new picnic shelter is being constructed to give visitors a dedicated gathering spot.
One of the more notable additions is a kayak and canoe launch with an ADA-accessible route down to the East Branch DuPage River, opening up water access that hasn't previously existed in this form. The district's own announcement describes the broader package of grant-funded work as relocating the entrance drive, enhancing picnic shelters, adding the canoe and kayak launch, installing flush restrooms to replace latrines, and realigning trails, according to dupageforest.org. Plans also include a shaded gathering space near the historic Greene Barn, which the district's release separately describes as a new patio near the same landmark.
How It's Being Paid For
The $2.8 million project leans heavily on state support. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County was awarded a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the district secured an additional $100,000 in grant funding earlier this year through the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, per dupageforest.org.
That OSLAD award was part of a larger statewide push, with the program supporting 100 local parks projects across Illinois and having provided $640 million in funding since its inception, the district's spring newsletter notes. The Greene Valley work also traces back to a master plan the district's board approved in April 2023 following community input and planning, laying the groundwork for the improvements now underway.
A Timeline Stretching Into 2027
District officials expect construction to wrap by late summer or early fall of 2027, according to audacy.com's reporting on the project. In the meantime, Greene Valley remains one piece of a much larger system: the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County operates 60 forest preserves, maintains 175 miles of trails, and manages 26,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, wetlands and waterways across the county.
The district also runs seven education centers and reports more than 5.9 million visitors annually systemwide. Residents with questions about the Greene Valley project or other district operations can reach the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County at (630) 933-7200.
