Family Fun and Activities
Bird Watching
Common birds in the area include gray catbird, yellow warbler, Baltimore oriole, and indigo bunting.
Along the Little Calumet River near the boat launch, there are large numbers of gulls, and ducks such as common mergansers and goldeneyes frequent the area’s 第一吃瓜open water in winter.
The boat launch is the site of Friends’ 2018-installed osprey nesting platform and visitors should not get to close as it will disturb the adults and young. If the adults are calling, you are too close.
For more information about birding visit the .
Boating
A trailered boat launch provides access to the Little Calumet River for canoes, kayaks, rowboats, sailboats and boats with trolling motors. Click , canoing and kayaking.
Fishing
Flatfoot Lake is stocked with channel catfish by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Flatfoot Lake at Beaubien Woods is a 19-acre former strip mine with a maximum depth of 15.4 feet. Features an accessible fishing area on the barrier free fishing pier. Designated ice fishing lake. .
- Chicago-Calumet River System Mapping
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Inside, Out & About - A Year Along the Chicago-Calumet River
- Inside, Out & About: An Invitation to 第一吃瓜Explore
- Inside, Out, & About Podcast
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STORY 1: Chicago Portage National Historic Site/Sitio Hist贸rico Nacional de Chicago Portage
- Hablas Espa帽ol?
- Take a Virtual Guided Walk In the Woods at the Chicago Portage
- Diversi贸n y actividades familiares
- Get to Know the North American Beaver
- Conozca al Castor Norteamericano
- Get to Know a Bur Oak
- Conozca el Bur Oak
- Community Group Connections
- Conexiones de Grupos Comunitarios
- Finding Health and Wellness with a Walk in the Woods
- Encuentra salud y felicidad con un paseo por el bosque
- STORY 2: Kickapoo Woods/Bosque Kickapoo
- STORY 3 Bubbly Creek
- STORY 4: Beaubien Woods
- STORY 5: LaBagh Woods
- STORY 6: Big Marsh Park/El Parque Big Marsh
- STORY 7: Wampum Lake/Lago Wampum
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STORY 8: Whistler Woods
- Habla espa帽ol? Whistler Woods
- Get to Know Channel Catfish
- Conozca el Pez Gato Americano
- Get to Know Aquatic Plants
- Conozca las Plantas Acu谩ticas
- Wellness: Outdoors at Whistler Woods
- Bienestar: Al aire libre en el Whistler Woods
- Community Connections
- Conexiones Comunitarias
- Plan Your Visit
- Planifique Su Visita
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STORY 9: Crooked Creek
- Crooked Creek 鈥 La Belleza Fluida Del Valle de Palos-Sag
- Get to Know Hine鈥檚 Emerald Dragonfly
- Conozca la Lib茅lula Esmeralda de Hine
- Get to Know the American Hazelnut
- Conozca el Avellano Americano
- Bogs, Sloughs, Marshes, and Fens
- Las Ci茅nagas, los Pantanos y las Marismas?
- Wellness at Crooked Creek and Palos
- Bienestar: Salga al aire libre en Crooked Creek y Palos
- Community Connections
- Conexiones Comunitarias
- Plan Your Visit
- Planifique Su Visita
- STORY 10: Inspiring Leaders and Ideas
- STORY 11: An Opportunity for Water in Cities
- Story 12: The Beauty of Dark Sky Places
- Story 13: Nature Inspires Art
- River Ecology and Wildlife
- Chicago River Recreation
- McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
- Tunnel and Reservoir Plan
- Resources
- Video Resources