Permits and Fees
Annual Permits | Camping Permits | Picnic Permits | Misc. Permits | Rentals
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has traditionally spent tax revenue to provide access to recreational use areas including parking, signage, drinking water, latrines, mowed turf areas, picnic tables, trash receptacles and visitor protection services. When preserve users desire facilities beyond those "basics" that are routinely provided, they have been asked to pay a user fee to help defray the growing cost of operation.
The District operates on a combined tax levy of only 19 cents for every 100 dollars of assessed property value. Ever-rising costs set against a mandated tax cap impose strict limits on facilities operated and recreational services rendered by the District.
Therefore, the Forest Preserve Commission strongly believes that those who personally benefit from these special facilities or services should accept a larger share of the costs than the general tax-paying public of DuPage County. Similarly, the commissioners feel that non-county residents should also pay a higher fee for using DuPage County's facilities. In this way, taxes can be kept down.
It is hoped that these fees will defray costs in the most equitable and realistic manner possible. User fees help the District continue to provide clean, well-maintained areas, allowing you to enjoy your leisure hours in the beautiful setting of our forest preserves.
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
Online Permit Forms
Many of the Forest Preserve District's permit applications are now available for downloading below. Click on the name of the permit application to view a PDF version of the form that you can print out and mail in to the District's Visitor Services Division at the address at the bottom of this page:
- Off-leash Dog Area Permit Application
- Annual Boat Permit Application (88 KB PDF)
- Annual Model Air Permit Application (141 KB PDF)
- Annual Model Boat Permit Application (112 KB PDF)
- Family Camping Permit Application (113 KB PDF)
- Herrick Lake Cabin Permit Application (75 KB PDF)
- Picnic Permit Application (99 KB PDF)
- Youth Group Camping Permit Application (93 KB PDF)
Annual/Daily Permits (per calendar year)
| Permit Type | Location | County Resident | Non-Resident | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat | Blackwell (Silver Lake) |
$35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | Permit & state registration required |
| West Branch (Deep Quarry Lake) |
$35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | ||
| Hidden Lake (Round Meadow Lake) |
$35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | ||
| Mallard Lake (Mallard Lake) |
$35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | ||
| Model Aircraft | Springbrook Prairie | $35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | Permit required (model helicopters only permitted at Fullerston) |
| Fullerton Park | $35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | ||
| Pratt's Wayne Woods | $35/yr. $7/day | $45/yr. $9/day | ||
| Model Boat | Cricket Creek (southernmost lake) | $25/yr. $5/day | $35/yr. $7/day | Permit required |
| Off-Leash Dog Area |
Blackwell East Branch Greene Valley Mallard Lake Mayslake Pratt's Wayne Woods Springbrook Prairie |
$40 per year for the first dog and $8 per year for each additional dog $8/dog per day. |
$150 for the first dog and $25 for each additional dog $20/dog per day |
Permit required. See "Off-leash dog area" rules for further specifications |
Annual off-leash dog area permit fees for 2008 are reduced after September 1 for permits good through December 31, 2008. For the first dog, reduced fees are $20 for county residents and $75 for non-residents. Fees for additional dogs are not discounted.
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
Camping Permits (per night/per site)
| Permit type | Location | County Resident | Non-Resident | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Camping |
Blackwell Blackwell (w/ electricity) |
$15 $20 |
$25 $30 |
Blackwell Family Campground offers firewood ($5/rack) for purchase. |
| Youth Group |
Blackwell Churchill Greene Valley Pratt's Wayne Woods Waterfall Glen Herrick Lake (Youth Group Cabin) |
All locations: $25 - $100 $50 |
All locations: $30 - $120 $60 |
Youth camping is available to organized youth groups only. Firewood is provided for youth group permits. The cost of youth group primitive sites varies according to size of site. Site capactiy ranges from 25 to 100 people. |
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
Picnic Permits (per day)
| Preserve | County Resident | Non-Resident | Shelter Capacity | Max. Area Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwell | ||||
| North shelter ** | $60 | $75 | 50 | 100 |
| South shelter * | $55 | $70 | 50 | 100 |
| East shelter * | $55 | $70 | 50 | 100 |
| West shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 100 |
| Picnic area | $70 | $90 | 300 | |
| Churchill Woods | ||||
| East shelter * | $100 | $120 | 100 | 100 |
| Central picnic area | $35 | $45 | 50 | |
| West picnic area | $35 | $45 | 50 | |
| Cricket Creek | ||||
| Central shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 50 |
| Greene Valley | ||||
| West shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 100 |
| East shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 100 |
| Herrick Lake | ||||
| East shelter ** | $105 | $130 | 100 | 100 |
| West picnic area | $35 | $45 | 150 | |
| South picnic area | $35 | $45 | 100 | |
| South shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 50 |
Permits are per day and reserve areas for exclusive use.
Alcohol is prohibited in all forest preserves.
* = Built-in Grill, ** = Electricity & Built-in Grill
| Preserve | County Resident | Non-Resident | Shelter Capacity | Max. Area Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mallard Lake | ||||
| Shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 50 |
| McDowell Grove | ||||
| Central picnic area | $35 | $45 | 150 | |
| North shelter | $45 | $60 | 25 | 25 |
| Pratt's Wayne Woods | ||||
| Shelter * | $100 | $120 | 100 | 100 |
| Salt Creek | ||||
| North shelter * | $100 | $120 | 100 | 100 |
| Songbird Slough | ||||
| North shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 50 |
| Spring Creek Resevoir | ||||
| South shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 50 |
| Wood Dale Grove | ||||
| North shelter | $45 | $60 | 50 | 100 |
| South shelter * | $55 | $70 | 50 | 100 |
| York Woods | ||||
| South shelter | $100 | $120 | 100 | 100 |
Permits are per day and reserve areas for exclusive use.
Alcohol is prohibited in all forest preserves.
* = Built-in Grill, ** = Electricity & Built-in Grill
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
Miscellaneous Permits (per day)
| Permit type | Location | County Resident | Non-Resident | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District Tent | Selected Preserves | $325 | $375 | District tent - 20' x 30', approx. 75 people, includes setup/takedown |
| Private Tent | Selected Preserves | $10 | $12 | |
| District Grill | Selected Preserves | $75 | $90 | District grill - 2' x 5', approx. 60 people, includes setup/cleanup (charcoal & lighter fluid not provided) |
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
Rentals
| Permit type | Location | County Resident | Non-Resident | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canoe/Boat/Kayak Rental |
Blackwell Herrick Lake |
$10/hr. $50/day $10/hr. $50/day |
$10/hr. $50/day $10/hr. $50/day |
Drivers license required for boat, canoe & kayak deposit |
| Boat with trolling motor | Blackwell only | $15/hr. $75/day | $15/hr. $75/day | Drivers license required for deposit |
| Snow Tubing | Blackwell - Tubing Hill only | $4 | $4 | Winter weekends and school holidays only when there is 3 inches of snow |
For general information, call the District's Visitor Services Division at (630) 933-7200.
For specific facility information, please call:- Danada Equestrian Center at (630) 668-6012
- Fullersburg Woods Environmental Center at (630) 850-8110
- Kline Creek Farm at (630) 876-5900
- Mayslake Peabody Estate at (630) 850-2363
- James "Pate" Philip State Park at (630) 540-4800
- Willowbrook Wildlife Center at (630) 942-6200
Annual Permits | Camping Permits | Picnic Permits | Misc. Permits | Rentals
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857