Who says you have to leave the city to find outdoor adventure? In this trip, we find the perfect balance between city and nature in the Midwest’s biggest, windiest city!
Designed for Wanderers who love cities and nature, this trip is all about uncovering the green spaces, hidden ecosystems, and powerful stories that exist alongside one of the largest urban landscapes in the country — Chicago! From bird sanctuaries and forest preserves to architectural marvels and cultural history, we’ll explore how nature persists and thrives within a city environment.
We’ll be homebased inside a forest preserve just south of the city, a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle, with guided day tours in the city itself and the surrounding area. Highlights include a Women of Chicago tour that grounds us in the city’s social and cultural history, time at an amazing bird sanctuary (during peak migration time!), and a visit to one of the country’s largest plant conservatories. We’ll also find the region’s most impressive urban-adjacent nature, finding beautiful hikes and natural oasis. With group transportation handled and a supportive pace throughout, this trip is ideal for Wanderers who want to rethink what “outdoorsy” can mean.
ACTIVITIES
We’re headed into the city! While in Chicago, we’ll hit some absolute gems, including:
A guided two-hour walking tour focused on the Women of Chicago, those who have shaped the history, culture and legacy of the city.
Free exploration of the Montrose Bird Sanctuary, one of the best places in the whole Midwest to see migratory birds along Lake Michigan. Get your binoculars ready!
Explore the gardens and grounds of the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the nation’s largest botanical centers and designed gardens.
Some delicious local restaurants and free time for city exploration.
And just a little outside the city, we’ll…
Explore multiple forest preserves managed by Cook County, one of the best urban natural resources of any metropolitan area. We’ll explore two preserves, ripe with photo opportunities and time to move our bodies.
Spend an entire afternoon at the world famous Morton Arboretum, With over 1,700 acres of trees and beautiful landscapes, and 16 miles of hiking trails, we’ll get lost (figuratively) in the forest as we view the changing colors of fall in the most concentrated way!
Wander Women will be providing in-city transportation for the weekend in a 12-passenger van, to make navigation around the city a breeze. No need to battle traffic or parking, we’ve got you covered!
ACCOMMODATIONS & LOCATION
We’ll be staying in a modern bunkhouse at a campground managed by Cook County. The bunkhouse and campground features a modern bathroom and shower house.
GETTING THERE
If you are flying in from outside of Ilinois, the closest airport is the Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) (about a 30 min drive away). You’ll need to rent a car to get to the property, or arrange carpool with a local Wanderer. Carpooling details are sent pre-trip in the private trip Discord channel. Carpooling arrangements can’t be guaranteed, but we try our best to connect Wanderers for coordination!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your registration provides you:
Two professional Wander Women guides to help make the trip as seamless and fun as possible
Three nights of cabin accommodations & parking
All in-city transportation and transportation to activities in a 12-passenger van (note: transportation to/from the trip is participant’s responsibility)
Most meals prepared for you by Wander Women guides (2 dinners, 1 lunch and 3 breakfasts)
Entrance fees to all tours and activities
A Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
A private trip Discord channel to connect with guides and fellow participants before & after the trip
A detailed pre-trip online guide with everything you need to know for your trip
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from the trip (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!) and to trip activity locations
1 Dinner and 1 Lunch in-city
INVESTMENT
$645
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $320