Danada Forest Preserve

The Wheaton Estate – Danada Forest Preserve

Overview

Danada Forest Preserve covers close to 800 acres in Wheaton, Illinois. The land was once part of Dan and Ada Rice’s Danada Farm. Today it blends prairie, woods, wetlands, a lake, historic buildings, and horse facilities into one big open space for walking, biking, and exploring.

You will find:

• Multiuse trails and a short nature loop

• Rice Lake and surrounding wetlands

• Danada Equestrian Center

• Danada House and formal gardens

The preserve is managed by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, with Friends of Danada helping preserve and interpret the Rice history on the site.

Trails And Terrain

Danada is known for easy, family-friendly routes with just enough distance and variety to keep things interesting. Surfaces are mostly crushed stone, with gentle grades and wide paths.

Main options most visitors use:

• Danada Forest Nature Trail
  Short loop through Parson’s Grove woodland near the Equestrian Center. Great for kids, wildflowers, and quick walks.

• Danada–Herrick Lake Regional Trail
  A longer crushed-stone path that links Danada with Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Good for walking, running, biking, and in winter, cross-country skiing.

• Extended Loops To Herrick Lake
  Popular full-day or half-day loops that start at Danada, circle Herrick Lake, and return, with only modest elevation gain.

AllTrails and similar apps list these as “easy” hikes, with elevation gain roughly 19-160 feet depending on how far you go.

Things To Do

Danada works well for low-key outdoor days and repeat visits. Common activities include:

• Walking and hiking on the nature loop and regional trail

• Biking on the crushed-stone paths

• Birding around Rice Lake, wetlands, and prairie

• Shoreline fishing at Rice Lake with an Illinois fishing license

• Horseback programs, lessons, and events at the Danada Equestrian Center

• Picnicking near the barns and open fields

In spring you get woodland wildflowers in Parson’s Grove. Summer and early fall bring prairie blooms and grassland birds. Wetlands and Rice Lake draw herons, egrets, and plenty of other wildlife.

History On The Landscape

The name “Danada” comes from Dan and Ada Rice, Chicago businesspeople, racehorse breeders, and major philanthropists. Their estate once stretched across more than 1,300 acres here, with crops, livestock, and a nationally known thoroughbred program.

Key historic features now inside the preserve:

• Danada Equestrian Center, built from the Rice stables and barns, now used for public riding programs and education.

• Danada House, the Rice residence, surrounded by gardens and used today for events and history programming.

In the 1970s local residents and the Forest Preserve District worked to keep the land from being developed. The result is the Danada Forest Preserve you see now: a mix of open space, trails, and preserved farm history instead of subdivisions.

Planning Your Visit

• Location
  Entrances are along Naperville Road in Wheaton, near the Lisle / Naperville corridor, with quick access from I-88 and I-355. Parking is available by the Danada Equestrian Center and near Rice Lake.

• Best Starts

  • For a short family walk and horses: start at the Equestrian Center and take the Nature Trail.

  • For a longer outing: follow the Danada-Herrick Lake Regional Trail toward Herrick Lake and loop back.

• Facilities
  Seasonal restrooms and water are available at main trailheads. Check the Forest Preserve District’s website for current hours, maps, and any trail advisories.