Hogback Ridge Park

Amenities

Park Size

41 Acres

Hours of Operation

Discover Your Park

This beautiful wooded park includes trails that wind through a ravine system with hardwood and pine trees, and a bridge spanning a scenic ravine. White tail deer, wild turkeys and many other species of birds – including pileated woodpeckers – make their home in the park.

Glaciation, which occurred during the last Ice Age, helped shape the park by creating ridges, and melt water from the glaciers helped carve the stream beds.

Many species of woodland wildflowers fill the forest floor in the spring. Look for trillium, Dutchman’s breeches, mayapples, and more in April and May.

The park houses the Mary Barber McCoy Nature Center, where park visitors can watch birds at a viewing area, learn about how osprey were brought back to adjacent Alum Creek Reservoir, and see numerous taxidermied wildlife.

The initial 32 acres in Hogback Ridge Preserve were left to Preservation Parks in the estate of Mary Barber McCoy in 1998. The Park District later purchased an adjoining nine acres, bringing the total to 41 acres. The park opened to the public in 2002.

Leashed pets are allowed on the trails, and owners must clean up after them.

Hogback Ridge Park History

Trail Information

Woodland Ridge Trail (Gravel Trail)

Approximate walking time: 15 minutes; little elevation change
Leashed dogs are allowed on this trail.
Meets guidelines for outdoor accessibility.

Beginning near the front deck of the Mary Barber McCoy Nature Center, the 0.4-mile gravel trail loops through a hardwood forest along a ridge between two ravines.

Pinegrove Trail (Gravel Trail)

Approximate walking time: 15 minutes; slight elevation changes
Leashed dogs are allowed on this trail.

This 0.4-mile trail traverses a planted pine forest on its east end, then crosses the driveway into a hardwood forest. Along both trails, you might see white tailed deer and wild turkeys, as well as a wide variety of birds, including pileated woodpeckers. A spur off this trail leads to a wildlife blind next to a pond, where visitors can watch for waterfowl and try to spot our resident snapping turtles.

Ravine Crossing (Wood Bridge)

Two sets of stairs and a 40-foot-long bridge connect the Woodland Ridge and Pinegrove trails across a wide ravine.

Equestrian Trail (Primitive Trail)

This trail was completed in 2017, and connects to the equestian/hiking trail in Alum Creek State Park. Equestrians entering Hogback Ridge Park must do so via Alum Creek and this trail; horse trailers are not allowed in the park. Riders may tie their horses while they visit the Preservation Parks district offices and Mary McCoy Nature Center.