East Side Main Loop 4

The main attraction for the wood-chipped, 1.49-mile East Side Main Trail Loop 4 is the East Woods. Over 500 acres of oak and sugar maple woodlands grow throughout this area of the Arboretum. Visitors can keep their eyes open for stunning displays of spring woodland wildflowers and varieties of oak and maple, including some of the best sugar maples on the Arboretum's grounds.

The East Woods is a managed woodland. Threatened by invasive species such as honeysuckle and buckthorn, the Arboretum uses controlled burns and hand removals to minimize invasive species and ensure that native plants have a chance to survive and thrive in their woodland environment. It, along with the woodlands in the adjacent Hidden Lake Forest Preserve, was originally named Kings Grove for Sherman King, a veteran of the Black Hawk War of 1832, who settled in the area. This large grove was an important source of timber and maple sugar for the early settlers of the area.

Loop 4 also serves as the gateway to Etter and Puffer Marshes. Etter Marsh is a natural wetland while Puffer Marsh was a man-made pond that is reverting to a cattail marsh.

See why the Arboretum's, Mary Samerdyke, Docent and Tram Interpreter Coordinator, loves the East Side Main Loop 4 in winter.