Each winter between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the Heartlands Conservancy puts on the Jingle Hike where you visit local parks to find a bell and can enter to win prizes. This year, one of Illinois’ newer nature preserves was on the list so we checked it out!

Storment Hauss Nature Preserve is located south of Waterloo and west of Red Bud. The previous landowner worked to have this land dedicated as a nature preserve and it is now managed by Clifftop.

From the small parking lot, a one mile trail leads down a hill and crosses the headwaters of South Fork Creek.

The trail climbs quickly back up hill and forms a loop. One of my favorite things about this trail is that there are 9 self guide markers which point out interesting features along the trail.

I really enjoyed this trail so be sure to check it out!