Good combination of open areas and some tree lined areas. Great for birding (saw a bald eagle in the spring), with lots of Heron’s, swallows, blue birds and jays, as well as other common species. The location is getting additional trails and they are cutting down many of the non-native plants, making room for more prairies space.

Went here today, the trail itself is beautiful. Trees, prairies, little bridges over rivers, and probably a view of the reservoir when it's not covered with snow. But the trail was not good for xc skiing, as the hikers walk everywhere and any ski tracks get demolished (the last snowfall in this area was about a week ago.) We had to cut our own tracks on top of footprints. In spite of that, we also explored the whole loop west of Schaeffer, which had only snowshoe tracks, no ski tracks. Also, the west side is mostly prairie - on a cold windy day, there would be no protection from the wind. So this might be a nice spot for a hike in the spring or fall, but not for xc skiing.

Hiked this trail one morning. Lots of native bird species; I bet bird watchers would love it. Some of the trail was visible from the busy roads surrounding the preserve, but most of it was well away and aside from the constant drone of traffic you could feel immersed in the environment. Wear a hat on sunny days; there isn't much shade.