This Week in Wildflowers
Last week, we saw bloodroot at Severson, sharp-lobed hepatica at Etnyre, spring beauties and bluebells at Deer Run. You can see photos of those...
Yes Virginia, There Is A…Bluebell
Hikers, hi! Here are a few spring ephemerals you can expect to see in the forests of northern Illinois this week! Hurry, because "ephemeral" means...
The Call of the Couch
You've read it, heard it and probably even said it: "Nature is good for you." Of course it is, but you can't really know that until you get outside...
Beyond Soup: A Cautionary Tale
We at 815 Outside are big believers in the pre-hike. That's when we go out a couple days before our scheduled public hike and make sure the trails...
Got Skepticism? Great! Independent Thinkers Make Excellent Hikers!
Most people naturally possess a "healthy skepticism." We at 815 Outside welcome and encourage independent thinkers! But we don't want you to be...
March Gladness
Hikers, hello and "Happy March!" You've heard of March Madness. Well, 815 Outside is all about March Gladness! With the goal of...
Cancel Culture
An ice storm caused power outages, downed trees and school cancellations across northern Illinois last week. It even caused 815 Outside to cancel...
February means 5-7-5 in the 8-1-5
Hikers, hello! It's National Haiku Month so we're celebrating our February hikes through poetry. You're probably familiar with the 5-7-5 syllable...
The Color of Space
In northern Illinois, the woods can be so quiet that oftentimes the only sounds you hear on a hike are your footsteps crunching in the snow, your...
Snow or No Snow — Northern Illinois Winters Are Colorful!
Are your winter blues so bad that they're winter blahs? Are you missing the greens of spring, the sapphire skies of summer and the ambers of autumn?...