Volo Bog State Park — site of the only open-water quaking bog in Illinois — is located about sixty miles northwest of Chicago. From the DNR website: “Formed in an ancient glacial kettle hole lake, Volo Bog features a floating mat of sphagnum moss, cattails and sedges surrounding the open pool of water in the center of the bog. Further from the open water, the mat thickens enough to even support floating trees!”

Because of the muddy terrain, it took a bit longer than usual to walk the 2.75-mile trail and the bog boardwalk (twice), but we got four miles in plus a geocache. And on our second stop at the center’s edge, we espied three bald eagles.