It’s not often that 77 acres of prime lakefront land goes up for grabs on the North Shore, but this happened in the late 2010s when the U.S. Navy went looking for a new owner for property it owned in Highland Park and Highwood. That very same parcel, among the few public ravines and blufftop ecosystems in the Chicago area, is in the process of changing hands again.

It’s called Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, and it comprises ravines, mature forests, savannas, upland blufftops and more than a mile of sandy beach at the south end of what was once the Fort Sheridan Army Base. It’s one of the best public places on the North Shore to view Lake Michigan.

The first land transfer took place in the late 2000s during the Great Recession. The Navy was looking to transfer the property, and Openlands Chicago stepped up when none of the adjacent municipalities or local organizations had the capacity to take it on.

Openlands Chicago had been advocating to protect the site from development and make it publicly accessible since 1988, when the Fort Sheridan garrison closed. In stages in 2007 and 2010, the Navy transferred the land at no charge to the non-profit group, which launched a fund-raising campaign to restore, enhance and preserve it.

Now, Openlands Chicago is passing the baton.

On June 14, the Lake County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners agreed to accept the transfer of ownership. With it comes a $1.29 million fund dedicated to maintenance and operation of the Preserve.

“This transfer accelerates the Forest Preserves’ 100-year vision and opens the door to additional resources and further preservation of nearby parcels of open space,” said Song Huan, director of communications for Openlands Chicago. “In managing public open space, the Forest Preserves offers exceptional depth of knowledge and operational efficiencies.”

LCFPD has painstakingly restored the 259-acre Fort Sheridan Preserve just north of the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

“Openlands did an excellent job restoring and protecting their 77 acres,” says Alex Ty Kovach, executive director of the LCFPD. “With the combined ownership by the Forest Preserve District, we’ll have two miles of lakefront protected forever and in public ownership. Our goal is to create a master plan after the closing date, invest in the property, and create a seamless, 327- acre preserve that will provide the public a unique lakefront experience.”

The transfer is set to close later this summer, and Kovach said he hopes the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve will re-open to the public over Labor Day weekend.

It has been closed since 2021 because a hand grenade and two other remnant World War II-era ordinances were found on the premises in April of that year. These were detonated by the Waukegan Bomb Squad. The Navy has been analyzing the entire site since then.

“The Navy has taken a lead role in preparing for the reopening of the Preserve by agreeing to implement recommendations in its forthcoming ‘Historic Document Review and Field Investigation Report,’” Huan said.

Openlands Lakeshore Preserve provides visitors the opportunity to experience many habitats, including ravine eroding bluff, lake bluff, ravines, seeps, dune, fore dune, and bluff tabletop. The City of Chicago seems worlds away, not just 30 miles south.

Over the past 15 years, Openlands Chicago has added many features to the Preserve, including:

• Accessible trails through the ravine and along upland bluffs and a portion of the beach
• Bridges and staircases that allow access to sections of the beach, ravines and bluffs
• Restored healthy native habitat, including the rare ravine ecosystem • Outdoor education and gathering spaces
• Art installations

Like the nearby McCormick Ravine and other ravines in Lake County, Openlands Lakeshore Preserve is home to at least six threatened and endangered plant species, with thousands of migrating birds resting and refueling twice each year, and monarchs and dragonflies also making migratory stops, according to Pati Vitt, director of natural resources for LCFPD. Some 236 birds have been seen at the Fort Sheridan Preserve, and they are likely at Openlands Lakeshore Preserve as well.

The area also is favored by a wide range of waterfowl, such as red-headed mergansers, Caspian terns, and double-breasted cormorants. And the wooded sections are home to several species of woodpeckers and hawks, along with songbirds and warblers.

Several plant species, including marram grass, sea rocket, and seaside spurge, all grow on exposed sand within the beach area at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve and are also likely present at the Openlands Preserve, she said. Other native plants likely include Downy Solomon’s Seal, Pale Vetchling, Common Juniper, Red Honeysuckle, Wood’s Stiff Sedge, Round-leaved Serviceberry, Golden Sedge, Dog Violet, and Buffalo Berry.

But that’s not all. Many Lake Michigan fish species migrate in the ravines, such as white suckers, long nosed suckers, and rainbow trout. Other fish include primarily near shore and shallow lakeshore species such as Cisco, Lake Chub and Lake Sturgeon, she says.

The Openlands Lakeshore Preserve and the Fort Sheridan Preserve are havens for humans, too, especially birdwatchers, hikers, runners, cyclists, walkers, and nature lovers. But they’re not for swimmers. Both preserves forbid swimming, wading, and boating—and the ban will continue to be enforced when the two preserves are combined.

“There are a lot of hazards that go along with swimming on the shores of Lake Michigan,” says Kovach. “It presents real risks for people, especially in unmanaged areas.”

The combined 327-acre preserve is a dream come true for cyclists looking to expand their rides, because it serves as a hub for other trails in the region. These include the McClory Trail and the 11-mile North Shore Path, which connects to the LCFPD’s Des Plaines River Trail near Libertyville and the Millennium Trail near Mundelein.

For more information, visit openlands.org/projects/openlands-lakeshore-preserve.