Get Bridge Raffle Tickets now!

Your contributions will be needed for the project.

With your help the damaged hiking bridge at Thorn Creek Woods will be repaired this summer with a similar wooden bridge having steel beams at the same creek crossing. Funding is coming from the Management Commission, Village of Park Forest, Forest Preserve District of Will County and Friends of Thorn Creek Woods.

Friends of Thorn Creek Woods needs to raise $20,000 with the Bridge Raffle. Raffle tickets are $20 per ticket. Cash prizes will be awarded July 18 – first prize of $2000 and second prize of $1000.

Get your Bridge Raffle Tickets Before July 8.

*In person: Thorn Creek Nature Center on Fridays from noon to 4 p.m.

*Via mail: Send your name, address, phone and email plus $20 per ticket to: Friends of Thorn Creek Woods, P.O. Box 32, Richton Park, Illinois, 60471.

*July 8—Last day for in-person purchase and postmarked mail-in ticket purchases

We so appreciate your continued support and understanding.

Click here to become a member of Friends of Thorn Creek Woods. Click here to donate to the Friends General Purposes Fund. An online donations link will be posted in November for donations to the Bridge Fund. And as always you can contact Friends to donate by mail at P.O. Box 32, Richton Park, IL 60471. For other ways to help see the options in the “Donate” tab underneath the photo at the top of this page.

For additional information on the status of the bridge project contact Thorn Creek Nature Center at 708-747-6320, or by email at thorn_creek@att.net.

The Nature Center is open to the public on Fridays from noon to 4 p.m.

There are signs and maps at the trail head kiosk, in the Nature Center and on the trails, alerting hikers to the areas that are now closed in the preserve.

The Preserve’s bridge over Thorn Creek is not safe and must remain closed until further notice. Woodland Trail, Owl Lake Trail, and Wetland Trail are also closed — due to the bridge being out.

  • The half-mile Nature Center Loop Trail remains open to the public.
  • Our scheduled naturalist-led programs will be available.
  • The Nature Center is open to the public on Fridays — noon to 4 p.m. 

For more information or to register for programs, contact Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Rd, Park Forest, 708-747-6320, email thorn_creek@att.net.