Spotlight on Smith Woods

Located on 55th Street between Fairview and Cass Avenues in Westmont, Smith Woods proves that good things come in small packages! The crown jewel of Westmont Park District is Ty Warner Park, 2.5 miles to the north, but Smith Woods deserves just as much attention. Consisting of about 12 acres, it’s easy to pass by, and if you do notice it, it seems like a tiny park. However, don’t be fooled – though it has a narrow footprint, Smith Woods actually stretches from 55th to 59th Streets.

Originally the southern section of Twin Lakes Park, the woods were renamed in 2017 after Sandra Smith, a 37-year member of the Westmont Park District Board of Commissioners, just before her death. A statue of a girl reading to her dog – a gift from the Smith estate – greets visitors at the trailhead. It’s appropriate, because this park is a fantastic place to take your pup!

Getting Around

Smith Woods is accessible from both 55th and 59th Street, but the parking is located on the northern side of the park. It’s small – only about 16 cars or so can park there – but it’s rare for the lot to fill up. Just off the parking lot is a picnic pavilion with restrooms and drinking fountains, though the water is turned off in November and isn’t turned back on until the spring. There’s also a relatively small playground here. There are poop bags at both the north and south trail heads, and lots of garbage cans in the park itself, though not along the trail.

The crushed limestone path starts right at the parking lot, so it’s easy to find. A second trail of dirt and grass runs parallel to this one and can be accessed just a few yards east; it does turn to limestone only a few dozen yards down the trail. These two trails form a sort of loop with several crossovers, which allows you to customize your walk to be as long as a few miles or as short as .2 miles.

Once you’re down the trail, you can almost forget that residences are literally a stone’s throw away. The trees are thick enough to give the houses privacy, and it’s quiet and lovely, even on a less-than-ideal winter day! If you live in the area, there are several entrances – authorized or not – into the streets on the east side and apartment complex on the west, so you can easily incorporate this small parcel into a longer walk. There are signs throughout the woods about restoration, but it appears that the only section that has seen restoration work is the small prairie between the two trails, with buckthorn lining the perimeter of the woods. Still, there were lots of birds when we visited, so there is potential for running into wildlife here.

Once you’re past the apartment complex, the woods are bordered to the west by Twin Lakes Golf Club and the trails converge into one. Not long after that the woods end at Diane Main Park on 59th Street, which offers an additional 17 acres of trails. This used to be the southern section of Twin Lakes Park, and now that name is obvious, as there are two lakes here (more like ponds). One is in the park and the other is on the south side of 59th Street on private property. Like Smith Woods, Diane Main Park was also renamed in 2017. It consists of the pond, another picnic pavilion, various ballfields, basketball and tennis courts, sand volleyball court, and large playground. There is a lot more parking here, though this park is significantly busier.

The trail through the woods is approximately .8 mile there and back, but bisect the pond via the bridge and it comes out to just about one mile.

Park Safety

The trail isn’t maintained in the winter, so it’s not ideal for someone with limited mobility. As it’s the woods, there’s no lighting, so even though the park doesn’t close until 9pm (10pm if you go by the hours on the website), use common sense when it’s getting dark out. The woods are surrounded by homes, so there’s enough activity that you’re not alone in the middle of nowhere. We were there on a February afternoon and saw about a half dozen people in the woods, so if you do sprain an ankle or otherwise need assistance, help is a lot closer than the other parks and forest preserves we’ve covered.

Final Thoughts

While at first glance Smith Woods doesn’t seem like much, looks can be deceiving! For such a tiny parcel of land, it offers a lot of opportunities to enjoy nature. Whether you walk a short loop, incorporate it into a longer neighborhood walk, or explore both parks, there are countless ways to enjoy Smith Woods with your pup. It’s a surprising hidden gem that we think you should check out!

Vital Info

• Smith Woods: 311 W. 55th Street, Westmont, IL 60559
• Diane Main Park: 300 W. 59th Street, Westmont, IL 60559
• Hours: 6am – 10pm (per website; signs at the park say 9pm)