About
Severson Dells Nature Center Programs include access to hiking trails, a visitor center, The Grove Nature Playscape, and a gift store. Programs and events include school programs, public hikes, restoration workdays, and the Fore the Prairie event, which features hitting seed bomb golf balls into the prairie.
• Schedule: Business hours Monday–Saturday 8:00 am–4:30 pm; The Grove Nature Playscape and the trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
Severson Dells Nature Center Programs follow a mission to link people to nature through education and research in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area, promoting awareness of the natural world and fostering respect, enjoyment, and preservation now and in the future. Severson Dells will be celebrating 50 years with the community on Saturday, June 27. The Grove Nature Playscape has been used by tens of thousands of children over 11 years, and planned improvements include replacements and enhancements to engage children in nature play. Severson Dells Education Foundation is purchasing and restoring the former Elliot Golf Course property to expand nature education, increase the environmental health of Northern Illinois, and increase nature accessibility in Rockford, with the first 50 acres of prairie there ready for seeding later in the winter once there is snow. The organization has a decades-long partnership with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. Severson Dells Nature Center and Preserve are located on the traditional lands of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Meskwaki, Winnebago (Nebraska), and Potawatomi.
Last updated January 9, 2026.
• Schedule: Business hours Monday–Saturday 8:00 am–4:30 pm; The Grove Nature Playscape and the trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
Severson Dells Nature Center Programs follow a mission to link people to nature through education and research in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area, promoting awareness of the natural world and fostering respect, enjoyment, and preservation now and in the future. Severson Dells will be celebrating 50 years with the community on Saturday, June 27. The Grove Nature Playscape has been used by tens of thousands of children over 11 years, and planned improvements include replacements and enhancements to engage children in nature play. Severson Dells Education Foundation is purchasing and restoring the former Elliot Golf Course property to expand nature education, increase the environmental health of Northern Illinois, and increase nature accessibility in Rockford, with the first 50 acres of prairie there ready for seeding later in the winter once there is snow. The organization has a decades-long partnership with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. Severson Dells Nature Center and Preserve are located on the traditional lands of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Meskwaki, Winnebago (Nebraska), and Potawatomi.
Last updated January 9, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.