Open
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is open.
Why this statusNo active large wildfire in or adjacent to this forest. Seasonal road, trail, and area closures may still apply — see the forest's alerts & notices page.
Last checked Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:00:58 GMT
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (MNTP) is a tallgrass prairie reserve and is preserved as United States National Grassland operated by the United States Forest Service.
About Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (MNTP) is a tallgrass prairie reserve and is preserved as United States National Grassland operated by the United States Forest Service. The first national tallgrass prairie ever designated in the United States and the largest conservation site in the Chicago Wilderness region, it is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant between the towns of Elwood, Manhattan and Wilmington in northeastern Illinois. Since 2015, it has hosted a conservation herd of American bison to study their interaction with prairie restoration and conservation.
Read more on Wikipedia ↗ Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
How we read this status
We derive Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie's status from NIFC wildfire perimeters over this forest's boundary — active fires only, not road, trail, or seasonal closures, refreshed hourly — this is our reading, not an official determination. As of the last check: No active large wildfire in or adjacent to this forest. Seasonal road, trail, and area closures may still apply — see the forest's alerts… Full method: how we check park status.
