Independence Grove offers outdoor recreation and education opportunities centered on a 115-acre lake. Surrounding prairie and woodlands provide a picturesque backdrop for hiking, biking, picnicking and other fun activities.

Independence Grove features a cafe, boat and bike rentals, a swimming beach, children's playground, hiking trails, canoe launch and more.

The preserve's rolling prairies, wide-open spaces, and woodlands offer the perfect environment for a variety of wildlife like owls, muskrats, beaver, mink, raccoon, possum or deer. Take a guided night hike with our naturalists and you might even spy an owl in the oak forest. We also encourage wildlife by creating habitats for them. Special underwater shelves around the lakeshore are designed for aquatic plants. Above and below the water's surface, these plants provide nesting sites, cover and food for all types of wildlife.