Posted on: September 21, 2022
A new shoreline path extending from the Lake Ellyn Boathouse to the fishing pier has been installed and is ready for Glen Ellyn residents and Lake Ellyn Park visitors to enjoy. Funded by an anonymous donation, the 12-foot-wide path features permeable pavers as well as sections of masonry seat wall and long-lasting products that align with the historical character of the park.
The entry garden was designed by Chicago-based Garden Design Consultant Austin Eischeid, who specializes in designing dynamic naturalistic plantings. Eischeid has worked alongside world renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf on numerous projects across the country and his portfolio includes Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles, Illinois. A significant variety of native plants with year-round interest and bloom times was used to emphasize the entrance of the pathway and create a wandering garden experience from the Boathouse. The horticulture will also be used as a tool for outdoor education in Park District nature programs.
The overall project was designed by Nathan Troia, Superintendent of Planning and Natural Resources and Professional Landscape Architect with the Glen Ellyn Park District. “In general, this project was about adding needed public access to the water’s edge,” said Troia. “This project is more than a walkway, but an aesthetic space in and of itself and an extension of the Boathouse.”
Improvements to the boat ramp north of the Boathouse have also been completed. Additional components to the project are expected to be done early next year. Those include path lighting as well as a rain garden, which is a depressed area with vegetation built to filter stormwater runoff, on the backside of the path.
The shoreline pathway and other elements are part of a budget-dependent multi-phase project to improve and maintain Lake Ellyn Park, which began with the 2013 Lake Ellyn Master Plan. Other Master Plan improvements throughout the years have included restoration of the historic Lake Ellyn Boathouse, replacement of the playground, converting pathway lights to energy efficient LEDs, realigning paths to expand green space, and adding the fishing pier, vegetative restorers, and interpretive signage.
For questions regarding this project, please contact Nathan Troia at [email protected].
