Midewin was established on February 10, 1996 as the first national tallgrass prairie in the country and in the National Forest System. It is located in Will County in northeastern Illinois, about 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, and is also the largest open space in the six-county Chicago metropolitan area. The three communities at its borders are Wilmington, Elwood, and Manhattan. The Midewin headquarters is located along State Highway 53 a few miles north of the city of Wilmington.
Midewin’s first Land and Resource Management Plan was completed in 2002 and implements the four purposes outlined in its establishing legislation, the Illinois Land Conservation Act -- to conserve and enhance native populations and habitats; to provide opportunities for scientific, environmental, and land use education and research; to allow continued agricultural use for resource management; and to provide a variety of recreation opportunities.