The City of Lemont is a charming village with over 150 years of the heritage the American frontier. The Port of Lemont's historic downtown district offers great restaurants and boutique shops. The Port of Lemont is part of the Greater Chicago metropolitan area. For information about the many things to see and do in the Windy City, please visit the article on the Port of Chicago or the city's tourism website.
The Port of Lemont has a humid continental climate with humid hot summers and potentially severe winters. Temperatures range from an average high of 29°C (almost 85°F) in July to an average low of -9°C (16°F) in January. The Port of Lemont gets about 38 inches of rain each year and about 43 inches of snow.
Visitors to the Port of Lemont who love the outdoors will want to see the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. When the quarries were abandoned in the early 20th Century, underground springs filled the quarries and created freshwater lakes. Today, the recreation area is almost 100 acres of pristine nature park that adds a 6-kilometer (3.8-mile) extension to the original I&M Canal towpath in the Port of Lemont. Four pedestrian bridges facilitate biking, hiking, and fishing opportunities to residents and visitors to the Port of Lemont.
One of the United States Department of Energy's oldest laboratories, the Argonne National Laboratory is located in the Port of Lemont. Nested in 1500 wooded acres and within the 2.5 thousand Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, the laboratory is charged with delivering innovative technologies and research through the application of world-class science and engineering. Guided tours of the facility area available for people over 15 years old. The 2-1/2 hour tours must be arranged in advance by making reservations.
The Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve that surrounds the Argonne National Laboratory in the Port of Lemont is open every day from one hour after sunrise to one hour after sunset. The Preserve contains a mix of habitats that include lakes, ponds, prairie grassland, wetlands, and woods. The topography of the Preserve was created by the Wisconsin Glacier and glacial meltwaters. The Port of Lemont's Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve contains over 550 plants native to DuPage County. The Preserve is home to more than 300 species of reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals. Children under 16 can access hands-on learning activities and scout outings by prior arrangement.
Visitors to the Port of Lemont's Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve will find recreational opportunities that include hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Four mapped trails offer almost 18 kilometers (11 miles) of turf- and limestone-covered routes, and many unmarked footpaths crisscross the Preserve. Picnickers will enjoy the mowed grassy areas, and restrooms and drinking water are available at the Northgate Road trailhead and the Bluff Road and Lemont Road parking lots. Fishers will enjoy the old quarries within the preserve. The Preserve contains two campsites for approved youth groups that offer shelter and large grill areas near trails, restrooms, drinking water, firewood, and trash and recycling containers. There is also a large open model airplane field available to qualified clubs.
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