Will County High Point Trip Report
Date: June 2000
Author: John Mitchler
This HP yielded a surprise that epitomizes what highpointing is all about. The high ground is in a pet
cemetery! You never know what you'll find in your HP search. The Will County HP is a very large area
(830') located on relatively flat terrain along side I-57 south of Chicago. The HP itself is a drive-up and a
short walk across the lawn of the Evergreen Pet Cemetery.
From I-57, take Exit 335 which is Manhattan-Monee Road. Go west about a quarter mile to Ridgeland
Road and turn left (south). This road immediately begins an ascent of forty feet to the HP one mile to the
south. The actual HP contour is entered one half mile south of the Manhattan-Monee Road where the
Ridgeland Road ascends a series of topographic benches. Before reaching Burn Road (one mile to the
south), a pet cemetery and radio tower are on the left (east).
Enter the pet cemetery and park at the house. The HP is a small knot in the grassy area to the right
(south). There's another knot just across the fence near the radio tower but it appears lower than the
cemetery spot. Hand leveling indicates that the cemetery and radio tower are higher than the rest of the
contour area to the north. An area just to the right of "pipeline" (on the topo) appears very close in
elevation but appears lower. I found the Hickory BM on the east side of the road and it read "Hickory
1959 1957." The large building that lies within the 830' contour and adjacent to I-57 can be reached by a
frontage road. It is a commercial welding shop.