Wild Mile

The Wild Mile is the first floating eco-park of its kind and scale in the world. Composed of floating docks winding through lush gardens of native wetland species, it is accessible from street level and functions as a public park to be enjoyed by city dwellers. The Wild Mile is the flagship project of the nonprofit organization Urban Rivers, and was designed in partnership with Omni Ecosystems and Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. Built in sections, the initial park space was installed in late 2021, and was extended in summer of 2024. Marching steadily towards the goal of a mile-long park space spanning the entire east side of Goose Island, the Wild Mile serves as a platform for community engagement, and provides a critical foothold for wildlife in an otherwise inhospitable environment. It is flood-resilient, rising and falling with the level of the river, and provides a reprieve from summer heat waves. Having seen well over 60,000 visitors since its inception, this pocket of nature is rapidly becoming a draw for Chicagoans and tourists alike.

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill