This area is very popular and for good reason. Located right off of Lake Opeka there are amazing…read moreviews, plenty of footpaths, a nice park, picnic benches, regular benches, and more. Be prepared for limited street parking on nice weekends, people will come out and bring their grills and camp out for a while. It's really a nice open area but always seems to be crowded, lots of families, people walking pets, bikers, people fishing. Lots of people doing lots of different things.

Absolutely beautiful!!! I needed a place to relax after my…read moreflight into Chicago. While I waited on my daughter's flight to come in (about 5 hours later). Next trip I'll be planning a picnic either when we land or before we fly out. What a beautiful and well maintained space. Filled with so much information and respect for America's heroes. Can't wait to come back!

Nice little spot to sit and relax around the lake with your smoky or jus by yourself, also good…read moreplace for kids to play in the open area. Have multiple places around the lake to get some fresh air. Well maintained, does have a portable potty. It's more of a picnic place, I see a lot of people come here mostly for fishing. I ended up here looking for trails to run by in he neighborhood. Even though it comes up in suggestions when you are looking for nearest trails for nice long run, this isn't the place for that. It does have little unpaved path around the lake which almost comes around close to a mile but not a recommended one for runs/walks. Parking available too.

This is an adorable hidden gem. Great picnic location and looks amazing in photos! Would totally…read morerecommend to all ages. The walking trail isn't paved so be weary about your shoe choice. Saw tons of people fishing and relaxing with their dogs. Overall, had a great time!

I recently visited Lake Potawatomi and really enjoyed my time there. It's a peaceful place to relax…read moreand take in the scenery, whether you're going for a walk, fishing, or just enjoying the outdoors. The lake is well maintained, and the surrounding area is clean and inviting. One of my favorite parts was how quiet and relaxing it felt. There are plenty of spots to stop and enjoy the view, and it's a great place to spend some time in nature. The walking paths around the lake make it even better, and I saw plenty of wildlife while I was there. Overall, Lake Potawatomi is a beautiful place to visit if you're looking for a relaxing outdoor escape. It's well worth a stop, and I'll definitely be coming back.

Although Potawatomi Woods is not huge by comparison to other local preserves, it has a nice charm…read moreto it. This location has all the basic features such as areas to fish or boat, as well as paths for walking, hiking, and bicycling. There's also a grove available for picnics. Parking typically isn't too difficult and people are generally spread out fairly well across the woods, so you can enjoy a casual stroll without worrying about feeling crowded. These woods have a good variety of natural features that make it a great place to take pictures of the fall colors. If you have the right lenses, there's a nice variety of birds that can be photographed -- or possibly deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. Overall, it's amazing to have such a beautiful area in the middle of the busy suburbs. Definitely worth a visit if you live in this area and want to enjoy some natural beauty.

How can you not love Lake Arlington?! The lake is beautiful,…read morethe treats at the Boat House are great, and the vibe is perfect. 10/10

Lake Arlington is a man made lake in Arlington Heights. There are many things to do there. There is…read morea walking path around the lake. The park also features a playground and exercise equipment. Lake Arlington is a great place to fish, kayak, and boat in the water. In the community center building, you can buy snacks and drinks as well as rent equipment to use on the lake. Lake Arlington is a great place for year-round fun!

As I read through other reviews, there is a lot more to this park than just a trail around a lake…read more We did a fundraiser that included a walk around the lake. The park is very good and the walk is nice. The whole loop is only about 1 1/2 miles so it's an easy walk. The other reviews talk about accommodations for a party, indoor sports like basketball, a gym, and more. We didn't check any of that out since we didn't know they were there. Speaking of the path and the lake, it's lovely and a nice place to go on a warm day.

Gallery Park started out as a collection of flat aprons and runways in the Glenview Naval Air…read moreStation. The Naval station closed in '93, and the hundred and fifty acres that now comprise Gallery Park became available, and were incorporated as this park. Tip: There are several different trails here, all of which loop around Lake Glenview. The lake also has several piers, some small islands, and a bridge My two favorite trails here are the Lake Trail (one and a half miles long) and the Park Trail (one point eight miles long). I used to also very much enjoy the Lakeside Trail, but I ran into far too many ticks the last time I went there, so I've been avoiding it. Over and above the hiking trails, the park also has several soccer fields, tennis courts, and even some catch-and-release fishing spots. Last (but not least) there's a fitness zone with equipment for cardio steps, chest presses, an crunches, etc. But wait, there's more! You'll also find a children's garden, bike racks, water fountains, and picnic tables. All in all this is a pretty cool place to relax and get some nature on :-)

It's an OK forest preserve, but there's not a whole lot here. There is a man made lake here with a…read moreboat ramp. I learned that the man made lakes, like Big Bend, along the nearby I-294 tollway were originally created for landfill material. You can ice fish here if that's your thing, and there were a couple of fishermen present on this fall afternoon. The only trail is a graveled portion of the 28 mile long Des Plaines River Trail that winds through here. On my maiden stroll through here, there were more bikers than walkers, but that's neither here nor there. As I walked exploratorily on the grass area (no trail) near the lake, there's a lot of dried up dog or coyote of whatever poop laying around so it wasn't the most enjoyable walk, so just an fyi. I did learn from a sign here though that I live on a 280 million year old 5 mile wide meteorite crater that I never heard of or knew about!

My husband, friends, and I love this place! It's pretty clean and is absolutely beautiful,…read moreespecially during sunset. There is a path around a decent sized pond where many run or jog, and there are plenty of benches to sit on around the path, as well. A nice perk is that you can watch all of the cute ducks and geese all over the place. Be careful where you're walking because poo is kinda everywhere, though haha! There is a free outdoor workout area you can use with a good amount of different machines, and there are also canoes and peddle boats that you can rent. I haven't been here in the winter season yet, but apparently you can ice skate on the pond when it's frozen during winter, too. Don't let me just tell you how gorgeous this lake is, see for yourself! Many people also fish here, but during certain times, the lake has green algae, so I wouldn't recommend being that close to the water if there are signs out.

Great park and very relaxing time!!! Would recommend for…read moreanyone looking for a great place to unwind!

Can't believe I didn't review this place! Nature deserves reviews 2…read more Meachum Grove is a great place for running up a huge hill that most people seem to think is hard! My friends dad said running up that hill was the reason he was able to finish the marathon! I guess to him mentally running up the hill was hard, for me sprinting hills is easy peezy. But running long distance itself was hard for me. So the best place to train for a full marathon was Busse Woods doing the loop 2X's on Sundays. Meachum grove isn't too bad for 4-6 miles, but you'll have to run it 3-4 times so it's not ideal if you don't like doing loops. I did train here for marathons though because of the hill aspect.

Great little path, little bit of an incline going up over the bridge, can be a little rough as some…read moreof the trail is just gravel and dirt. Friendly people walking along this path saying hello and smiling at you.

This lakeside club is the gem of Highland Park! The cozy clubhouse on Lake Michigan with canoes,…read morekayaks, sailboats and friendly members of all ages is our favorite place to be in the summertime.

This place is a hidden gem that's underutilized. For less then $300 bucks, a beachfront clubhouse…read morewith a huge deck including grills, tables, kitchen, showers, equipment, storage, and free to use club equipment such as kayaks, paddle boards, windsurfers... I'm here almost everyday. I can't understand why this place isn't completely packed with members all summer.

It was a breath of fresh air the morning I decided to finally venture up to Skokie Lagoons to run…read more It was only a matter of time that I would visit after having passed through it via the North Branch Trail System while training for the Chicago Marathon some time ago. My visit to the actual site came after having the desire of running somewhere different, as well as having no interest in running the ever so congested Chicago Lakefront Trail. At the time, it was marathon training season with many runners out training for their fall and winter marathons. And not to mention other individuals out on the Lakefront Trail whether it be biking, walking, skating, or even at the beaches which I just did not have the tolerance for at the time. My GPS took me to what is labeled as Forest Way Picnic Grove #1 where I ended up parking. However, if you want to start your activity at the mile marker starting point, I recommend parking where the Chicago River Canoe and Kayak shed is located which is 1770 Tower Rd. Parking there will put you right at the 0/4.4-mile marker on the path. If not, Skokie Lagoons has several places to park your vehicle which are mostly along Forestway Dr. Prior to starting my run, I could not resist taking in the beauty of the lagoon which made me think to myself why did it take me so long to visit. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Skokie Lagoons as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat; there are rolling hills in between miles 1-3, but nothing excruciating. And there are distance markings along the pavement of this loop style paved path totaling 4.4 miles per loop. Well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as I made my way around the loop. I also felt that feeling of being secluded on parts of the path, but there were always encounters with bikers at some point that kept me in the moment as well as the sounds of vehicles on the nearby roads. As mentioned, I encountered bikers mostly, but I did see walkers and runners occasionally along the path. And throughout my entire time on the path, I encountered two deer which crossed my path as they headed towards the lagoon. I spent a little over 3 hours on the path but could have easily gone longer if I wanted to. Like the start of my run, I took in the beauty of the lagoon again which looked so gorgeous with the sun beaming down on it, giving it that lustrous look. And I overheard the screeching sound of a bald eagle as I stretched and massaged my leg muscles off to the side of the path. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within Skokie Lagoons; some of those activities I saw or can certainly see are fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, hiking, running, walking, biking, and even inline skating. And along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even benches throughout. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Skokie Lagoons, as indicated in this review. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

Having lived in Chicago and visited Skokie Lagoons many times before, I can't believe I never left…read morea review! Recently visiting friends in Evanston and needing a place to hike on a 70-80 degree day on my way back to Milwaukee, SL was a no-brainer! Skokie Lagoons has: - Great paved biking trails - Public kayak/canoe launch - Kayak/canoe rental - Good fishing! (Caught a NICE largemouth bass here once) - Lagoons, swamps, and more! - Paved trails that lead into Chicago Botanic Gardens I was hiking on the paved bike trail, which frankly, they're pretty long trails! Better for running, biking, and watersports IMHO. I can't believe people drop less than a 5-star review for this place!