I say this about a lot of parks but, this is definitely one of the best parks I have ever been to…read more There are 6 areas for different sports, including: basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and ping pong. In addition to the sports, there is a very nice playground, pavilion (with electricity and a grill), and a walking trail.

Yes I highly recommend this park it is so clean and so much…read morefun . I come here with my granddaughter we have so much fun. it is very clean and organized. I would bring my Chihuahua here to walk and also for myself to walk and a large park you can have parties here too or just a family pick nick fun fun come here and enjoy nature

My dog loves it here! There is plenty of room to run plus there are always friends for her to play…read morewith!

Decent park with fun trails. Trails are a little slippery and rocky so recommend hiking shoes. Many…read moreof the trails are for mountain biking as well.

This is a mountain biker's fantasyland!!…read more I am from Southern California, where all the mountain biking is up, up, up and then down, down, down. Here there are perfectly prepared trails that are cut into the woods with gentle ups and downs, and banked turns like on those videos from Instagram.!!!!!! I have been riding forever and would never dream to take my wife with me because she would become frustrated and exhausted... but here I actually purchased a bike for her. She joins me on these rides..... I set her up on a loop, which is challenging for her, and then I race around it to get a great workout. I lap her several times before she does one lap. This place is absolutely gorgeous!! I have been here eight times in the last month (end of June through July 2025) and ZERO MOSQUITO BITES!! They also have all sorts of tools to use as well as a bike washing station!!!! Last week they had a mountain bike race here and I participated in it!! My first ever!! I can't believe it is free to ride here!!

I have been going to Paradise Park campground every summer for the last 7 years. I organize a…read morelarge group and we all stay and camp for a few days. The facility is great with a beach, park and 2 fishing ponds. The convenient store is small but has the most important thing when camping ICE! They have convenient bathrooms and showers. The staff is very nice and have always been very accomidating to our large group. I have already booked our trip for this year and as long as nothing changes we are already planning to return for many years to come.

Was a seasonal camper for 6 years. Camp on the higher ground if possible as heavy rains easily…read moreflood the lower campgrounds. There is a HUGE Yellow Jacket Wasp population necessitating yearly wasp and hornet killer treatments of your camper if you plan on being seasonal. Many activities for families with younger children; my teenagers were bored out of their minds. Tubing on the river is a better option than the man made lake and beach that is taken over by the wasps in late summer through closing season. Convenience store is a huge plus and serves food. Park is well kept up overall though public restrooms need a good facelift. Seasonal pricing is a bit on the high side IMHO. Staff is nice.

Wow, after going to the Japanese Gardens in Portland I was excited to visit the Anderson Japanese…read moreGardens and it certainly did not disappoint. From the parking lot, this spot may not look that huge, but this spread out between 12 acres of well designed and maintained land. These gardens feature everything from waterfalls to streams to buildings to ponds to bridges that look amazing even in less than optimal weather. As someone who visits a good number of gardens per year, I was impressed with how intentionally the gardens are designed. That is, I can see that thought was put into the placement and direction of each plant in the garden, and approaching the same spot from different directions can yield a different experience. This is evident in how some plants are only visible from a certain direction, so that your experience in entering and entering the same garden can be different. I also enjoy a very circular theme across the gardens, where you can see different things like a waterfall or bridge from multiple different angles, each yielding a slightly different experience. The parking here is not too difficult, even when it's busier. Because of the size of the gardens, there's also a fairly good amount of space to spread out even on busier days. But if you want a more tranquil experience, you may want to come during less popular hours. Overall, worth a special visit if you live anywhere within 2 hours of Rockford. The gardens are impressive and well worth a visit.

Such a beautiful and relaxing experience coming to the Japanese Garden! My guy and I had the nicest…read moretime walking around and looking at everything they have to offer. We saw and fed lots of animals including koi fish, a crane, turtles, and a chipmunk (my guy's first time seeing one). I wish we had a chance to come during a tea ceremony because that would've been the icing on the cake here.

Can't believe I'm the first one to review this place! Beloit, you guys are slacking!…read more This is a pretty neat playground to take the kids to with an awesome view of the river. Not exactly sure what river it is, Illinois i think? The playground is well maintained, my 10 year old loved it. Not your traditional playground with swings and seesaws, but plenty of stuff to climb. There's also a walking trail along the river but I was sad that I couldn't go because we didn't take the baby stroller! We had our infant in the car seat and she was too heavy to lug that thing around in. Parent fail! Would love to come back and bring my walking shoes to get my steps in!

Have to say this is a pretty good park in Sycamore for a few activities. It may not be the best or…read morethe biggest but it works for around here. Wetzel Park has enough to keep children occupied. A lot of the basic amenities. There's a playground. Clean park that's in fairly good condition. It's mostly a park for children because of the playground. This is the main feature so it makes sense. Has plenty for older kids and adults. There's a basketball court and frisbee golf. A certain place to have physical activity. This is a park popular with families, so keep it the clean kinds. Great place for athletics or exercising. It's located on Rowantree Road. There's often youth leagues playing baseball, other sports, or whatever.

Great little playground. Perfect for little kids. The playground is in great almost new…read morecondition. They have a sand area with one digger, 6 swings, basketball, tennis court and baseball diamond. Lots of open grass area and a place to play Corn hole! There is also a port a potty on site!

Me and my wife recently stopped here to go on a little walk in the area. This place is perfect for…read moreall sorts of outdoor activities since there's a beach nearby and plenty of trails though I recommend and not walk through them when it's wet outside because they are very muddy and nothing is paved. Plenty of dogs are running off leash as well which isn't an issue. Please check to make sure you know what time the park closes because they will close on you as well. Highly recommend stopping here

Decided to take a drive from Evanston on a beautiful Spring day (70 degrees in Evanston, but 80…read moredegrees in Rockford - it was balmy!) I had found this place searching online for nearby state parks that weren't TOO far of a drive and still had ample hiking trails. The park was easy to find, had plenty of parking and lots of paved and dirt trails for both hiking and biking. Picnic areas scattered throughout and a nice large lake for fishing/boating/canoeing (there were prices posted in the concessions area for renting a boat with motor for the day as well if you don't have your own to bring with you!) Small selection of snacks and beverages (non-alcoholic) were available for purchase, however they did not have any paper maps (there were boards posted by trail entrances and we did take photos of those). It looks like there is a restaurant next to the concessions area that opens after Memorial Day weekend for the season. We saw and heard many different birds while hiking and it was very peaceful (and not very crowded, as we were here on a Tuesday). My husband particularly enjoyed seeing the turkeys roaming around

The Forest Preserve Headquarters of Winnebago County is by far my favorite underrated park in the…read moreRockford area! Lots to explore and so many different, unique areas within the park. I love the view over the quarry in all seasons but it's especially beautiful in fall/winter. The walk through the woods and around the ponds and river on the other side of the forest preserve are gorgeous in spring with frogs and other small animals to find and lots of mossy pathways. It feels like a fairytale! (Photos by Figment Photography)

Great place to hangout and have a few beers and go on nature walks…read more I've never camped here, but I heard that its cool. There are a lot of nice shelters and a respectable playground. You can pick morel mushrooms here during the early-mid spring. There's a fair amount of wildlife (deer, turkey, woodpeckers, toads, etc.) as well. The conservation sheriff cruises through every once in a while to make sure no one's doing anything retarded. Its a popular hangout for delinquent kids during the day, so check your grills before you cook. There was piss on one of them once.