Can you believe it's December and it's so beautiful? A lovely day to walk the paths at Openlands…read moreand/or walk down by the lake. People, dogs, families walking, jogging, strolling and taking in the view.

Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves since August 2023, this 72-acre area (formerly part of Fort…read moreSheridan) has a unique blend of ravines, bluffs, and a lakefront in Highland Park, 25 miles north of Chicago. This is close to Fort Sheridan and the cemetery. I love the paved trails, which are Ada accessible with minimal disturbance to nature. The art installations offer additional meditation subjects with a mix of science, poetry, and wonder. The qr code links did not work. My first introduction was a ravine with concrete sidewalks, mighty oak trees, and a complex root system slowing the erosion of the sides. Art installations do pique the imagination of visitors. Wood sidewalks and bridges lead to additional ravines, bluffs, and lakefront. I spotted a great horned owl silently sweeping across the canopy of trees. Four white tailed deer were nibbling on their grassy lunches. Red winged black birds were singing sporadically. I passed a tree with the bark rubbed off as evidence a deer came by to rub its antlers. I also saw several round holes on the lower trunks of the tree. It was evidence of a possible woodpecker looking for grubs. I spotted wood ear mushrooms growing on the side of a tree. Thousands of migrating birds visit the preserve each year. Listen to the audio guides for the nature and art installations. https://openlands.org/projects/openlands-lakeshore-preserve/ Main Parking 24256 N Patten Road, Highwood, IL 60040 South Parking 2789 Oak Street, Highland Park, IL 60035

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!

Built in 1975, this memorial honors the men and women of Des Plaines who have served our country in…read morethe armed forces from the Civil War to the present day. This was a collaborative effort by the city, local VFW and local American Legion Post. The pavilion hosts numerous events including the annual Memorial Day services, the Live at the Lake summer entertainment series, Concert Band performances, the summer Movies in the Park and the annual Fall Fest. They were selling Christmas tress while I was there. The restroom facilities are also co-located here. The Pavilion is well maintained and consist of a bandshell and a walk way that has a plaque detailing every war from the Civil War to the Afghanistan War. Inside the bandshell you will find plaques with the name of the Des Plaines veteran that lost their life and which war it occurred. The center of the bandshell has the seal of all 5 of the US armed forces. There is a flag pole and a brick walkway leading from the bandshell and ends in a small circle. Because the pavilion provides somewhat protection from the elements, homeless people seek refuge here. This is a small, but fitting tribute to the honorable veterans that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Has a quick wooden area (portage trail) loop walk with shade. A one-eyed red tailed hawk, another…read morehawk, an owl and a coyote are viewed in a cage enclosure. The visitor center is clean nicely maintained and has more live critters, reptiles and amphibians on glass enclosures. I imagine kids would enjoy seeing the animals. Medium parking and best of all, it's free. Donations accepted.

I recently took a hike in this area and passed by this Nature Center several times during the hike…read moreand decided to stop in. I was pleasantly surprised at how many different things there were to do here, but indoors and outdoors. Outdoors I was able to see a variety of animals including a coyote, owl, hawk, eagle, kestrel, and fox. Though they were caged, I got to see them fairly up close and hear the different sounds that they make. Indoors, there were various interactive exhibits as well as live turtles and various educational displays. Overall this is definitely worth a visit if you're hiking in the area and want to see a nicely maintained and educational display that helps to explain some of the wildlife nearby.

Don't bring your dog here. Whoever put it on a list of top 10 places to walk your dog, is…read moredelusional in the worst way. The plants are 90% poison ivy EVERYWHERE. There are also lots of foxtails. I can see how it would be nice for a bike ride, but not everyone is obsessed with plant ID apps, and it was not relaxing restraining a 70 lb dog from sniffing all the poison ivy. I got a poison ivy spot on my hand in the first 5 mins. Even if you stay only on the gravel, there are 5 million mosquitoes. Beautiful location but not relaxing at all! Some people running are extremely rude/ignorant and expect you to jump into poison ivy to make way for them when there is enough room for them to pass you anyway. Bad vibe. Not what I came to nature to find.

Dirt trails biking, hiking and horseback riding. Canoeing along the Des Plaines rivers sand bank if…read moreyou want to go fishing

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!

This park has a lot to offer. Either a walk, bike ride, or Picnic is perfect. I enjoyed the paved…read moretrails. Parking lots are clean and kept up with. Safe location and fun location for a family event!

Always such a great time at the Busse Forest Elk Pasture! Well actually, that's not true - the only…read moretime it isn't great is when we don't get to see any elk! Busse Woods in general is such a HUMONGOUS forest preserve and nature ground spanning from Schaumburg to Elk Grove. It's perfect for walking, running, biking, and picnicking if you want a little nature escape from the suburbs. I love going to the Busse Forest Elk Pasture solely for seeing all the elk. And don't worry, the elk are extremely taken care of; they have tags on both their ears so they can always be located and monitored, they're fed a special, healthy diet, there's always a huge tank of water available for them, and they have plenty of open space to roam around. You are not allowed to feed the elk because they are already fed a special diet. However, you can feed them the grass/plants that's readily available right there by the fences (they're allowed to eat that, and believe me, they eat it nonstop!) Of course there's always pesky flies and mosquitos on the walkways of the Busse Forest Elk Pasture, but that's just nature for ya. I do wish they made the walkways bigger since Busse Woods gets packed in the summertime with constant bikers, strollers, runners, etc., hindering a smooth stroll/ride. Parking is okay here, but kind of scarce on nice summer days since everyone wants to spend their day outside here. Overall, if you live in the area and haven't been to Busse Forest Elk Pasture yet, what are ya doin'?! Come here for a walk or just to see the elk - it's a cool time!

Creekside Woods Park is a 7.3-acre neighborhood park and natural preserve area which is one of the…read morelast remaining undeveloped open spaces in the city of Rolling Meadows. It provides the residents and walkers-by with a nature trail to stroll right into the middle of an authentic, pretty cool woods. It would appear that the trail should have a beginning and an end but it doesn't. It only has a start and a midway point, where it peters out to nothing and no progress can be made. On the other side of the woods, where it looks like the trail is going, is residential housing that is on a private driveway and there's really no great benefit to surprising the residents by tromping out of the woods and onto their lawn or deck. This is a very peaceful, amazing woods and both my wife and myself come here for healing walks of solitude where one can be one with nature. We live right down the street from it, so access is easy for us, but there is no real street parking for anyone who wants to visit. Better to arrive by bike, skateboard, foot, or mule. It's worth it.

Beautiful trails. Lot of nature . Starts up near Wisconsin and goes to south side…read more They are sandy you can walk dogs, ride bikes, horses have A picnic. I actually had my eldest 2nd bday about 24 years ago at one of the pavilions .