Fantastic preserve that's easy to pass by. Reed Turner is a small preserve that has single-track…read moretrails throughout the preserve. This is not a huge preserve so if you want to log miles, this may not fit the bill. A beautiful woodland preserve with a creek and ravines and great beauty!! Well worth a visit and many repeated visits over the seasons!

Neat little woodland in Long Grove with several trails that go through a creek, a pond, and a lake…read more Here you'll find pure undisturbed nature (you'll have to hike on unpaved roads) with lots of beautiful flowers, animals, and insects. There's majestic trees, great water views, and a great variety of plants. Worth a visit if you want to get away from the typical forest preserve.

A little tricky to find, but is now one of my favorite spots to walk in the area - Buffalo Creek is…read moreenormous and stealthily bordering busy Lake Cook Rd on the south. The easiest way I found to get into the parking lot is by going North on Arlington Heights Rd past Lake Cook Rd onto Checker Rd and then taking a left right away. My GPS originally directed my onto the south side of the area. Once inside, you'll find an expensive space full of plants, creeks, bridges, and more. There's plenty of space to walk, bike, skit (on benches, picnic tables, etc.), fish, and more. At the entrance, there are toilets though there are many possible options for shorter and longer walks so it's not super difficult to get back to the parking lot should you need to cut your route short. This walk is one of the more picturesque walks to take around sunset time if you want a beautiful and relaxing view during your entire stroll.

Its a very quiet community. Its well maintained with plenty of friendly, diverse neighbors. Both…read morebehaved children, older and in between ages. Come look. I'm a third year tenant.

I LOVE these trails and could literally get lost in these woods for hours. I highly recommend going…read morein the beginning of fall to enjoy all of the beautiful changing leaves. The trails are nice and wide and make it easy to get around other walkers. These trails are also long enough, that once you move away from the main trail that circles the pond (pink trail maybe??), unless you move over to Half Day Forest preserve (connected trails), you'll very rarely run into anyone else. The parking fills quickly at the Everett and St. Mary's entrance, but you can also park over at Half Day Forest Preserve off of Milwaukee and easily find your way to these trails with a short added mile of walking.

We paid a visit here as an enjoyable venue for getting in some fitness steps.  The daughter and her…read morefamily frequent various forest preserves, and she mentioned this one as a recent favorite.  I personally don't have a lot of forest preserve comparison data, but found the surroundings to be tranquil and uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon, the trails all graveled and well marked, existence of a couple of bridges, a good mix of sun and shade along the trails, and folks and their pets all well behaved and courteous.  Some folks were picnic'ing and there was also a wedding party photo shoot going on.  I'm not sure where this one ranks in acreage for a forest preserve, but there were plenty of trails (4 miles worth) to get in whatever mileage you might like.  So, I guess I'll go with an "it's a good as it gets" til proven otherwise!

What else are you going to do in 70 plus degrees on a Saturday in March? Yes, go for a 3 mile walk!…read more My wife and I have been itching to go for a walk since we go here every Saturday from Spring to late Fall. The entrance we go to is off Dundee road and i had plenty of parking! The trails are well kept and the trees look great in the summer and even more beautiful in the fall. There are gravel trails and paved trails. We typically use the paved trails. People are very courteous when running or riding bikes. They call out that they are passing which it great for safety reasons. The different birds and sometimes we see deer grazing and it's beautiful to see. Along the path there is a radio controlled area where people can fly their gas powered airplane. It is pretty to cook to see and they are very skilled! It has a runway which looks cool, like it is a mini airport. I highly recommend coming here during the summer for hiking, biking, roller blading, picnics, etc. I'll update pictures for each of the seasons!!!!

What a beautiful day it was to attend a cystic fibrosis walk with some of my colleagues. I enjoyed…read morecoming here.

A sensational park, trail, nature reserve that has been a gem for decades. As a kid, we would often…read morevisit the forest preserve to fish, go on the playgrounds, bike the extensive well-connected trails, walk..so much memories here. Great spot to host a cookout or party with their rental shelters too. Happy to see it still functioning for many folks after all these years. Wish Charleston, SC had preserves like this!

There was a wedding reception (dinner and dancing) held in Shelter A and B of this forest preserve…read more As a former Illinois resident I thought the wedding party would be uncomfortable, given this time of year. But I was wrong! Both the weather and surroundings were beautiful; I heard they sprayed for insects beforehand as well. Many picture opportunities. Open enough to enjoy the rest of reserve and share the good vibes with passersby. Some bees came out but only when we were already packing up. Maybe more available parking spaces would've been nice. Other than that, it was a good time.

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 .

A must visit for wonderful bird watching. Bring binoculars! Parking lot off of northwest highway &…read morehillside ave to see the heron rookery and the Dundee entrance for osprey nest & grass walking trails.

I came here to see the osprey…read more Baker's Lake is west of Route 14. There is an entrance on the north off of Hillside and an entrance on the south off of Dundee. I used the entrance on the south as this is where to post is located with the osprey. This area is literally a road with a few parking spots at the end of it. There are no identifiable paths or walkways. There is a break in the tall grass on the east side of where you can park. This rounds around the right and brings you back directly to where the perch is located. The osprey was there when I visited but he didn't do much. Not sure if it was because it was drizzling, he was tired, or he didn't like my presence. Either way it was still pretty cool. The north end probably has a better view of the lake and the "bird island" that this lake holds. It is a truly phenomenal sight. If you like birds, Baker's lake is home to thousands of water friendly birds.

This is a hidden little gem right near downtown Lake Zurich that many locals don't even seem to…read moreknow about. The entrance is tucked between two residential homes, and it boarders the private LZ Golf Course on another side. Growing up in Lake Zurich I remember learning that the Kuechmann family donated the property to the village and I can remember a house standing on the property when I visited. When the vegetation isn't overgrown in winter, you can still see where the house was further back in the arboretum. More recently, the wonderful Ancient Oaks Foundation has taken over care of the property and have done an outstanding job make this a neat spot to visit. The arboretum walking path is a mulched trail. It's a fairly short little loop, perfect for taking young ones on a manageable walk. I am lucky enough to live close enough that I run through frequently in the morning and I have often seen deer and on one occasion a red tailed fox! The Ancient Oaks Foundation recently installed a wonderful natural play scape for kids. It's a great area to bring kids to enjoy being in nature.

What a little hidden gem!!!! I was in the area and stumbled upon it and am so happy I did! My…read moretoddler had a lot of fun exploring the nature set ups, swing, campfire area and the boat. We will definitely be back!

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.

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 :-)