Pool and entire aquatic experiance is great but they need to do something about their drowning…read moreprotocol because a life guard decided to jump in and "save" my younger brother when he was just getting up for air after a jump. I kid you not the life guard was watching him as well and all he did was jump in the deep end of the pool, he was coming up for air and they blew their whistle and jumped in to, again, "save" him when he didn't need saving at all. They put him in unwanted distress and embarrassed him, made him cry because he was coming up for air. Thankfully there were other lifeguards around who understood the situation and assured us nothing was wrong but what happened was just ridiculous.

I've been coming here for twenty years ! What is happening ? There is garbage on the ground .. this…read moreplace is filthy ! Have you run out of funds ? No one wants to see garbage all over the place .. do better Orland Park

So Tinley park has this massive storm water reservoir with a lake at the center that they turned…read moreinto a community park. They have a couple of large parking lots there to stash your vehicle while visiting. One of the main entrances is right past one of the Tinley Park fire stations. Many paved trails to walk around the lake, with a high route and a low route to vary up the scenery. On the high elevation they have a number of picnic tables and the like for those that want to have a meal. They also have a large playground there for the kids to keep busy while the parents chill. The lower route is mainly for jogging and walking ... although you'll find a lot of bikes in the area also. At the other end you'll find baseball and soccer fields, skateboard, and basketball too. They also have a little dock off which you can fish. Be forewarned - no dogs allowed, which is good for some people and not so much for others. This is a sort of difficult kind of place to find, but that keeps it a treasure.

So peaceful. People…read morereally seem to be respectful and take care of the property for the most part. Trash usually isn't all over. I really enjoyed my evening out it was restful and gave me a sense of calm even though this is in the the middle of a really busy suburb. Didn't hear any cars, horns, sirens or anything like that. There was some noise from the ball fields but that was also far enough away that that wasn't crazy loud either. Check it out when you have a chance

This is another of Orland Park's wonderful neighborhood parks ... this one on Red Oak Lane in the…read moreIshnala neighborhood. This park has roughly 3 1/2 acres of land and includes facilities for children and adults. It includes a pavilion for cooking out, a basketball Court, room for practicing your golf swing, horseshoes, and a nice playground. This park has two sets of playground equipment for children ... one each for the different age groups. There are also fenced-in tennis courts for those that play that sport, and the courts have the added attraction of being lined out for pickleball games. This is a great park for all to use ... and it is close by in the neighborhood. Try it ...

Nice recreational area. Kayaks and canoes available for rent at a reasonable fee. Lake is not too…read morelarge, usually pretty calm. There's a well maintained 1 mile trail around the lake, also a butterfly garden, kids area, and other points of interest. There are also a lot of special events and programs for kids and adults. Ample parking in their lot or on the street.

DO NOT HAVE YOUR EVENT HERE! Unless you want to pay for hours of dance time you never receive! My…read moredaughter's accessibility needs were not met, she's in a wheelchair, they were rude, unhelpful, and ruined her Sweet 16, she will never forget dancing her opening dance with her father, then the group dance music came on and the music abruptly ended with no notice or anything, and when we complained to the TEENAGER they left to run the event she said, sorry, nothing I can do. I'll never have an event there again and NEVER refer anyone to go there! 2020 was bad enough, 2021 she was lucky to have people willing to come, then this! Terrible customer service and communication forget it! Go somewhere else, you'll have great memories instead of miserable ones! ​

Cool spot that I didn't realize was in the area. Looking for a good meeting spot to meet friends…read morefor a walk, found Sagawau. On the day of my visit, we saw this black netting/screen. Curious, we stopped to ask staff. It turns out on Sundays they do bird banding. This was very interesting how they catch birds, take data, and release back into the wild. I recommend! The nature center was well kept and had clean bathrooms. They close the area at 4 pm daily. Check it out for a nice walking and educational opportunity.

Sagawau is waaaaaay out in Lemont, so pretty far from me, and it's also bit confusing to find when…read moreyou get there. But I really enjoyed it so I'd say it's worth it, and now I'll know where I'm going in future! Word to the wise: There's the large parking lot, and what looks like a driveway is not. Park in the lot and use the wide paved path to get to the nature center. The purpose of the first preserve system was to both preserve and conserve, but also to provide natural areas in which people could recreate. They also have a nature center here with exhibits, as well as a variety of programming. I came for a program. A land acknowledgement was provided to connect the land to its history, and the people who once called this land home. I came for a hummingbird program, which took place in the hummingbird garden. The garden had quite a few bees and some wasps, but those insects are actually invasive in this area so you may see traps out for them so they don't take over the hummingbird garden. There are hummingbird feeders around to bring the hummers out. But nectar isn't their only source of food; they'll eat insects and invertebrates. Most importantly, they need pesticide-free habitats to survive. It was interesting to learn that hummingbirds live only in North, Central, and South America. When colonizers came into contact with hummingbirds, they thought they had no feet and that is where their scientific name is derived. Hummingbirds are surprisingly loud! The ruby-throated hummingbird is only ruby throated for the males. Juveniles and females have a white throat. But the color only comes out with the light, as it's iridescent, so the males may look black. Ruby throated is the only native one in Illinois. The juveniles are about the weight of a penny. In migratory season, they try to double their weight in order to sustain their migratory most fly over the Gulf of Mexico, which is a single flight of about 600 miles. They can do that flight in 16-24 hours. Hummingbirds fly with a figure eight pattern, which allows them to be one of the few birds that can fly backwards. It also allows them to hover! Migration is hard, so why do they do it? At least in part, it's because there's less competition. Apparently day length is a trigger to let birds know when to begin migrating, and the plants and flower on which they rely for food usually coincides to their migratory season. The nesting behavior of hummingbirds draws a direct line between environmental stewardship and habitat protection. They line the nest's outside with lichen and plant scale, and line them inside with soft things like dandelion fronds. Air pollution won't affect the hummingbird directly, but it will affect lichen and thus the integrity of their nest and subsequently their success in breeding. They will use spider webbing to bind their nest, which makes spider conservation important too. How fascinating how these things all connect! Whilst visiting Sagawau, I learned that this preserve is a licensed bird banding station--not just for hummingbirds. Banding allows us to gather much of the information that we have about birds in general. The information gleaned from banded birds can tell us about their migratory patterns, lifespan, and so on. I believe they have some events during the year where you can observe this process. In addition to their great programs, they have a nature center with exhibits related to the natural history of Sagawau and the region. One of the things that makes Sagawau so unique is it is a dolomite prairie, of which only about 500 acres exist in the world--over 100 of those acres being here. There are several trails to walk, and they have maps showing these to help guide your way. And this site turns into a cross-country ski location in the winter! In that season, walking is not permitted on the trails because they're used for skiers. They have lessons and equipment rental, but you can also bring your own gear--you just need to call first to make sure it's open for skiing, dependent upon the snowfall. I saw more open acknowledgment of snakes here than at some of the other preserves, which may make me nervous to visit very soon--snakes in just about any capacity (cartoon, real, image, etc.) creep me out more than anything. But, Negin is the employee that led the hummingbird chat, and she was really great. Welcoming, inclusive, knowledgeable, and friendly. I'd love to attend more of her programs.

My kids really enjoyed the playground. The grounds were well kept and the surrounding area was…read morenice, too. Super easy to get to and parking was very close to the play equipment.

Nice huge park next to the library and train station. Multiple fields for sports. Large playground…read morefor ages 5-12. This is not a good playground for small children as most of it is tailored toward Kids not toddlers and the slides that are there are too quick and somewhat dangerous for small little ones. The park is decorated "freedom" style as the name suggests and has real sized piece of a train and tank for decoration along with everything being red white and blue. A big downside is it was littered with trash- water bottles, fast food cups, fast food bags, straws- it was a mess all over especially around the playground

Want a free workout that will kick your butt? Head over to the Swallow Cliff stairs. There are…read morepeople of all fitness levels that make the trek here. Stay to the right and keep your own pace. The forest preserve has done a nice job maintaining the area. There are tables to have a picnic, clean bathrooms, and seasonal café. There is a decent amount of parking too. It does get packed if weather is nice. People like to use rocks to track their loop numbers. Signs say no dogs allowed on the stairs.

The stairs start out widely spaced and then desend as a normal staircase . There is and opening in…read morethe middle where you can rest or turn around. It maybe a bit strenuous for old geezers like me , but I played off the rest stop like I didn't to use my phone . Some long shaded benches greet you on top or choose from four pavilion benches ( see picture )

This is another of Orland Park's wonderful neighborhood parks ... this one on Wheeler Drive. This…read morepark has almost a one square block of fields where soccer games are played, mostly the recreational soccer games organized by the Parks & Rec Department of Orland Park ... but anyone is allowed to come on the fields and play, when not reserved for the organized teams. Our daughter played here in the large Kiddie Clinic Soccer program where they teach young kids the game. Great fun. This park also has two sets of playground equipment for children ... one each for the different age groups. There are also two basketball courts for those that play that sport, and three fenced in tennis courts for those that play tennis. The tennis courts have the added attraction of being lined out for pickleball games also. This is a great park for all to use ... and it is close by in the neighborhood. Try it ...