If you're in need of some fresh air, like I am these days, Sunset Woods Park is the perfect place…read morefor a walk or run. Though the park is currently closed to those wanting to play on the playground equipment (little kid hands make for dirty play bars, etc) or use the restrooms, the paved walkways make for an ideal place to get some exercise. Some of the paths are flat and some are slightly elevated--just right for those who take their exercise a bit more seriously. Dogs on a leash are also allowed in this park, so you could certainly bring your furry friend to join you. Loads of parking onsite and benches if you need to rest (though I don't know if that's encouraged right now). *Don't forget to practice social distancing.

This is my kids' favorite park, 10/10! The main attraction is a huge rocket ship that they can…read moreclimb in all sorts of different ways, and it has great slides too. There's also a separate play area for younger kids, which is perfect if you have little ones. One of the coolest features is a spinning swing where you sit on a rope and hold on while it takes you around in a circle. It's so much fun! We could spend hours here and the kids never want to leave!!

What a hidden gem! You get the best of both, beach and bluff and it is HP residents only…read more Accessible by both foot and car; but note that parking space is limited and you have to have a sticker (available at HP Rec center). No matter the purpose of your visit, this place has relax and unwind written all over it. This beach is the opposite of Rosewood, it is more of a DIY beach, which is more my vibe.

I'm not sure if this review is about the park area, the beach, the lake, or the fact that the North…read moreShore has some beautiful historical hidden gems worth exploring. Millard Park pays tribute to all of it! Thanks to Maryana R and Peter S for helping me discover this jewel. At the very end of Ravine Drive, down a long and winding road, up some stone stairs, you'll discover a piece of North Shore history. Not only will you discover a remaining stone wall structure that was part of the Robert C Schaffner Estate, built by Howard Van Doren Shaw, but the restored Schaffner Garden, which is a magical place made for a fairy princess. In the midst of wild flowers, you'll also discover planted trees and benches dedicated to loved ones who have passed on. This garden overlooks the lake and the Millard Park Beach. I can't wait to come back when the flowers are in bloom. On the beach you will find a rock garden and a fun wooden structure/rock identifier displaying native rocks. Kids and kids at heart can take the rocks they discover on the beach and match them to the rock identifier as a learning tool. It's kind of difficult to explain, so you'll just have to see for yourself! Overall, an incredible place to escape to. Note: You can only park there with a Highland Park sticker and dogs are not allowed on the beach.

Very cool park for youngsters. Everything was upgraded recently from the looks of it. Gentle drop…read morefrom the slides, adventurous playground layout, splash pad, huge picnic areas, etc. There is good parking present. Very conveniently located next to the freeway. If you have toddlers or young ones, do check this park out!

This was a fun find. We drove about 30 minutes and it was worth it. Beautiful fun, clean park with…read morelots of shade. Small splash pad to cool off, and many picnic tables.

I probably shouldn't be giving this away as this sport has gotten way popular but this is a Great…read morepark for pickle ball. They actually have 2 pickle courts and 1 tennis court that's capable of playing pickle with the pickle ball lines in them. There's also available basketball court and some benches for picknickers. Most people (I say most) have been respectful of the court availability and are courteous to each other. We probably ran into only 1 Karen and let's hope that was a rarity around here.

This park is at the end of my block. We walk/roll down here regularly. The tennis courts got turned…read moreinto pickleball courts. There is a basketball court and a huge park. There's a big open field and lots of parking. There are also two water fountains.

Entertaining for all ages! Took my step daughter (5/6 year old) and husband here one summer…read moreafternoon. Clean, updated and a blast for all 3!

I was trying to find a new good playground to go with 2 year old, and I did!…read moreThis's a wonderful place for kids all ages! Like this playground!

I've been hearing about this park for a while and we were able to take a visit over there today…read more I'm glad I knew what I was looking for because Google Maps was going to take me to a small playground on the other side of the school, rather than Little Bear Park which is on the very corner of Patriot and Chestnut (and is almost entirely fenced in, which makes it attractive with little kids). The Little Bear Park is actually a section within the larger Gallery Park, so you may need to put that in if your GPS is confused about LBP. This park was established as part of the redevelopment of the military airfield in Glenview. Overall, I was disappointed in the park, but there were some things I really loved about it along with those that left a bit to be desired. First, it looked like a gorgeous, romantic garden like you might envision from an Austen novel. Truly a beautiful setting, with a small hedge maze and a several picnic tables. Quite an idyllic little spot within the larger park, and ostensibly where it gets the "garden park" part of its name. There's also a really awesome water feature here. It's really large, and unlike some "splash pads" that are little more than a tall pipe sticking out of the ground, this one had several arms coming out of the ground of different heights. It also had some water coming from spots in the ground, for a lot of different ways to play. My kiddo got soaked and loved it. Sadly, the playground section looked kind of old and worn. It has a cute castle/medieval theme, but all the play equipment was quite faded. Of more concern was that the playground terrain, which was that composite rubbery stuff, was broken off in quite a few places; more than once my babe brought me small or large pieces. Seems potentially fraught in a few different ways, but it was weird since in all the parks I've been to with that kind of ground cover I haven't seen chunks of it missing throughout the playground. There's lots of parking at/around this park, because it shares space with a middle school and park district headquarters. The playground itself isn't the attraction for me--though if we are already in Glenview, I might stop--but I would absolutely return for a beautiful picnic in the garden, and that's what really makes it shine.

Heads up if your kids like swings: there are none at this park. But there's a cool splash pad, a…read morehedge maze, a play structure, and a huge sand pit area.

Well, on this hot and muggy Sunday, we decided to have an atypical weekend visit to the shady Grove…read moreto do our almost daily walk. We typically only visit here on quieter weekday mornings. We were pleasantly surprised and fortunate to find the Blacksmith Shop open and that is the case only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Alec was the blacksmith on duty and he provided some insights into his craft as well as a walk-through of their various iron products, both functional and decorative. He is one of five volunteer blacksmiths on the staff here and really enjoys his time here. Thanks for the tour Alec!

What a great surprise. Needed a little down time and a chance to relax. The Grove provides just…read morethat. Free parking and no cost to walk around. The paths are easy to walk and the native prarie plants along with wild life is spectacular. The period building are relics from a very different era that look perfectly in place in woods. Will look to see what programming they have.

In the past year or two, the Park District of Highland Park have stepped up and taken much better…read morecare for Sherwood Park. Previous summers; the main field would be more dandelion than grass, and the Deerfield Rd. embankment would be an overgrown mess. In the past two summers, these issues were tended to much better. As a result, the park has been much more usable. The ground crews must have used a good weed & feed type of product, as the dandelions were mostly gone and the turf grew in MUCH stronger. Before, especially in lower areas that used to fill up as muddy puddles during a modest shower, the grass would tear easily. Now, the grass seems to be deeper rooted, and holds up to vigorous use by two-legged and four-legged kids (and kids-at-heart). When it rains, puddles still form in several spots (particularly in the center of the park), but they aren't muddy. The puddles even drain better. Along the east edge of the park, the Deerfield Rd. embankment - which is fenced off - is far less overgrown. It still has wild plant growing, but isn't as out of control. It also seems like they may have adjusted the pitch of the earth in some spots, as there is no longer standing water near the fences. the past two summers have seen fewer mosquitoes due to the weather, but I feel the above changes will further reduce mosquitoes in the park during hotter and more humid summers going forward. Holes in the fence must have been patched up sometime last fall, and there's an repaired backstop in the northeast corner. The playground equipment they installed a few years back were all premium gear. They've help up nicely to the elements, and still look absolutely brand new. It helps that they were regularly being cleaned, prior to COVID-19. They were roped off for a few months, but are back in use. As a result of COVID-19, I see park crews cleaning them fairly often, and the garbage & recycling cans emptied just as often. All of this attention and effort by the Highland Park Park District have improved the usability of Sherwood Park. The playground is still the nicest feature - excellent equipment, plenty of seating, stroller parking, garbage cans, tables, and soft padding all around. It's been a great destination to groups with younger kids. The improvements to the field and surrounding area have also made the rest of the park more useful. You can now run around on the field, without worrying about kicking up a storm of dandelion puffs or getting all muddy. I had previously scored this park 3 stars, but I'm now inclined to give it 4 stars (I have to grade on a curve, because of its proximity to even nicer parks like Mooney Park, Cloverdale, and Sunset Woods).

I stopped by in the afternoon and was surprised to see a lot of the brush had been cleared away for…read morea much better view of the lake. There were more people here (it must be spring) and I saw that the restrooms had been rebuilt (burnt down in fall) and didn't have that horrible smell. There are now permit parking regulations in place around Fort Sheridan residences so beware parking there if the lot is full.

Came on Sunday before Memorial day and was raining in the morning so it was a bit muddy in some…read morepart of the trail. Beautiful stony beach area and lookout points. Parking space could get full on busy days. Lots of bird spotting. We did a 2mile round trip walk but there are shorter routes.

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