Beautiful natural area, nature center is very kid-centered with friendly help, small gift shop, benches and picnic tables for resting! read more

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Review Visit: September 29th, 2013 I remember coming here a few times as a kid on field trips. It was awesome as kid. They taught us about animals, bugs, nature and everything else outdoorsy. Then we got to hike a smaller trail as a group. Maybe this is what caused me to be such an avid outdoors person. Coming back here after about 2 decades was a huge nostalgic trip. Nothing had changed from what I remember as a kid. I'm sure things have been changed and updated since the early 90's, but it still retained that feel and look I remember as kid. The main building has set hours, but I do believe you can hike there before they open, as long as you follow the rule of 'no hiking before sunrise and after sunset'. Don't quote me on that. Inside the building is a small gift shop. There are quite a few learning activity areas to enrich yourself on local foliage and fauna. They hold a lot of events here, so you are surely able to drop in once a week and encounter some fun activity going on. There are plenty of trails to hike. If you want a quick hike, they have short trails. If you desire something challenging, you can hike some tough trails. Just be careful, I know a few people who have wandered off the path and ended up in a business area of Peoria Heights. The last time I was there, they had a 100-mile hike challenge. It was $10-15 to sign up and you record your hiking distances in a book there. Once you reach 100 miles, you get an award of some sort. I think it was a t-shirt and a certificate. Ive been wanting to sign up for it since I learned about it. But life gets busy. :/ Parking is plentiful but be warned; its a popular place, so there is usually a good amount of cars there at all time. But you shouldn't have a problem most of the time finding a parking spot. If you are native to the area and haven't been here, do yourself a favor and check it out. If yo are from out of town, also do yourself a favor and stop by for a quick hike. You won't regret it. read more

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Trails are easy to follow with numerous great stopping points to take breaks. The entire trail is composed of smaller trails in mileage so you can totally customize your trail length every hike. Lots of trees that provide shaded areas in the summer months. I found that there aren't too many mosquitos, which is a huge plus! The center itself has restrooms, there are vending machines outside. Inside the center, there are small stations of wildlife education, mostly insects and a few mammal skins. read more

Forest Park Nature Center - Fungi on forest floor - Parks Near Me - Peoria Heights, Illinois

Forest Park Nature Center is one of the best parks in Peoria, if not the best. The building itself has a gift shop, and a lobby where you can look at small animals, hydes, etc. The last time I was there, they had photos from a photography contest posted as well. The highlight for me is the hiking trails, which range in difficulty from very easy to somewhat challenging. It's a beautiful place with some scenic overlooks. The deer are used to having people around, so you can see them pretty close up. There are also regular special events going on such as education sessions and concerts. read more

Forest Park Nature Center - Bear skin rug in the nature center - Parks Near Me - Peoria Heights, Illinois

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This is a hidden gem in Peoria heights. Wild turkeys, deer and squirrels. Great paths. Good hills. Get out there. Lots of trails on the bluff from camp Wakonda to Detweiler park also read more

Great trails, and the gift shop and building are a neat stop. The A-frame building holds a spot dear in my heart, and one of the earliest photos of me as a baby was in a stroller on the trails of this park. Next to the A-frame building there is an area that generally attracts a lot of birds, and it's nice to watch and listen to them. There are trails covered in woodchips in varying degrees of difficulty, and the loop trail is less than a mile, so if you're just up for a short jaunt, this is a good spot. The only real drawback is that dogs are not allowed, as this is a nature preserve, so for hiking with the dog we go to other hiking destinations, but this is one of my favorites. They also have live music and holiday events there, which is a fun inexpensive outing. read more

Forest Park Nature Preserves is truly a hidden gem to the Peoria area. I visited this park as a child in the 70s and to my joy I see little has changed. The center is beautiful and rustic, the employees seem to really like the park, and the trails are absolutely beautiful. You can hike all day if you like, you can hike easier trails or find the more challenging. Dogs are not allowed on the trails, which is a plus if you want to avoid stepping in waste or being confronted on a trail. There are many other local trails that allow dogs, but this being a preserve, they are not allowed. The trails are friendly for children (escorted) and some are even wheelchair or stroller accessible. We adore this park! read more

A wonderful little jewel here in Peoria. The scenery is just beautiful and the trails are well maintained. A great place to spend a fall afternoon. read more

Forest Park Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Peoria Heights, Illinois

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Came here on a foliage drive mid-October. Unfortunately we had the dog with us. No dogs allowed here! I'm not sure why they aren't allowed on the trails. I guess irresponsible dog owners that don't pick up after them have ruined it for the rest of us. I would urge them to reconsider this no dog policy though. Maybe put some bag stations along the way. Also, the center itself doesn't open until 1:00 on Sundays. More than a bit late for a prime nature hunting day! We didn't stay long or hike far since we had the dog but what we saw seemed very nice. Would have loved to have seen more! read more

Great place to go hiking in Peoria! I am not from the area but we happened to stumble upon this park and truly enjoyed it. The trails were lovely and peaceful. They also had many benches along each path for you to stop at if need be. There were maps throughout the trails, so no need to worry about getting lost. The little nature center was very cute. Great for educating children! It also had a small little shop for souvenirs. It had tons of items for purchase such as T-shirt's, walking sticks and jewelry. It had cold drinks for purchase as well, which was very nice on a hot day. The park also had water fountains. The staff was friendly and helpful, even warning us about where there were many bees so we could avoid it. Overall I highly recommend this little park for hiking! It was a great way to spend a few hours. read more

Go and enjoy this hiking trail! This trail is well maintained and you can cut your hike short or add on up to seven miles. There is evidence of Eagle Scout project work throughout the park. This trail is clean and can challenge you with its elevation! read more

Wonderful park, I try to hike here at least 3 times a week when weather permits (and sometimes even when it doesn't). Also, there is a reason why no dogs are allowed: it is a natural preserve, and a if a dog or otherwise domesticated pet leaves it's scent, it will have an effect of detriment to the local wildlife. So please leave your dogs at home, and please don't let the restriction of dogs negatively influence your reviews, as this is a very logical and beneficial practice. read more

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This is a Peoria treasure. Huge beautiful nature preserve with walking trails, a gift shop and tons of indigenous wildlife. Last time we were there we saw 6 turkeys, a momma deer and 2 babies, 8 mushroom varieties and all the squirrels you can imagine. And best of all, it's free! read more

I was looking for something to do outdoors after sitting in meetings all day on a business trip. This is exactly what I was looking for. It was evening when I arrived, so the Nature Center building was closed. I was both surprised and impressed with how hilly and beautiful the trails were. I started on Wilderness trail and followed counter clockwise along the perimeter trails. Several miles and hours later I was quite content. I was passed by one jogger and saw only one other person. There were lots of deer close up and liked that no dogs were allowed (no offense to dog lovers). Definitely worth the trip if you are in the Peoria area and you like hiking. read more

Plenty of trails. No dogs allowed which is a bummer.

Top notch trail running.. Watch for roots!