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    Half Day Forest Preserve

    4.6 (13 reviews)

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    Gender neutral bathrooms. And plenty in the area,
    Angela S.

    How many times have you passed by a business or a sign to an entrance, and told yourself you should really check that out sometime? This weekend I had one of those random moments. Instead of passing on by, I finally took a right turn detour and...hello! It was the most beautiful and peaceful right turn I've ever taken. Who knew that a turn off busy Milwaukee avenue would lead to such an incredibly miraculous nature stop? Off the hustle and bustle of Milwaukee is a secret that everyone should know about. Okay, maybe I'm the last one to know, but if you decide to turn right, you'll discover three very large nature areas with ample parking to explore the Des Plaines river, ponds for fishing, three picnic shelters, walking paths, picnic tables, a playground area, and parking galore! Should I go on? Gender neutral bathrooms (lots of bathrooms), recycling bins, and adventure. Granted it was a bit muddy with very wet grass (stay on the path), I will for sure come back here with my hubby and enjoy many more nature escapes. On to the next discovery...

    Chrissy L.

    A really great place to go hiking. So many different paths to choose from. Beautiful scenery and just a great hike. We always hear a plethora of different birds, see different animals like chipmunks, cranes, turtles, fish, and frogs. It's a very good time. Pet friendly. Bikes are ok.

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    Review Highlights - Half Day Forest Preserve

    A large and spacious space with everything from playgrounds, picnic areas, trails, lakes, and the Des Plaines river.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve

    Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve

    4.3
    (14 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    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!

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    Soft landing.
    Soft landing.
    Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve
    Beautiful path. On the Yellow Trail.

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    Beautiful path. On the Yellow Trail.
    Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve

    Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve

    4.5
    (23 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    There was a family event here so we decided to come check the place out. Even though my kiddo is…read moreonly two, she liked seeing some of the stuff they had on exhibit and they also had coloring pages and whatnot. We got here near the tail end of the event, so we didn't spend much time inside and went walking along the little trail where they had signs up with information about turkeys spread out through a little loop around the woods. It's a lovely preserve, and I'll bet it's particularly beautiful in the spring and summer. The building is small but sufficient to have some programs and there are bathrooms here. There are a few outbuildings as well; I'm not sure if there are programs there too or not. There's a good deal of parking here. Keep an eye on their calendar to have an excuse to come out, or just spend some time wandering the trails in peace and quiet.

    This place is stunning. My neighbor told me about it and I promptly took a drive up here that…read moreafternoon just a few days after "peak" fall colors. It's amazing. I wasn't adequately prepared because it was a spur of the moment decision, so I didn't have a jacket or warm enough clothes, so I didn't stay or walk around too long. (And sadly their giftshop didn't have any sweatshirts -- I would've bought one if they had because it would've solved my problem. So, note to Ryerson: sell sweatshirts in the fall!). I've since come back here for an art exhibit (see my review on the Brushwood Center page for that info). I cannot wait to return again in the spring and definitely multiple times next fall. I want to explore it all.

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    Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve
    Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve
    Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve

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    Half Day Forest Preserve - parks - Updated July 2026

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