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 a very nice nature center, which features a really nice exhibit space with animal displays,…read moreincluding turtles, snakes, and toads, and information about the region. The space opens up into a beautiful garden area with some log cabins, and there are a few more animals set up outside - a hawk, turkey, and a very talkative Great Horned Owl. We took a nice walk along the Lost Beach Trail, though part of it is gated off. It was still fun to explore the marshy area and see all of the plants and animals. There is a boardwalk that lets you get further out into the area. There is a parking lot available.

Sand Ridge is a part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County system. You almost miss it when you…read morepass by! As a nature center, it has an interpretive center in addition to the trails, gardens, and prairies. When I was there there was an exhibit about Lake Chicago, which may or may not be a permanent exhibit. I attended the night sky walk they hosted inert and it's a good location for such a program. It's a heavily wooded area, and whilst it's very near the city, it's a better place from where to stargaze. We went on a short hike, in part to help adjust our night vision, and followed with using the large telescopes that the nature center has. There are many trials here for a leisurely walk or a more advanced hike. I am not opposed to the concept of a night hike (I actually think it's pretty cool); what concerns me more is not being able to see the trail and whether there's a lot, root, or other obstruction on the trial. The trail we used here was pretty level and had few trip hazards, though they don't generally allow evening hikes--that was specifically a feature of this program. Some of the attendees at the program I attended were fairly inconsiderate. Some were loud and constantly talking (had they not been talking as much and kept the volume much lower, we might have seen other creatures, or those like bats might have swooped down closer to us). The guide did remind folks of that, but I don't think it helped. I think what annoyed me more was that for a night hike and a 35 minute walk to develop some night vision, there were people taking photos with full flash. Rude. You don't have to document ever moment of a kid/persons life! I'm not sure I'll return to Sand Ridge for a program unless it's something I REALLY want to attend. It's pretty far from me--I live in the north side and this place is a good 55 minutes from me when traffic is reasonable. Also, I got here about 15 minutes before the start... but they didn't actually begin the program until 20 minutes after the stated start time. I totally understand waiting a few minutes, maybe as much as 10, for latecomers; oftentimes that would mean they were waiting for me! But 20 minutes is really excessive, especially for a program that was billed as 1.5 hours. The guide said something about another hike (I couldn't hear since I was near the back), which I may have been able to join if it had started promptly, and they said that though the program had an end time of 9 they could go as late as 9:39. I needed to leave at the original time since I have an hour long drive to get home, so I ended up leaving about half hour early. I took a look in one of the telescopes but it didn't look any more magnified than what I could see with the naked eye (i overheard someone else make the same comment). They did mention sky tracker apps which help one view and learn what is in the night sky, so that was helpful. The trail we walked was not accessible. There were some areas that where wooden planks were laid down, ostensibly because there was marshy area it was providing a path over. They may have an accessible trail here (just inside the entrance I saw something that could have been), but I'm not sure. I do wish the FPDCC would list more information in their events--particularly basic information like whether it's accessible or not.

All family functions are here! We've going to this park for years for our family reunion. Plenty of…read morespace to play for the kids and adults to play adult games. They also have a splash pad right next door to the park for her kids to cool off and play water games.

What a nice County park in the city of Chicago. This is a large park, and has portions on both…read moresides of 87th Street. South of 87th Street you enter the parking lot at about 88th Street on Western Avenue ... north of 87th Street you enter the parking lot right on 87th Street just east of Western. The north portion runs all the way down to the train tracks at about 83rd Street, about four blocks. The south portion runs up to 90th Street and partially - on the east side - over to about 91st Street. Either way you are in for a treat. This expansive park has loads of room to spread out, whether a summer picnic group or a small family gathering with a cookout. In fact, during the pandemic, just visiting and sitting in the parking lot with your friends in lawn chairs is a way to keep active socially. There are a couple of shelters on each side of the park, but these undoubtedly require reservations. There is enough room for a pickup family flag-football game. The south section is mostly flat, while the north end is hilly, and they used to have toboggan slides there. The parking lots also hold scores of cars. Give this place a try and you'll enjoy.

Stopped by after I was close by to talk a walk. Very peaceful and clean park. The gazebos…read morethroughout the park overlook the fountains. There is a park for children, volleyball area and picnic seating. A gem in the south suburbs.

This picnic grounds is the site we went to in the late'50's & beyond! It was called the Lanigan…read morepicnic where my father & uncle grew up being good friends with the Lanigans & others in the Englewood area in the 1930's & 1940's. It's a beautiful spot for a picnic with room for some softball games,races for the kids.While we kids were having a blast playing,the grownups revilled in reminiscing of old times together amid boisterous laughter from funny stories.Cold beer flowed from the legs with some Irish songs being heartily belted out!

Wonderful trail, easy to socially distance, beautiful and well maintained. The parking lot is large…read moreand it's easy to get in and out of.

Nice area for walking. Trail was marked decently. It was very muddy as we went after rain. I…read morerecommend bringing a change of shoes for your walk. Decent amount of parking. Porta potties.

This beautiful Preserve has gorgeous walking trails around three lakes. You can join the preserve…read moreand purchase a fishing permit. It is beautiful when the leaves turn during the fall but open year round. A peaceful place in the middle of suburbia. A large picnic shelter with picnic tables throughout area. The Boy Scouts utilize Black Bear Lodge for their meetings and often do projects to maintain and improve the walking paths. A lovely place to visit.

Good place to launch kayaks or canoes, this place used to be unkempt and dangerous. Near the…read morehistorically important Altgeld Gardens housing project, this end of the river has other important African American historic sites. It's the start to the African American Heritage Water Trail. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/33c3120579f9471e84e51f8684ced943

It's a great place to relax and fish and I suggest it to who ever enjoy being outdoorsread more

Have you ever heard the phrase "every journey begins with a single step"? Then why are you still…read moresitting down? Get up, get out, take that walk. Chicago has finally cooled off, my kind of weather. I love it. Great day for walking in a beautiful outdoor space. So again, what are you waiting for?

Very Clean, Quiet and Zen during those special hours. This location have been such a Therapeutic…read moresurrounding for me. Being a Brain Injury and Breast Cancer Warrior and Still Here............I'm Grateful