I love this beach so much! It's beautiful and clean, but just recently, they fenced up a few parts…read moreof the beach and now require payment for residents and non-residents AND when you leave one part of the paid beach to move to another part, you have to pay again! Which is absurd. I was also thinking about renting out a shelter for a party, but the park doesn't allow you to bring your own grill, doesn't allow alcohol, only provides you with two tables, and you have to still pay for parking and access to the beach. It all just seems like a money grab, which sucks because the beach was free to the public for so long! I know a lot of people are upset about the new rules. Aside from that, there is a park, tennis courts, and Fat Shallot, where they serve food and drinks. There is also a patio area to eat and drink, and outdoor showers. PARK ON MICHIGAN AVE and just walk down to avoid some fees!

A park and a beach is along the lake. Gillson Park is the best thing about Wilmette, and beats any…read moreof those overcrowded ones farther south. If you want to actually be able to walk on a beach and not feel crowded, then head up a ways. Be careful about where you park because you can find places for free. There's also plenty of green space for athletic fields. Gillson is a big park, and that makes it feel not as crowded. It has several different parts. There's the actual park with the grass and trees. It's often very quiet here. Where's all the people? At the beach. This beach is still less crowded than any of the Chicago beaches full of both locals and tourists. It has a nice little play area. The sand is pretty clear of debris for the most part. Also at this park is a big ass marina. There's lots of boats, and there's also a club you can join if you can pay up. However you spend time here, just be careful about parking or it may be costly. It has pay lots close to the beach but you can find free parking on the residential streets. They have certain places where you can't park though, so pay attention to signs and whatever.

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.

Beautiful park in Evanston. I like that they have the small children's and big children's…read moreplaygrounds separated. There's plenty of parking available. There's a large pond for fishing and there are ducks roaming around. The shelter space is very large covered with seating available too.

I grew up down the street. It was a sand and gravel pit, then became the town dump. In the 50's…read morethere was a movement to preserve it as a bird sanctuary , but that diden't take. In 1980 finally constuction was complete, and always ongoing . Absolute beauty , along the lines of a botanical garden,The picnic grove was established in 1929, and has beautifull rolling hills!

An excellent playground "floor is lava" themed, shade, street parking, picnic tables and restrooms…read more Baseball field, splash pad, and tennis courts. Really impressed by the renovations to this park, and it's one that the kiddies will love!

I visited Shelton Park because I struggled to find a solid area to park in Wilmette, which is where…read moreI had hoped to connect to the Green Bay Trail for a run. The park was my last hope to connect to the trail as I searched for an entrance to it as well as places to park within a reasonable distance. Its parking space appears to be well enough for its in-and-out flow of visitors throughout the day. During the times of my visits I have never once struggled to find a parking spot available. If that ever is a problem there is also availability along Old Green Bay Rd. Shelton Park appears to be very peaceful with a neighborhood appeal. It is an ideal place to play tennis or bring the children to play on its playground, Phil Thomas Memorial Playground as it is referred to. If you are yearning to get a small workout in, the park has fitness equipment: a built-in elliptical, pull up bar, and a place to do sit ups. As one who made this park my gateway to the Green Bay Trail I was able to get in a solid workout because of its fitness equipment. The park is well-manicured, consisting of picnic tables and benches if it becomes your pit stop while on trail or within the neighborhood for whichever activity of your enjoyment. Nearby sits the Metra railway, which temporarily drowns out the beautiful sounds of birds chirping or any humankind activities whatsoever within the park. In the meantime I plan to continue utilizing Shelton Park as my connector to the Green Bay Trail until I am fully accustomed to running in the area. I recommend it if you are in search of an area with activities I aforementioned or one that connects to the trail as I was. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

This is a review of the playground here: it is maybe the best playground on the north shore. I…read morethink folks want to keep it on the qt- it is not mentioned on yelp. It's primo as far as equipment and frolicking space with flowers and trees! It's amazing!

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.

After we we moved to the Chicago area, we lived 2 blocks away from this nice park. Due to living in…read moresuburbia where we had to drive almost everywhere, so it was refreshing for us to have a nice place where we could walk when the weather was nice. I used to play catch with my dad and brother on the weekends when I was here, as well as hang out on the swings and play tag in the rather large playground. This park has just about everything, with lots of open space, a nice playground, and baseball diamonds (often in use by little leaguers on the weekends) great for an impromptu game of kickball. As nice as this park is, it's definitely fits a certain demographic: families and younger kids. As I got older, mothers with their babies would look at me strangely if I came alone or with other teens, unless the group included a parent or a small child I was babysitting. I'm sure I'd get looked at just as oddly ("what are those hoodlums doin' here?") if I showed up there now without a kid. For families and kids, though, this is a nice, quiet, and very safe park.

Big park with a lot going on in and around. Dawes Park is one of the best things about Evanston. It…read morehas lots of facilities and green space. Can spend a few hours just chilling. There's also events and programs. A popular thing here is the beach. It's a park right next to the lake so of course it would have one. This isn't that good of one but the area is beautiful and there's some great views. Be sure to go to the pond in the middle. Seems to be the main centerpiece of the park. It also has a fountain. There's of course lots of athletic fields including for soccer. Also plenty of walking paths so you can get exercise. There's a snack window by the beach so you can get things like ice cream and junk. For sure it's a great place when the weather is warmer and you can hang around. It's located by the lake. There's lots of programs for children and families such as music and theater.

I recently walked through a variety of parks in Evanston and I think Dawes was my favorite. It's…read morealong the lakefront and provides access to the beach and amazing views. But there's also a gorgeous water fountain and seating to enjoy both the water and the park. Not to mention all the squirrels, ducks, and dogs everywhere. There was just a hustle and bustle from all creatures with this great park as a backdrop.

This is a hidden gem for the city dwellers. Even though "Emily Oaks Nature Center" is surrounded…read moreby the residential area and one can hear the CTA trains passing back and forth, cloud and clear, it can still be considered as a mini "escape." In other words, it is a place to experience what mother nature has to offer, for both adults and kids. I would say the trail paths are kid-friendly and not too long for the little ones to explore. However, I think it is better to visit when daylight is available. Bike routes are separate from the walking path, so one doesn't have to watch out for bikers passing through. The Lakeview (or pond view) is serene. There are a few benches to sit down and enjoy the scenery. I see they have camp fires and other activities from time to time. I bet these are fun, as weather permits. In the beginning of the trail, a small scaled playground definitely can pull your kiddos away to release their energy. Parking is plenty and convenient. I think "Emily Oaks Nature Center" is going to be a re-visit for our family this summer.

If you can ignore the sounds of the Skokie Swift and passing traffic just outside the northern and…read morewestern boundaries of the nature preserve, Emily Oaks is a darling little slice of woods and lagoon tucked into a residential neighborhood of Skokie. They host camps here during the summer months, so you'll find chalk drawings on some of the paths and signs on some of the trees around that time, but it doesn't really detract from the atmosphere. (This is where my sibling and I learned to canoe and build campfires back in the day.) Chipmunks and geese abound; be sure to also check out the fish in the lagoon. They have shelters with picnic tables scattered throughout the preserve, so this is a peaceful place for a picnic lunch when camp's not in session. Just remember to leave the area as clean as you found it... and don't try starting any campfires without permission.

Its length, secluded appearance, and terrain were three reasons why I ventured out to the Green Bay…read moreTrail rather than the Des Plaines River Trail or Chicago's Lakefront Trail, which are two areas where I love to conduct long runs. As for its length, per sources the trail extends 9 miles from Wilmette to Highland Park which makes it the perfect spot for a long run in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. As for secluded, the majority of Chicagoland trails give off that vibe of being secluded in comparison to Chicago's beloved Lakefront Trail, a trail that sometimes drives me bonkers encountering many individuals doing multiple activities. The secluded vibe is one thing that I love about the Des Plaines River Trail and what keeps me returning. I figured that this trail was no different. As for terrain, after I viewed pictures shared on both Yelp & Google, the Green Bay Trail appeared to be a mixture of gravel and paved which eliminates the whole muddy experience when damp. A muddy trail is the last thing I wanted to have dealt with while conducting a long run. I eased into running on this trail because I was not familiar with it. As expected, the path was a mixture of gravel and paved which appeared as an off-and-on path that takes you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks. The path starts in Wilmette and ends in Highland Park; the Metra train station in Highland Park from what I experienced. I had a hard time finding parking in the Wilmette area, so I drove out to a park known as Shelton Park, a park located in Glencoe which worked out just fine for me. In the meantime I will most likely continue to make it my starting point until I am fully accustomed to running this trail. I also hope to discover where the trail picks up once you hit the Metra train station in Highland Park because I did not see it. Not only did I encounter a deer during my run, but also a chipmunk, and a redwing blackbird. And with the path being along the railway you will hear the sound of the Metra train zooming by every now and then, which will be viewable off to the side. Very clean and maintained was this path that even had garbage cans along it. And for those that bike there are bike pumps in select areas where the trail resumes. At times the bike pumps helped guide me on the way. Other than its broken up appearance taking you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks I was not let down by experiencing the features I visited for such as its length, secluded appearance, and terrain. I would surely venture out again from time to time because the area is a different experience. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

Beautiful bike trail - rode from WIlmette up to Highland Park and then Lake Bluff. Spectacular…read moretrail with beautiful trees, wildflowers and foliage on either side for a long time. Well maintained and easy ride. A joy to experience.