Great little path, little bit of an incline going up over the bridge, can be a little rough as some…read moreof the trail is just gravel and dirt. Friendly people walking along this path saying hello and smiling at you.

A hidden gem in Bloomingdale. 2 looped crushed limestone paths. Dogs and bikes welcome. Very clean…read more Ample parking. Great for birding.

Best park around! When it's not busy it's really fun to just chill with whoever and have a fun…read moretime. I have great memories of this park as a kid, and the updates that they made recently make the park so fun to go to.

This is one of my favorite parks. It's clean, organized and well maintained. The park is located…read morenext to Heritage Lake and is surrounded by a nice neighborhood which makes this place more romantic and beautiful. The park has a playground for children, which includes a jungle gym, swings, slides, etc. There are many benches around the play ground. Also, a picnic table and gazebo are available next to the beach volleyball net. This is the reason why the park is always busy during summertime. Many people have their parties here. Teens also come and play soccer and basketball during the day. The parking lot is large and private. There is a bike trail around the Beirman Park and the Heritage Lake. It's a very convenient for biking and walking. I come to this park with my children every other week during the summer to stay in shape and also enjoy the beautiful scenery, weather, and sounds of nature. Many people go fishing at the lake. I would recommend this park!!

Loved that there was next to a bicycle trail, you could see people passing by…read more We saw two deers, ducks and lots of birds and squirrels.

I like the trail along the river here where I have spotted many land and shore birds. It's quiet…read moreand shady so it's a good spot on a hot day. That being said, it can be muddy so be prepared. Also wear bug repellent and watch out for fallen limbs across the trail. At least those keep the bikers off the path.

I fully admit that having teenage boys at home during the pandemic has been a lot. At some point…read moreeach day, my hubby and I get in the car and talk through all our troubles (translation: complain about having children) while driving up north along the lake. We often end up parked in our car staring at Lake Michigan at Forest Park Beach. We're convinced that all the other couples we see there are also doing the same thing ;-) Last week, our laziness and overwhelm forced us to get out of the car and take in a fresh air walk along the lakefront. We walked south past the concessions and over near the boating facility. We typically don't leave our car unattended, just in case we might get a ticket. We took the risk, and it was so worth it. TBH I don't think they are monitoring the parking lots or ticketing right now, but I'm not 100% sure. What an absolutely gorgeous discovery! We honestly felt like we were on vacation (without kids). The air was fresh, the water was fairly calm, and we felt grateful to be living near such a beautiful oasis. Along the walkway we discovered a play area for kids, boats ready to launch, a covered area with picnic tables, tall lampposts and pristine landscaping. At the very end of our walk was a goose waiting for her goose companion to come back from sea (lol). We learned from a local that the goose had been there for a few days. Anyway, the sidewalk came to an abrupt end, something like out of a Shel Silverstein poem. We turned around, took a deep breath, and received a call from one of our sons that he and his brother were about to bring a bunch of friends over to our house. And just like that, our peace and calm came to a stop. Until next time...

Lake Forest Beach is a public area with fees incurred for public access. I am a person with a…read moredisability and unable to walk far distances and can not use stairs (age 59) female. I was harassed/shamed when I requested a reasonably accommodation to be dropped off/picked up. I did not ask for entry/parking. All I wanted was a small accommodation to be dropped off and picked up. I was harassed and wasn't allowed to be picked up due to my disability. This is a violation of the ADA (American Disability Act) and was discriminated against due to my disability. LFB is considered a public park and was in violation of my rights as a person with a disability. I understand there are rules and I just wanted a reasonable accommodation to be allowed to be dropped off and picked up not harassed and shamed and left standing in the heat while my husband explained the situation. He showed the gate guard a copy of my "Illinois ID marked as a person with a disability." Beach management need to educate their staff as to making simple reasonable accommodations for people with a disability. They (staff) have no rights to judge and disregard persons with a disability. Such can be reported and subject to significant fines and lawsuits. I suggest ADA compliance and policies for persons with a disability are seriously reviewed and followed according to the American Disability Act. This should NOT have transpired and was humiliating, to be honest.

My husband, friends, and I love this place! It's pretty clean and is absolutely beautiful,…read moreespecially during sunset. There is a path around a decent sized pond where many run or jog, and there are plenty of benches to sit on around the path, as well. A nice perk is that you can watch all of the cute ducks and geese all over the place. Be careful where you're walking because poo is kinda everywhere, though haha! There is a free outdoor workout area you can use with a good amount of different machines, and there are also canoes and peddle boats that you can rent. I haven't been here in the winter season yet, but apparently you can ice skate on the pond when it's frozen during winter, too. Don't let me just tell you how gorgeous this lake is, see for yourself! Many people also fish here, but during certain times, the lake has green algae, so I wouldn't recommend being that close to the water if there are signs out.

Great park and very relaxing time!!! Would recommend for…read moreanyone looking for a great place to unwind!

This is a clean, open, and easy place for a hike. It's not particularly woodsie but the lakes are…read morelovely. Paved path. Clean bathrooms. Plenty of parking. Covered picnic area. Easy access from Butterfield & Route 53. Enter on Route 53, across from Walmart and McDonalds. There are few trees to buffer the wind, so dress warmly. Lots of dogs on the trail today. Watch your step, as not every dog-owner tidies up after their dog, but the trail is mostly clear of droppings.

Hidden lake forest preserve is truly a hidden gem. Located in Downers Grove. It was a nice sunny…read moreSunday to just get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. It was a nice escape getaway from the city life. An ideal and nice place to relax and collet your inner thoughts. While walking along the trails everyone was so friendly and welcoming. It was a breath of fresh air to be out in nature. A perfect place to jog,kayak, fish, hike, have a picnic or just come and take a scroll. Not crowded and everyone social distances themselves. I came across a few people walking with their dogs. All dogs MUST be on a lease. Really enjoyed the scenery and the water from the river and lake was calming and peaceful.

Today, my boyfriend and I rented a paddleboat for an hour. The weather forecast indicated rain…read morewouldn't start until 1:00 PM, so we thought we had plenty of time. However, around 12:20 PM, the sky turned black. We immediately turned around and began pedaling back to the dock as fast as we could. While we were heading back, a safety staff member on a speedboat approached us. He told us we had to return to shore but added that he couldn't tow us in--we had to pedal all the way back ourselves. While we were already doing that, the storm was rolling in incredibly fast, and it was a genuinely scary experience. As we finally approached the dock in the storm, we saw two teenage employees who had been assisting people earlier. One of them looked right at us, but instead of helping us secure the boat, both boys ran back into the covered checkout area and completely ignored us. As we struggled to park and tie up the boat in the pouring rain, not a single staff member stepped out to help us dock safely. Meanwhile, at least 10 employees were crowded inside the checkout area. As a person of color, I am unfortunately always hyper-aware of how I might be treated in certain environments. I have visited this forest preserve many times, always thought it was beautiful, and was so excited to show my boyfriend around. To be treated with such a lack of care was incredibly disappointing. When we spoke to the male manager, he explained that they are required to clear the water during storms. My boyfriend clarified that we had no issue with leaving the water; our issue was the complete lack of staff assistance to help us dock safely in a dangerous situation. The manager offered us a "rain check" for a free rental, but missing out on time wasn't the issue--our safety was. No one seemed to care that we were the last ones out on the water. I hope this forest preserve implements a better emergency protocol, because storms on the water can quickly become life-threatening. I guess my question is if the staff are closely checking the weather , why even let people still go out on the water ? Instead of saying "hey there's a storm that is going to be rolling through , we are holding back on rentals at this time for safety reasons " .

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

They have redone the entire park. The paths are beautiful couple new playgrounds along the way just…read morea nice place to take a long walk or sit and relax on a wonderful day

This place is one of the nicest parks / nature centers in Addison. It has bike and walking trails,…read morebridges, ponds, benches. It also has a covered shelter with picnic tables and everything is in pretty nice shape. Not the biggest place but what it lacks in size it sure makes up in beauty. The only things that keeps it from five stars are that there are not enough trash receptacles and I spotted some litter here and there. On a side note, in my opinion, people that litter should be beaten with a large stick! However, overall this is just a beautiful, peaceful spot. I bike through here almost everyday and always enjoy it. If you are in the area it is worth checking out.

This preserve is a quick trip for us to walk after dinner and enjoy the sunset. An easy gravel…read moretrail winds around Quarry Lake and along the west branch of the DuPage River. Depending on the time of the year you can see wildflowers and many species of birds. We have encountered coyote but they generally stir clear of people. There are piers out into the lake that many people use for fishing. I have seen people on kayaks there too. There are a few picnic tables and benches as well.

Great for a walk,bird watching,fishing or have a picnic. Piers for fishing. Limestone paths. Dogs…read moreare welcome. Boat launch off the parking lot. Bathroom facilities available. Great way to spend a morning or afternoon

Even though I've lived in the area forever, I've never been here before…read more I've been back here about six times since. I rode the Salt Creek trail from Villa Park to Wood Dale. It is a really nice trail with a few ponds, bridges, etc. I saw quite a few deer traveling this trail. The trail is fairly long and goes way beyond what I traveled. I plan on doing the whole trail in the future.

If you're looking for a peaceful place to practice your yoga this place is the perfect one!read more