Best park that's in Channahon of course. Channahon State Park has some nice views of the DuPage…read moreRiver. It actually is bigger than it seems with lots of open areas and trails. Has lots of places for grilling. The park also usually isn't crowded so it's a good place for chilling and hanging. A lot of great scenery around. It's located along the DuPage River. This is near the end of it where it flows into the Des Plaines River, so around here there's certainly lots of water. Among the other features is the war memorial. This honors those from Channahon who died in various wars. It consists of a few flags and pillars with names of those who died. The park also has a building that looks like it has bathrooms but it's closed off it seems. Gets crowds when it's good weather for boating. It's located close to the marina with the Big Basin Saloon, a popular hangout. There's plenty of areas along the water including a few trails.

First time coming here, wanted to try something new to visit on a day off work and this place is…read moresuch a beautiful gem! Great views everywhere from all places! The park itself is great for the summer for shade from the sun. Bathrooms are okay. The dam itself is really cool to see. Highly recommend coming here on a run to take everything in better. Even a better place to fish at! Not too crowded at all, very peaceful! 4.5 stars

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.

Saw Wee Kee is a really nice location to hike that's not very far from civilization. More hills…read moreand terrain than you'll see anywhere locally with decently marked trails (once you are on them) and all kinds of nature. Check the website for a trail map, but most of them intersect (even though it is not always clearly marked). Sitting by the river and looking at the blind on the island we saw a bald eagle fly right overhead. So cool! I didn't believe my friend when he said they were here around the fox. There are 2 lots at each end of the park, the Northeastern one featuring a boat launch that is kayak & raft capable (though I'm not sure where you'd get off. Maybe Silver Springs state park? The way the high trail is set up it definitely looks like it could be a mosquito breeding ground next to it during the appropriate months. Bring DEET if you think it'll be an issue, but in early October it was mostly a non-issue. There is a tick warning as well, but we didn't find any. The only thing you need to watch out for is mountain bikers (and I guess the occasional horse / horse apple). They will be coming, and some of them can move pretty fast. You'll hear them on a hike, but be courteous and step to the side of the trail and everyone can enjoy this location.

Too many mosquitoes and not enough view of the water. Rather boring trail, at least on foot…read more Disappointing.

Midewin is worth the drive from Chicago -- 90 minutes…read more The visitor's center is closed during the pandemic. We followed the signs and went there, thinking we'd find the trailheads. We didn't. We eventually found a man moving grass who recommended we drive north to the Iron Bridge and park there. That was good advice. Not only is there parking, pit toilets, and picnic tables, but the trailhead, and connections to several trails. I recommend everyone start at the Iron Bridge trailheads. We did not see the bison, but we did enjoy a few hours of walking on flat trails. We admired the prairie grasses and flowers, reveled in the sunshine and breeze on this cool day, and just loved every minute we were there. Hikers, remember to wear a head covering. You are on the prairie, after all. Officially, this is a national park, and I brought my national parks pass, but we saw no rangers at all. Nobody checked for park passes or any kind of entrance fee.

If bison, wildflowers, wildlife, & pastures are your thing, you've come to the right place. I'm…read morefrom Ohio and it was my husband's idea to come here. He saw it on a map and said, that's something we've got to do because we live less than 6 hours from it and it's got National in the name... We were not disappointed. I noticed that most people come here for the bison viewing, and that was nothing short of spectacular. However, there are so many trails in addition to that that make this place all the more worthwhile! I especially enjoyed the history, this park was the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and when you walk some of the trails, that becomes apparent in the sense of abandonment that it gives you. However the peaceful ponds and gorgeous wildlife found along the way makes the hike both interesting and fulfilling. The hikes are not strenuous unless you hike in the heat like we did. There are no inclines or anything. You'll be out in the prairie or into the shade of the woods, but more of the former. Just be aware if you hike in the heat, to bring lots of water and sunscreen, as the sun seems to be more brutal in the open plains. The park gave us plenty to do in our 3 days in the area and it was a unique park for us in the sense that it was a prairie and not woods or mountains or beach...when have you ever hiked a trail through a prairie? Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Loved to go fishing there 40 years ago. Used to catch some…read morenice fish. A place of peace and quiet, silent reflecton.

I talked to someone at Cook County Forest preserve. Everything was removed because of vandalism,…read morepeople not getting a permit for groups of 25 or more and not obeying the rules and regulations for the forest preserves. So once again everybody has to pay the price for other people's lack of respect. It is very very sad..

Well maintained. Not too crowded…read more Challenging enough on a bike for me. Beautiful and well maintained trails that are well marked. Love it. If you're out of shape this place can whip you back into shape if you let it.

Waterfall Glen is a beautiful display of nature. Trails offer a robust adventure. Two parking lots,…read moreone off of Cass Avenue and the other off of Lemont Road.

Braidwood Dunes is a natural area on the edge of this little town that makes a good walk for…read moreawhile. It isn't that long to get around, so it's good for those with only about an hour. Pretty much nothing much is happening around here, but it's all just nature. Check out the grassland and forest. The preserve is much bigger than just the part with a trail. An important thing is knowing where the trail goes. It only loops around a small area of the preserve. There's a lot more than just this. For the part with the trail, it starts off in the parking lot. This is just a small lot with dirt and gravel, so it's not a big attraction around here if that wasn't already obvious. Also this preserve is close to peoples' homes. You can hear them while on the trails and think there's someone else walking these, but they're actually just residents. Be careful to not go too far off or you'll be in someone's backyard. There's also a pond but this is too far off the trail to get to from here. Good place to look around maybe an hour if even. It's a good chance you'll be the only one here. There's people in town who don't even know about it, so it's a well preserved nature preserve.

This isn't a hiking place for people who aren't outdoorsy. The trails are not maintained, and it's…read moreabout a mile's walk to even enter the park. If these things don't bother you, then this is an amazing park. From the parking lot, which can hold perhaps half a dozen cars, visitors can trek down a footpath that follows Mitchell's Creek. Once the treeline starts, the trail continues down the creek until it merges with the Tommohawk Creek. Technically, this is the end of the trail. However the woods of the park extend for miles past the end of the trail. There are huge sandstone bluffs, rapids, and several endangered trees in the area. You will not see other people here. One star off for the sound of I80 which can be heard on quiet mornings. Really wouldn't be to hard to build a noise barrier on the bridge if Illinois were so inclined.