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.

A kid's dream playground and totally worth the small entrance fee. This nature-themed play space…read moreis huge, creative, and packed with fun. Because it's so popular, they use timed entries to give more families a chance to enjoy it without crowding. It's located inside the Spring Valley Nature Center, so after playtime, you can wander the trails or explore more of the natural area. A great combo of fun + learning + nature. Perfect for an afternoon with littles

I get it... people do not want to pay to go to a public park, but then.... Maybe don't go? It's a…read morepark district park, so perhaps they need the money to help maintain the park or to help with crowd control. And I'm sure there are plenty of other parks in the area that do not charge. The place was pretty packed on a Sunday morning at 10:20am, but not in an annoying way. I thought the equipment was uniquely different from your standard playground. Lots of creative equipment for sensory play. I wasn't SUPER thrilled to see the gritty sand and water (am I just super OCD or are there actually parents out there that see that at a playground they drove to that says "oh yay! Water and messy sand!"). Oh and the death trap tight rope was also a "yikes" reaction, but my kids stayed away from it, so no biggie. It was fun. I wasn't bothered by the one hour time limit (although, I don't even know if they actually kick people out because we left a little after 11am and I didn't see them trying to clear the area). But.... It was hot and I was ready to leave the park and do not mind having the backing of being able to tell my kids that the park is closing to help get them to leave.

I love nature. Being outdoors makes me happy. Being outdoors at home is awesome. That said,…read morealthough I think I have a sweet patio set-up at my apartment (does anyone want to give me a hammock to make it even better?), it's incredibly tiny and faces the parking lot -- so there's not a lot of 'nature' in my 'backyard.' Because of this, I seek out nature centers, forest preserves, and farms quite often. I was excited to find this place not too far from where I live. It also has a couple geocaches (http://www.geocaching.com/) scattered about, so I was eager to bring my husband here a couple times. This little nature center is tucked away in a lovely Itasca neighborhood. There is a small parking lot, a barn-like building with an greenhouse/workshed (the actual center), a little shelter with picnic tables, a bridge leading to a couple paths around the grounds, and some prairie. Trees surround the grounds and a little creek runs through. It's cute. It's small. It isn't really much. The walking path is quick. From looking at maps, it seems the grounds are bigger with three different trails, but we only found one short, paved trail with a couple paths leading towards the aquatic center and neighborhood. Maybe we didn't look hard enough. At one point we thought we found more trails but ended up wandering through a private yard before realizing our mistake. Weird. I can't say much for what's inside the center. Both times I came (weekends, during hours), the building was closed. There were a couple cage areas outside for birds or other creatures, but I never saw any. In fact, I didn't see any animals here -- just the occasional dragonfly or bumblebee. Oh, and there were some lovely ducks on the little creek that runs through the property. Our visits were very short. And we picked up a geocache, which is always good. I like places with quiet areas or long walking paths or animals to look at. This place didn't really have any of those. It's a nice little addition to the neighborhood, and maybe a good place to take your kids for a bike ride, but just isn't for me.

I used to visit this nature center all the time when I lived in Elk Grove Village. It's small, but…read morevery cute. There's a turtle tank inside and birds of prey, like owls and kestrels, outside. There's a nice path where you'll come across deer, turtles, and frogs, not to mention the usual birds and squirrels. It's also a great place to see different insects like dragonflies. Oh and keep a look out for the box elders! One year they were carpeting the ground.

Enjoyable walk with some interesting statues. I've read that they've added some new works since I…read morewas there. I was there in the winter and the paths were still covered in snow. It made for a peaceful, beautiful day even without the missing displays.

What a cool spot! I've driven by this area countless times while shopping nearby and never knew…read morethat the sculpture park existed until I was looking for a place on Yelp to get a quick walk in after a meal. Fortunately for me, this was more than a quick walk as there are about 16 sculptures located throughout the park all which are quite distinct from one another and good for fun photo taking opportunities. Sculptures here range from a wooden arch to steel structures to chiseled rock to a giant muse and even a colorful giant sundial. While not as large as the sculpture park in Skokie or University Park, there's not too many options in the area (unless you also count Morton Arboretum). Overall, worth a visit if you're in the area at all. It's fun and free, and maintained nicely.

Great park for all ages. Safety conscious, and interactive. I am very impressed! We will be…read morefrequent visitors.

A few years ago, the city of Bloomingdale reconstructed Sunnyside Park. The new park is bright,…read moreinviting, and accessible to wheelchairs and strollers due to its even ground and ramps. There are two areas: one for little kids, and another for big kids. Aside from the ramps, there and multiple climbing areas: short structures for little kids (i.e. an alligator on the ground) and (obviously) larger and more complex for big kids (i.e. logs at different heights). Each side has a swing set: baby bucket seats, low regular swings, and two (total) special needs swings. The ground is rubber-type material and minimizes scrapes. There is one water fountain on site, bench seating, and an outhouse. There are many trees for shade. The nearby tennis courts and basketball courts were resurfaced when the park underwent the renovation. The park is maintained pretty well, though garbage sometimes overflows from the bins. In all, it's a great choice as far as local parks go. I'm already enjoying it with my 10 month old son, and expect we'll visit the park for years to come.

The breezy little park is at the corners of Schaumburg Rd. and Roselle Rd. It serves as a…read morecornerstone memorial. There's nice benches to sit and relax as well as look at all the beautiful flowers and sculptured bushes. The park is a dedication to Veterans and includes all the armed forces flags and a memorial plaque.

Army had half-day, so I decided to spend the afternoon here…read more Okay, no. That's an Arrested Development thing. But with AD coming back so soon, it felt timely and relevant given this a park dedicated to Veterans. I actually came here because I was driving by last week and I spotted a little mouse run across the pavement as I was stopped at the light. I realized the chances of my seeing the little dude here again were slim to none, but I had some spare moments in my afternoon and plus this place had no business photos (which kills me) so I took the opportunity to take a look around. I've driven past here hundreds of time and I've never seen anyone in this park ever, which is strange because it's a really nice park. Large clock tower that dings on the hour, dedicated memorial bricks, the sturdiest benches I've ever sat/laid on, a small area on the North and West side that's grassy, there's flowers, and memorials, inspirational quotes, and small pillars with the seals of the different branches of military. Just a really nice quiet place. i spent some time by the Marine one and gave a nod for my Grandpa and then gave a nod to not only one of my favorite Yelper's Ted C, but also Buster Bluth for his many accolades including marksmanship and sand racing. I'm excited to have 'discovered' this little gem, although it's not very far off from a rather busy intersection, it's nice to know that most of the time, I can probably go and pretend it's my own private park, made just for me and that mouse... when I find him.

a tiny park in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood...very limited play stations but…read morenewly remodeled...very clean and well maintained...great place for the kids to get a little outdoor exercise while you enjoy your coffee...you can monitor your children from one place since it's a small park...bench seating and a tables available...it's always so peaceful when we come here because it does not get a lot of traffic (although this may change now since i just added this on yelp)...basketball court is nice...downside, there are lots of geese around so don't drop your car key or phone on their droppings...

We're in EGV near many parks and playgrounds, including the popular Fountain Square Park. But…read moreNewberry Park is one of my kids' favorites. Newberry Park is the perfect size for them. They're ages 3 and 5 and can get a little overwhelmed on the bigger playgrounds in our area. The park has two playgrounds. One for ages 5 and up, and the other for ages 2-5. Each has appropriate age-sized slides, bridges, and monkey bars. The bigger playground has a faux rock 'mountain,' a climbing wall, and a telescope. The swings also have a separate area in the park. There are benches along the perimeter of the playground and no matter where you sit, the kids are in clear view. They also have a picnic table. The park is well-maintained and clean. What's also nice about this park is they have a forest preserve-type area behind the playground and a grassy trail where you can walk and bird-watch. They have a sign posted with the different kinds of birds you might spot. We came here several times over the summer and just yesterday when the weather was mid-60s. The slides can get hot under the sun, but it's shaded enough that you can come even on those hot summer days. It's great to visit in the Fall and Spring as well.

This is a very tiny park that is really designed for the local homes and not the general public. We…read moredidn't know this of course when we planned our family picnic there. The place has no washroom facilities or water. There is only one picnic table. There are a few play things for kids but that is it. So unless you live in this subdivision I would not go to this park.

I've passed by Busse Woods a million times along Higgins Road but never pulled in to have a look…read morefor whatever reason.  Probably because I could always do it tomorrow or another day lol!  Well, today I did pull in because we had an extended family celebration event at one of their picnic groves, specifically Grove 5 which is located quite conveniently close to the intersection of Higgins and Arlington Heights Roads (as opposed to deeper into the Woods). I must say this place Busse Woods is large, sprawling, neat, clean, and impressive (it's 3558 acres in fact). I think I knew that it was sprawling driving along Higgins Rd, but pulling in, you can see how well laid out and maintained the premises are.  It would be quite nice to revisit during winter and the change of fall colors also. Grove 5 in particular is an extra nice picnic grove in that it has a shelter and is near (540' to be exact per the website!) a nice and accessible restroom building.  The shelter is pretty large with a capacity of 100 people.  It's located in a section called Busse Forest-South and which comprises Groves 5 - 16.  Of those 12 groves, 4 have shelters, but only Grove 5 is close to an accessible restroom.  So, our family member apparently picked out the best grove, good job!  Busse Woods has 11 sections like Busse Forest-South, so it's massive with a lot of picnic location and other leisure activity options.  Anyway, go to their website for more info, but I was pretty impressed.  Busse Woods includes a Busse Lake as well as a 7 mile trail.  Big thumbs up for this Cook County Forest Preserve!

Great place to get out and enjoy nature. Bummed we didn't see any elk roaming this time, but I have…read moreon other visits. Sometimes the bathrooms are open, other times sorry it's porta potties for you. Plenty of garbage cans around so don't litter in nature! The 7+ mile trail is paved. Bikers can be a little intense if you are walking or running. Lots of parking so be specific if meeting a group.

This is a 2200 acre park in the Chicago area. It is massive. Great trails to hike or bike on with…read morebridges over the busy Higgins Road going through the middle of the park. They have an elk pasture on one side which was neat to see and great for kids. I was in town for work for 2 weeks. My wife and I stopped by here after I got off of work but in November it gets dark way too soon. We could only visit for a short time before it got dark. I would love to come back here and hike or bike for miles and miles through this lovely park.

I've fished Ned Brown Busse Woods Forest Preserve more times than I can count now. It's not the…read moregreatest place to catch a fish consistently, but the scenery is stunningly beautiful. I've rented a boat with a trolling motor here, and the help is friendly and helpful. They sell live bait, as well. I'm more familiar with the Forest Preserve now, but in general would love to see more signage/maps and a "You Are Here" on a map or two. I recall first trying to find the fishing wall and walking forever with tackle, not knowing if we were on the right track. This place is great for biking, but I wouldn't mind seeing some shorter official paths built, for walking and hiking. My son and I improvised a path here once, to make our hike shorter. Check out the Elk, hike, bike, fish, have a stone soul picnic- it's a great oasis!