Trail biked - I started at the east end in Bureau. The parking lot there has bathrooms and…read moretrashcans, and plenty of parking. I biked east to just north of I80 and back. Bike used - Specialized Sirrus hybrid. Bike style requirements - hybrid to mountain bike mostly. Fat tires will thrive back here. Road bikes will not survive many portions of this trail. I was leery to ride my hybrid in some sections near Tiskilwa because of the mid-sized gravel in spots. Other areas between I80 and Wyanet require grassy biking and non-descript trail riding. The trail composition varies between dirt and minced limestone mostly. There are some portions of asphalt, although those covered by limestone. Some areas are nicer than others. It's more favorable if the trail is mowed, as the trail rut can be swallowed by tall reeds of grass. There are area's where you're biking through short bursts of just grass. My hybrid held up like a champ, but there were spots where I was leery. This is a path where you'll need to keep both hands on the grips. The trail follows a series of water canals that serve as nice scenery. Every so often you'll come across a lock, which are numbered, giving you an idea of how many away you are from your starting point. Bridges span the locks every so often. A river also carves the trail in many areas, offering some nice views. As for wildlife, I spotted several turtles in canals and one trailside (almost accidentally biked over him). I also saw a pair of deer and a ton of colorful birds (red, yellow, blue, orange, black, white, gray, brown). The Orioles were a rare treat. A pair of eagles sat atop dead tree's west of Wyanet. Benches and amenities are seldom. Bridges span the lock areas which offer nice water drains to view and areas to sit on the edge for a break. During my two hour ride I saw a dozen other bikers, and this was on a 75 degree, cloudless Saturday in mid-June. Suffice it to say, there aren't many folks out here unless you count the occasional fisherman. Other nuances, the trail offers a nice split of shade and sun, but more on the sunny side. I saw one parking lot with trail signs in my stretch. Cheers.

The Hennepin Canal was constructed in 1892, the first boat went through in 1907, and the canal…read moreclosed to boat traffic in 1951. Today the Hennepin Canal serves as a state park. On travels between Wisconsin and central Illinois, we often stop and stretch our legs on the portion near Bureau Junction. There is a bench, restrooms (only open seasonally) and the sound of the water rushing under the bridge is relaxing. The trails have seen better days but are conducive to activities such as picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and snowmobiling. People often fish in the canal as well.

This is a truly goregous state park full of amazing sights to explore and many trails to hike. We…read morehad a great time. The only thing I have to say is its not exactly compatible with strollers or people with disabilities who use motility devices, I barely managed with my walker, however there are SO many flights of stairs up and down that I dont entirely recommend it even with all terrain tires. Also the water was pretty dried up in the waterfall areas so if you want to see that I dont recommend coming in August. Also bring water with you, you will want it! Other than thank enjoy yourself its a beautiful activity to do

Starved Rock State park leaves your rocks starving for more hiking…read more This park had plenty of trails that were well preserved. Easy to walk through. I had no trouble finding parking. There were bathrooms whether portable or the nice one at the visitor center. Excellent vista points. Great options for families or the adventurous hikers.

Beautiful park land alongside the Illinois River. Campgrounds, picnic areas, lookout benches,…read moretrails, and boating in this lush forest by the river. There are places to launch your boat, $15.00 in one area and free by the Lock. Lots of things to do! A great place for the day or a few days!

Here is an okay kind of boring smaller park area. It's located along the Illinois River in Ottawa…read more Riverfront Park is a basic park with not that much else besides some benches that face the water. Good place to hang out a bit. There's pretty much nothing besides the river to do or see. Close to a few other small parks around here. It's on the north side of the river. This is accessed from Routes 23 and 71 on the north side of the river, which is kind of tricky to get into. Go through the underpass to get here. This isn't much of a park. Amenities are few. There's a few benches and trees but that's about it mostly. Good place to get some views of the river and chill. It's really nothing that's at all special to be honest. There's almost nothing, even a playground.

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

Searching for true love and forgiveness? Talk to GOD and get…read morea DOG! #ReflectDogs Love & Forgiveness remember the company that said before the name goes on the quality goes in? That actually could have been the slogan for most rotary dog parks across the country. The rotary, PetSafe and Kane's seem to sponsor the best dog parks. I read the reviews and a lot of people said this is the nicest one in the area and I have no reason to disagree, except, the only poop bag dispenser is a 3 hole one just outside the main gate? Which leads to a lot of biological landmines in the back corners and along the back fence line. The park itself is built on a gently sloping Hill with plenty of room for your dogs to run and more than enough places for you to sit. Eventually the trees should get big enough to provide some shade but currently there is none:-(you park in a nice little gravel parking lot right next to the dog park, the big dog park is the one with the 6-foot fence and the small side is the one with the 4 ft fence?

Visited Starved Rock State Park in Illinois and it was absolutely beautiful! The trail was…read moremoderate ‍ -- just the right mix of adventure and relaxation. Perfect for soaking in nature's beauty , hearing the birds sing , and breathing in that fresh forest air . The scenery was stunning with towering trees , rocky cliffs , and peaceful river views . Whether you're a casual walker or a nature lover, it's a great spot to slow down, explore, and recharge . Highly recommend bringing your camera because every corner is a photo-worthy moment!

Wow - unexpected with hills, scenery, and views - given this is surrounded by relatively flat…read morefarmland and associated towns for many miles in all directions. A visitor center on the history is a good place to start - takes only 15-20 minutes. Then much of the rest is trails both dirt and boardwalk - overlooking the river, in canyons, or just through rolling terrain in the woods. I'd recommend doing the 80-stair climb to Starved Rock. Then if you handle that fine, you can do a loop where you follow the signs on trails to Wildcat Canyon where you can go down the steps into the canyon - then take the river trail back - which both runs along the river at river level and on bluffs many feet above it with overlooks. We did this "loop" and it took us 2.5 hours for just shy of 3 miles with stops to enjoy, take in the views, and take pictures. But, there are quite a few different options.

Allen Park is a nice little area. It's along the Illinois River in Ottawa. Pretty basic park with a…read moreplayground. Good place to hang out a bit. There's not a whole lot to do or see. Close to a few other small parks around here. It's on the south side of the river. This is accessed from Route 71 on the south side of town. Amenities are few. There's a tiny building for a bathroom and some playground equipment but that's about it besides the open space of trees and grass. Good city park to chill. It's nothing special to be honest. There's a playground.