Horrible place. The forest preserve across the street is always open, yet this place is closed on a…read moresaturday, with no repairs going on, on a beautiful day. Our tax money is being used to pay these employees NOT to do their jobs. Lake County Forest Preserves are ALWAYS open.

Although Potawatomi Woods is not huge by comparison to other local preserves, it has a nice charm…read moreto it. This location has all the basic features such as areas to fish or boat, as well as paths for walking, hiking, and bicycling. There's also a grove available for picnics. Parking typically isn't too difficult and people are generally spread out fairly well across the woods, so you can enjoy a casual stroll without worrying about feeling crowded. These woods have a good variety of natural features that make it a great place to take pictures of the fall colors. If you have the right lenses, there's a nice variety of birds that can be photographed -- or possibly deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. Overall, it's amazing to have such a beautiful area in the middle of the busy suburbs. Definitely worth a visit if you live in this area and want to enjoy some natural beauty.

Has a nice walking trail but if you make it a loop, it is on pavement for the other half. You get…read moreto see a few different habitats when you walk on this well kept trail! They have picnic tables and plenty of parking. Two main entrances for trails

A well-maintained strip of land along the Des Plaines River, featuring many nice park amenities…read more There are plenty of parking spots just yards from the river, spaced out liberally along the length of the drive - enough so, that you can often find a spot to yourself. There are picnic spots and garbage cans dotted along the drive, and a nice picnic shelter towards the end. If you're looking for nice spots to fish along the river, you should have no problems here as long as there isn't a flood advisory (sometimes the water will go over the bank after a large rainfall or during a big spring melt, but less-so after the dams were modified).

Has a quick wooden area (portage trail) loop walk with shade. A one-eyed red tailed hawk, another…read morehawk, an owl and a coyote are viewed in a cage enclosure. The visitor center is clean nicely maintained and has more live critters, reptiles and amphibians on glass enclosures. I imagine kids would enjoy seeing the animals. Medium parking and best of all, it's free. Donations accepted.

I recently took a hike in this area and passed by this Nature Center several times during the hike…read moreand decided to stop in. I was pleasantly surprised at how many different things there were to do here, but indoors and outdoors. Outdoors I was able to see a variety of animals including a coyote, owl, hawk, eagle, kestrel, and fox. Though they were caged, I got to see them fairly up close and hear the different sounds that they make. Indoors, there were various interactive exhibits as well as live turtles and various educational displays. Overall this is definitely worth a visit if you're hiking in the area and want to see a nicely maintained and educational display that helps to explain some of the wildlife nearby.

Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve offers a nice place for a relaxing 1.9 mile hike. There is an option…read moreto go farther by following the various offshoot paths. Parking is very limited off of Old Hicks Road but there are not many people going onto the path so you should be fine. There is a varied turf combination of paved and gravel. The path is pretty even, smooth, well kept and good for all ages We saw what seemed to be a grasshopper migration (9/21/25). We stopped counting after 25! However we did count 7 furry caterpillars crossing the path. There were many species of prairie willow, berry trees, cat tails and a few wild mushrooms too. Lake County is offering a hiking challenge over the next couple months and it's a fun way to see all that Lake County Forest Preserves has to offer!

The Buffle Creek Forest Preserve is a good place for an easy walk. The day we were there we had no…read moreissue with parking, but it was not crowded. It is mainly an open prairie with low growing plants and few trees. The walking path winds through wide-open restored prairies and some creeks. I can imagine in the summer it get hot since there is very little covering to offer shade.

A serendipitous find as I was searching for a place en route to the Chicago southwest suburbs…read moreduring the 2017 solar eclipse, there was intermittent cloud cover here and there and I just ended up here. It's a really nice preserve, probably a little more populated during the eclipse than usual. It's peaceful and pretty, a nice patch of nature for short hikes or just meditating. The garbage cans were filled which probably didn't help the problem of flying biting insects, I'll bet late August it is just inevitable to encounter mosquitoes in a Midwestern forest preserve. This seems like a good place for bird watching though the birds of prey did seem somewhat perturbed by the eclipse.

Seems like a nice quiet lake. Watched 2 hawks soar around the skies. One even had another bird…read morethat kept landing on it while it was soaring. Bet that was a fun ride. I've seen this lake get real weedy but to my surprise it was completely clear today.

As I read through other reviews, there is a lot more to this park than just a trail around a lake…read more We did a fundraiser that included a walk around the lake. The park is very good and the walk is nice. The whole loop is only about 1 1/2 miles so it's an easy walk. The other reviews talk about accommodations for a party, indoor sports like basketball, a gym, and more. We didn't check any of that out since we didn't know they were there. Speaking of the path and the lake, it's lovely and a nice place to go on a warm day.

Gallery Park started out as a collection of flat aprons and runways in the Glenview Naval Air…read moreStation. The Naval station closed in '93, and the hundred and fifty acres that now comprise Gallery Park became available, and were incorporated as this park. Tip: There are several different trails here, all of which loop around Lake Glenview. The lake also has several piers, some small islands, and a bridge My two favorite trails here are the Lake Trail (one and a half miles long) and the Park Trail (one point eight miles long). I used to also very much enjoy the Lakeside Trail, but I ran into far too many ticks the last time I went there, so I've been avoiding it. Over and above the hiking trails, the park also has several soccer fields, tennis courts, and even some catch-and-release fishing spots. Last (but not least) there's a fitness zone with equipment for cardio steps, chest presses, an crunches, etc. But wait, there's more! You'll also find a children's garden, bike racks, water fountains, and picnic tables. All in all this is a pretty cool place to relax and get some nature on :-)

Fantastic preserve that's easy to pass by. Reed Turner is a small preserve that has single-track…read moretrails throughout the preserve. This is not a huge preserve so if you want to log miles, this may not fit the bill. A beautiful woodland preserve with a creek and ravines and great beauty!! Well worth a visit and many repeated visits over the seasons!

Neat little woodland in Long Grove with several trails that go through a creek, a pond, and a lake…read more Here you'll find pure undisturbed nature (you'll have to hike on unpaved roads) with lots of beautiful flowers, animals, and insects. There's majestic trees, great water views, and a great variety of plants. Worth a visit if you want to get away from the typical forest preserve.

How can you not love Lake Arlington?! The lake is beautiful,…read morethe treats at the Boat House are great, and the vibe is perfect. 10/10

Lake Arlington is a man made lake in Arlington Heights. There are many things to do there. There is…read morea walking path around the lake. The park also features a playground and exercise equipment. Lake Arlington is a great place to fish, kayak, and boat in the water. In the community center building, you can buy snacks and drinks as well as rent equipment to use on the lake. Lake Arlington is a great place for year-round fun!