Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    River Trail Nature Center

    4.4 (50 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    River Trail Nature Center Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - River Trail Nature Center

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Aesha E.

    I never would have known if River Trail if not for a serendipitous visit to Trailside Nature Center in River Forest. Obviously I knew about the forest preserve system--that's something you pick up on within a very short time of living in this area--but it took 15 years before I knew that these nature centers, which all have programs, were around. I stopped here the first time whilst seeking places in Northbrook to take photos for the Northbrook Plein Air Photography Festival. I only had intended to spend about five minutes here but ended up staying an hour or so. They have a pollinator garden here, filled with lots of flowers that moths, bees, and birds love. There's a small playground here near the pollinator garden, an aviary, and several animals as well, both inside and outside. The turtles were enjoying a lazy swim when I was here. Most recently, I attended the Bat Chat program that was held here. I learned that bats basically use what's their fingers to move their wing. This is in contrast to a bird, that uses its wing from shoulder to tip. A bat can move more similarly to a butterfly given the type of wing, and it allows them to fly differently from a bird; their wings give them superior maneuverability. Their wings are incredibly fragile, to the extent that if the membrane of their wing tears the slightest bit, it will render them unable to fly. Bats local to Cook County are a type of micro bat. They kind of scoop their prey out of the air with the tip of their wing and get it into their mouth. Their teeth are very sharp, and this they have sharp teeth to get into the exoskeleton of their prey. Fascinating! Bats are facing a lot of issues in Illinois. Habitat loss is a major issue, as are wind farms. White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that has caused the death of mostly colony bats since it was discovered in 2006. The fungus itself isn't the problem; rather, it's that it wakes them from hibernation. The fungus warms them and this pulls them out of hibernation, and because they cannot find their sources of food during the time they should be hibernating, they die. I have to say there's someone at least at this nature center who's got a sense of humor and I love it. I'll go to Toni Preckwinkle to protest if they ever fire that person! Wander the pollinator garden and hidden amongst the signs you'll see one for Whitesnake Root (a play on the 80's hair band; the plant is called White Snakeroot), and Oscar the Grouch is telling you where to place your trash. I dig Easter eggs like that and they gave me a chuckle.

    Black-capped chickadee
    Nicole L.

    I love this place because there's so much to see inside and around the nature center, from turtles, to owls, to a coyote. Plus they have an apiary (beehives). In addition, there are trails that go through forested areas surrounding the nature center. My favorite part, however, is all the bird feeders around the nature center building. All you have to do is sit or stand a few feet away and you'll see some great birds, plus lots of chipmunks! If I lived closer I'd come here every day.

    Bird cage
    Gesselle C.

    Oh my glorious goodness- this place is an amazing hidden gem in Cook County. Its hours of free family fun. Park in the spacious free parking lot and enter the nature center. In the nature center there are animals and reptiles to meet and learning opportunities for the kiddos and their parents. Go to the website and look for family-friendly activity dates. There are several hiking and biking trails throughout the property. Grab a map at the nature center and try not to get lost, just kidding. The area and map are pretty simple to navigate. Make sure to visit the outside birds, a coyote, owls and even a bald eagle. It's tons of family fun. There's only one little caveat to this place that has soo many birds. Dogs are not welcome-so leave the fellahs at home and check out this Cook County marvel wrapped around the DesPlains River.

    Beautiful scenery along the path.
    elizabeth r.

    Beautiful woods and trails. Nice to see the park so well used. The nature center had some animals on display outside and inside.

    Adrianna K.

    We are constantly looking for family- and pandemic- friendly outdoor recreation options in the Chicago area and came across this hidden gem. Being located on the Des Plaines River Trail system, there are short and long hiking options in the forest and by the river from this nature center. The wooded areas give off a WIsconsin / Tennessee vibe, and can briefly make you forget that you are trapped in Illinois due to all the travel restrictions. There are also eagles, hawks, and a coyote (that are hopefully being well taken care of), which provide for educational opportunities for the little ones. Bonus point: Although the main building is closed at this time due to the pandemic, the restrooms are open. Overall, we highly recommend this nature center and the trails around it.

    Signage on Milwaukee Ave.
    Howard L.

    This is a quaint little hidden and tucked away nature center with trails right off of busy and built up Milwaukee Avenue.  With the caged (and partially disabled) wildlife here (a coyote, a couple of owls, a couple of hawks, and a bald eagle), it is a particularly fun and educational venue for any kiddos.  We took the opportunity to get in a few fitness steps here and visited the caged wildlife as well as walked the trails around the nearby Des Plaines river.  The river makes a scenic turn here and it would also be an interesting vantage point after a big rain (if possible) as this river is notorious for local flooding.  During the current pandemic, the main building is closed but the grounds are open and as mentioned the wildlife is still on display.   It's great for us to have this public resource so conveniently close by.

    River Trail Nature Center Great Horned Owl, Northbrook, IL
    Calin D.

    "Who" should go here? You! If you're looking for a place to bring friends and family who might actually learn something first hand that isn't on a phone or computer, look no further! River Trail Nature Center has got you and your family and group covered! In addition to many hiking trails, the center also provides a safe place to live for recovering and long-term wild animals who may never return to the wild due to injury. I recently went with several friends on a cold snow-covered day to learn from the experts at the facility all about: Owls! The event was free to the public, (donations are greatly appreciated!), and the place was packed! It was so nice to see so many people coming out to learn more about the world around them, and in addition to learning quite a few things myself, (did you know that Barn Owls are almost extinct in Illinois?!), it was very refreshing to be with kids, adults, and their extended family members of all ages to see the local wildlife you may never know lives in your community. Check out my pictures here, and if you get the chance, I highly recommend visiting the center! It's very kid friendly, though there are lots of things for adults to view in the live and display galleries, as well as lots of bird watching opportunities just outside the door. The facility also has resident animals to view, though I do hope they get a bit more room for the coyote, who though well taken care of - seems a bit cramped in his enclosure. They have nature talks and learning opportunities all year, so check their schedule!

    Laura N.

    I have these random memories of my grandmother taking my sister and I to some forest preserve years ago. There were a lot of geese, a river, some kind of maple syrup thing going on, and a sort of winding parking lot. As the years passed, and I visited several nature centers and forest preserves in the area, I came to believe that the memories were made up. I just couldn't figure out where this mystery place was! .....Until a few months ago on my mom's birthday (HI MOM!!!). After brunch, we were trying to think of something local and free to do that afternoon. My mother mentioned the River Trail Nature Center. I had never heard of it before and and was down for exploring a new outdoor place. When we drove through the woods towards the parking lots, memories starting flooding my brain. THIS was the mystery forest preserve that I had remembered all these years! It DOES exist!! Only mere minutes from my parents' house and down the road from another nature center that I love! Yay!! We parked and explored. Inside the nature center building, we found owls, squirrels, turtles, snakes, fish, and other small animals. They also have a 'classroom' for kids and a bunch of fun information all over the walls. Outside are several caged habitats for the fox, coyote, birds, etc. They even have a bald eagle! Most of the animals seemed to be blind in one eye or in need of some kind of rehabilitation. I'm not sure if this is some kind of project, but I like that the center was taking care of these animals that otherwise wouldn't able to survive in the wild Beyond the enclosures is a little spot for people to gather and some bees. We also stumbled upon some strange pod structures on poles which were actually bird feeders (for Purple Martins). After we finished looking at the animals, we went for a walk along the river and through the woods, which were almost kind of dark. I loved it. There were many different paths to take, but we took a short one that led us past a couple beautiful deer (and some kind of fence keeping the deer out or in....?) back to the nature center just before they closed for the day. All in all, it was a lovely afternoon of quality family time and exploring nature. I'm so glad we came here. I can't wait to come back. And I hope my mom had a good birthday. :)

    A burst of color
    Mari M.

    This is a lovely, little oasis and a well kept nature center with several caged, wildlife exhibits. Two different owl species, a bald eagle, a coyote and a red tailed hawk make for an interesting show and tell area. There's also a children's play area, an apiary and an outbuilding, called the Sugar Shack, where one can learn how maple syrup is made, although nothing was happening the day I visited. You can meander along two small loop trails in the immediate area or go for an extended hike along the Des Plaines Trail System. Close to the nature center, a little north and by the bend in the river, there are some relaxing and inviting Adirondack seats. There's a parking lot, indoor toilets (mask mandatory) and a maned tented area for trail maps and general info.

    Alexa M.

    Came by here not to long ago to walk the trails along the nature center. It connects to a lot of over trails along the Des Plaines River so it's easy to extend your hike. We always bring our dog and roam around. DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED BY THE CENTER, but you can still enjoy the trails.

    Victoria W.

    Got here right as a feeding presentation was going on in Sunday afternoon. This place closes at 5PM everyday, so it'd be difficult for anyone who works a regular day job to come here. Otherwise, not a shabby place to take the kids or just come here on your own. They only house animals that would not otherwise be able to survive on their own in the wild, making up of injured animals, rescued animals and animal born into captivity. Friendly for bikers and trail walkers. Nature center has bathrooms and a great area in the back to sit down in deck chairs and overlook into bird feeders. Inside also has a great play ground for the kids. Pamphlets and maps for cook county forest preserves in the nature center. Quite educational. Will be back to try out their trials. Situated right on Milwaukee, a busy road, so be careful coming in and going out. Speed limit is 15 MPH driving through the park. Additional parking at the nature center.

    In the woods...
    Claudy C.

    Great place to come and walk the trail look at the animals and relax. The nature center building is pretty big and it's also a mini zoo. He trails are AWSOME. Can't wait to bike on them. Definitely love this place and would come here instead of going to the movies. It's like the north park village nature center but with more woods.

    Went there with the kids for the scavenger hunt-awesome! Legit coordinates and navigating tools provided. Kids discovered little prizes at each location and received a bonus one if all were found. Great educational opportunity; we also learned what geocaching is...and you can download an app to participate in this community of scavenger hunting locally to your home. Lovely grounds even in March/April. Many animals for viewing inside and a fun play area for all ages.

    My eldest

    See all

    5 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jickles H.
    4
    200
    117

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nicole L.
    32
    731
    804

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Susan S.
    305
    1038
    6282

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Laura N.
    1294
    1117
    4638

    13 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mari M.
    1
    143
    270

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C M.
    0
    2
    10

    4 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alexa M.
    227
    61
    57

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brittney T.
    83
    103
    156

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of T T.
    0
    115
    2

    10 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Christian M.
    181
    214
    447

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - River Trail Nature Center

    Review Highlights - River Trail Nature Center

    It connects to a lot of over trails along the Des Plaines River so it's easy to extend your hike.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Parks 6,212 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Little Bear Garden Park

    Little Bear Garden Park

    4.6(28 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    I've been hearing about this park for a while and we were able to take a visit over there today…read more I'm glad I knew what I was looking for because Google Maps was going to take me to a small playground on the other side of the school, rather than Little Bear Park which is on the very corner of Patriot and Chestnut (and is almost entirely fenced in, which makes it attractive with little kids). The Little Bear Park is actually a section within the larger Gallery Park, so you may need to put that in if your GPS is confused about LBP. This park was established as part of the redevelopment of the military airfield in Glenview. Overall, I was disappointed in the park, but there were some things I really loved about it along with those that left a bit to be desired. First, it looked like a gorgeous, romantic garden like you might envision from an Austen novel. Truly a beautiful setting, with a small hedge maze and a several picnic tables. Quite an idyllic little spot within the larger park, and ostensibly where it gets the "garden park" part of its name. There's also a really awesome water feature here. It's really large, and unlike some "splash pads" that are little more than a tall pipe sticking out of the ground, this one had several arms coming out of the ground of different heights. It also had some water coming from spots in the ground, for a lot of different ways to play. My kiddo got soaked and loved it. Sadly, the playground section looked kind of old and worn. It has a cute castle/medieval theme, but all the play equipment was quite faded. Of more concern was that the playground terrain, which was that composite rubbery stuff, was broken off in quite a few places; more than once my babe brought me small or large pieces. Seems potentially fraught in a few different ways, but it was weird since in all the parks I've been to with that kind of ground cover I haven't seen chunks of it missing throughout the playground. There's lots of parking at/around this park, because it shares space with a middle school and park district headquarters. The playground itself isn't the attraction for me--though if we are already in Glenview, I might stop--but I would absolutely return for a beautiful picnic in the garden, and that's what really makes it shine.

    Heads up if your kids like swings: there are none at this park. But there's a cool splash pad, a…read morehedge maze, a play structure, and a huge sand pit area.

    Photos
    Little Bear Garden Park
    Little Bear Garden Park
    Little Bear Garden Park

    See all

    Best Western Plus Glenview-Chicagoland Inn & Suites - Two Queens Suite

    Best Western Plus Glenview-Chicagoland Inn & Suites

    3.8(31 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Great value, just know it's right off the highway Stayed…read morehere for under $95 a night and overall it was a solid experience. Room was clean, comfortable, and had everything you need. Breakfast was included -- covered the basics, though I wish they had yogurt. One thing worth knowing: the hotel sits right next to the highway, so if your room faces that side, you'll hear some traffic noise, especially early in the morning. It didn't ruin the stay but light sleepers should request a quieter side. For the price and what's included, this place genuinely delivers. Hard to find this level of comfort under $100 in the Chicago suburbs. Would stay again.

    This hotel is very conveniently located at Lake street and 294. Lots of great dining in the area…read more When I checked in, I was made to feel very welcome. Our room was lovely. There are so many things that we liked about this newly renovated property. The beds were comfortable and bed linens were good quality and fresh. I loved the new dressers and the handy shoe cubbies. The new flatscreen TV was great, and the remote control worked well. The lamps were easy to to use. There were plenty of places to plug in chargers for phones and laptops. The blinds were excellent! You could lower one blind to darken the room, and another to act as a privacy screen, and still let in natural light. The bathroom was small, but freshly renovated and well-lit. The bath products and towels were quite nice. Water pressure was good. Breakfast here is much better than the normal fare. Fresh scrambled eggs ready every morning...not the frozen and reheated Cysco eggs. Fresh waffles. Yogurt bar. Cereal. Toast, bagels and muffins. Fresh fruits. The coffee was good. And- breakfast is served until 10 AM for those of us on a different time zone. I loved that. We will definitely be booking this hotel again. I have stayed at several properties in this location, and this Best Western Plus is the winner.

    Photos
    Best Western Plus Glenview-Chicagoland Inn & Suites - Breakfast Area

    Breakfast Area

    Best Western Plus Glenview-Chicagoland Inn & Suites - Two Queens Room - Guest Bath

    Two Queens Room - Guest Bath

    Best Western Plus Glenview-Chicagoland Inn & Suites - King Suite

    See all

    King Suite

    River Trail Nature Center - parks - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...