Review Visit: April 24th, 2017…read more Carpenter Park is more than your typical park. Since the coming of Spring, I have been getting the itch to hike. There are plenty of places to hike in Illinois, but I wanted something different. Something off the beaten path. Somewhere that wasn't Starved Rock or a 2 hour drive for me. After scouring Google Maps for a place, I stumbled upon Carpenter Park. So in my car and off to hike I go! Carpenter Park is located on the outskirts of Springfield, almost in Sherman. Taking Sherman Road in, you will find it on the right. Your turn will take you to a one lane road where it leads to a small but ample parking lot. Beware, this road is mighty bumpy and will test your suspension due to all the dips and holes. Parking at Carpenter Park, you'll easily notice the main board that has a map with the trails marked on it. Food for thought, if you ever go hiking, take a photo this is map with your phone. You never know when you will need it. I have referred to the maps on my phone many times, just to make sure I was where I thought I was. The main parking area has all the entry hiking points, so it is easy to hop on a trail and start walking. I noticed main of the trails tend to intersect and cross each other, so you could easily go from one path to another to another. While this was fine and dandy, it was at a certain point that I noticed all the crossings no longer had markers. So you really need to pay attention to where you are going or you may end up getting lost... like I did. Just like at Matthiessen State Park, I somehow wandered out of the hiking area and into the main road that leads to the parking lot. As for the trails, they are all fairly flat, well-defined and suitable for people of all hiking skills. There are quite a few that had logs laying across the path, so you will have to go around or climb over. Not a hassle for someone who is in shape, but if you are looking for a gentle walk, this may be a problem. Some paths had a path going around the logs, but it's not a guarantee. While kind of getting lost, I did stumble upon some really cool cliffs/canyon of Sandstone. They were facing the Sangamon River. If you view some of the images below, I managed to sit on a part that stuck out. It was a fantastic view as long as you didn't look down and see the rocks and river below. Thrilling! Overall, I was here just shy of 2 hours and it was a fun place to hike. It is somewhat connected to another place called Gurgens Park that seems to offer more of the same as here. So if you felt daring, you could literally cross the road that splits them and hike both places. Carpenter Park has some interesting history, if you read the Wiki link below. Guess it is an Old Route 66 attraction. How cool! If you do hike/camp/fish in nature areas, please please please pick up after yourself. I filled an entire Kroger bag full of trash. Keep Nature Beautiful.

Could use better maintenance and more signage…read more Pro tip- to find this park on google maps search "Historic Stone Shelter" This park is a nice little oasis in Springfield and my go to place for a short hike. I love the views by the river but my biggest gripe with the trails is that there aren't very many signs to delineate where trails are intersecting. The trails that are not by the water are nice for a little taste of nature but don't have any standout features. In all, I enjoy coming to Carpenter Park to hike and enjoy a scenic lunch but I wish there was better marking of the trails.

Checked in on Monday was charged for holidays fee for one day .After a couple of hours at campsite…read morecome to find out that shower houses are closed .All I m saying is that after charging me one night at holiday rate you think you would have mentioned that the bathrooms were closed.

It advises the fishing but I've been out here for five hours and I haven't caught anythingread more

A beautiful spot to spend time outdoors, walking, praying, and being alone. There are Dominican…read moresisters who host this space, with some animals, the grounds, an art center, and some retreat space that can be rented. They hosts events seasonally; I recommend walking the labyrinth.

Nice little zoo! We took advantage of a free admission day. The kids had a blast, staff was very…read morefriendly and knowledgeable & its so nice to not having outrageously priced food (we all ate for under $15) would definitely return in the future.

Love this zoo! Very cute! However think the birds could have better enclosures somewhere for them…read moreto fly around.

I've always loved Washington Park! It's very clean, peaceful and one of my favorite places to see…read morenature, take in beauty and get some good walking in and/or a morning run! Being back in the city for a few weeks has really brought back many memories from years ago! This is where I had so many highlights as a teen. Prom pictures, family gatherings, awareness walks and so much more. This is such a beautiful park, located in a beautiful and calming part of the city! Park closes at 10:30 but it's very large, clean and many places to sit.

Beautiful park, lots of wildlife. Loved walking around and seeing all of the landscape, and the…read moreflowers around the botanical garden!

I did not graduate high school to get dress coded. Apparently there are no spaghetti straps because…read moresomeone could pull my shirt down. I think it is just as likely for a man to get his pants pulled down while wearing sweatpants. I don't like sexists businesses.

Took my kids here and felt like I was back in the 80's! Good music, DJ kept it fun with the games…read moreand the skating floor was nice and smooth. Fun video game area and they had great learning "dollies" for beginner skaters.

Absolutely fantastic! We were early for our session...no problem got us set up. Went over the…read morerules. The lady (sorry cannot remember her name) demo-ed how to throw the axe. She watched each of us and offered suggestions to improve our throw and aim. It was not long before all of us were hitting the target regularly. We hadn't thrown before. Facility was clean. Throwing area was big enough you didn't have to worry about the person throwing at the next target.

Good clean fun. That's how I'll describe this experience…read more This is a grown up activity and is not what I'd call a place for kids. There are rules that have to be followed for the safety of all. This is a place for grown folks that just want to get together and chill without a couch. There is no booze or a kitchen but they did have snacks and drinks for sale...and they allow food order/delivery. When we arrived were greeted immediately and all expectations were conveyed upon entry. We signed a waiver and received instructions and tips on how to throw and play the games. We were given opportunity to ask questions and were able to call for referee assistance to address the issues of great competition. It was all fun and laughter as the professionals threw their axes in the lane next to us. Did you know there is an ax throwing league? We'll, there is but they didn't need a handicap like in bowling so I didn't qualify. Anyway, we came out for my sons 30th birthday and I promise, I let him win in honor of his special day. There were four of us in our group and I scored a consistent zero so the others wouldn't feel intimidated. We played several games that included the ax of different sizes and ninja stars...or whatever they are called. The stars, of course, was my favorite because I was able to get them to stick to the board more often. If you've never thrown an ax before, you should this. It's competitive for sure and a good workout for the arms, back and core...and it's a lot of fun, even when you consistently score low numbers. I had a blast and we'll be coming back sure. Thumbs up to Real Axe Throwing of Springfield, the city of Springfield and the entrepreneurs that keep bringing us fun things to do in Central Illinois. Real Axe Throwing of Springfield puts Springfield on the map.

The trail is nice and well maintained for a road bike. It's a safe place to get away in…read moreSpringfield, whether you're riding a bike, walking or have your pup with you.