Excellent place to get started with your horseback riding experience...for all ages. They have…read moregreat friendly rescued horses and certainly make the experience memorable. I would encourage them to add an element of what it is like to keep a horse on their trail rides to encourage and intrigue first time riders.

This is the 2nd year we have had Sarah's ponies out to our Autumn Fair Fundraising event. Her…read morestaff, once again, was phenomenal. Nicole was very communicative with me and she was able to get the pony wheel and petting zoo set up quickly and efficiently with her staff. Thank you!

We had the most wonderful birthday party experience here back in February. I have been meaning to…read moreleave a review for months! Having a Feb bday doesn't leave us with a lot of fun birthday party locations so we're always looking for something different. The kids absolutely loved this experience. Learning all about different animals and reptiles. The party room was the perfect size for a kid's party. They provided tables, chairs, and tablecloths which was super helpful. The staff is kind and knowledgeable. We got really lucky with having weather nice enough to be outside to see the outdoor farm. They actually said as long as the weather is not unsafe, they continue to provide that part of the party year long. You definitely don't want to miss that part. I'm not sure who enjoyed this party more, the kids or the adults. Thank you Double J Riding!

We enrolled our 9-year-old in the 4-day JJ Horsecamp for $375 after doing extensive research. We…read moredrove more than 30 minutes each way because the camp description sounded exactly like what she was looking for. While we understood that activities were "subject to change," we expected an experience that closely reflected what was advertised. Our daughter was by far the oldest child in her group, and I wish there had been more age-appropriate grouping or activities. She came home each day underwhelmed, which was especially disappointing because she had been counting down the days until camp. The biggest issue was that many of the advertised activities felt much more basic than they appeared. There was far less hands-on interaction with the animals than we expected. Instead of an immersive farm or horse experience, it often felt more like observing, listening, or completing simple crafts. For example, "making parakeet sticks" meant feeding the birds with sticks that were already prepared, and "making a goat piñata" consisted of stuffing a pre-made paper-mâché piñata. She also told us that "learning to milk a cow" involved squeezing a rubber glove attached to a wooden calf with blue-colored liquid inside. While these activities may be enjoyable for younger children, they felt geared toward a much younger age group than our 9-year-old. One thing I did appreciate was the check-in and check-out process. The staff had a clear system that made drop-off and pick-up feel organized and secure. My biggest suggestion would be to make the advertising more representative of what campers actually do. A day-by-day sample itinerary or more photos and videos of children participating in the actual activities would help parents make an informed decision. We chose this camp over others because of the detailed activity descriptions, and the reality simply didn't match the expectations they created.

Still great place to board and for lessons, but they discontinued trail rides. The surrounding…read moreforest preserves sadly make riders feel unwelcome as peds, bikes don't want to share the trails. It's a shame so many people fear horses

I've been riding here for the past 6 years and I loved it, every horse is well mannered and some…read morepeople are as well. I have quit at this barn because of fat shaming by a lady, which I will not name. Because of this, I have lost all confidence in riding. I also do not recommend camps, any of them. Prices go up while everything stays the same or even becomes worse.

Palos Preserves has a lot going on. You can fish; in fact, I saw a few people doing that. There…read morewere several people biking through the preserves (some casual, some much more hard core). Walking trails, which is what I was using with the group I was in. Of course, Camp Bullfrog is a major attraction at this site, situated on Bullfrog Lake; you can rent paces for camping anywhere from 2 or 3 days up to 10 days per month. And there's also picnic groves around the place too. There are a few port-a-potties, and there may be an actual restroom with flush toilets a bit southwest of Bullfrog Lake; I forgot to check. Nearby are Sagawau Nature Center and the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, amongst other places. Palos is an International Dark Sky location, so the Forest Preserve District of Cook County sometimes has programs here. There's some hilliness here, and some of the areas I was in were not accessible--though it's possible the campsite is. You should contact them if you are in need of an accessible place to recreate.

Never in a million years would I have believed you if you told me that one of the best running…read moretrails in the USA was in IL. But that's exactly what I found at Palos Forest Preserves. I ignored the Yelp map directions, which drops you in the middle of the street, and instead followed that street until it became a dead end. I parked in the parking lot by the dead end and began my trail there. This ended up being about a 2-2 1/2 hour adventure, at about 16K steps (running half way). The trail has some nice markers to help keep you on the right track, but more would be even better because I ended up doing "eenie meenie minie moe" at several junction points and just hoped for the best. My favorite part about these trails were the inclines and natural obstacle courses. Watch out for the trees though. A couple of the roots reached out and grabbed my foot on more than one occasion, causing me to kiss the ground. I'm certain I heard some giggles coming from the treetops. Cheeky lil bastards. The views were breathtaking during my autumn visits. Very peaceful in many areas and not too crowded, unless you came on the weekend when the bikers take over. They treat it like it's their world, which is very annoying. If I lived in the area, I would definitely frequent these woods with my mountain bike. If running/hiking was fun, biking would be a blast! However, I would remember to share the trails with pedestrians.

No better place on earth to board your horse! I have boarded there for nearly 35 years, and my…read morehorses get only the best. Martha Hoyt is a fantastic trainer, from babies to seasoned show horses. Instructors (Allie, Anne, Patty) give expert guidance and care whether in group classes or private lessons. The horses receive exceptional care with feeding and stall cleaning. If you're wondering, pay a visit and see this little piece of horsie Heaven for yourself.

READ THE FILTERED REVIEWS before you make a decision. I've been riding at PHRS for six years and…read morebought my horse there. He gets top notch care from the staff and I never have to worry about whether he's fed or if his stall is cleaned. The trainers there are also good. They listen to your goals and try to help you achieve them. For show riders they emphasize that winning isn't everything, it's about good sportsmanship and having your best ride. That attitude has created a barn full of supportive riders. School shows are held four times a year, and many of the classes are held in the outdoor arena if the weather is nice. I enjoy the wide variety of classes that are available. There's always a chance to try something new. This is a barn that is steeped in tradition. When they say it's a family affair they truly mean it. The staff and riders do their best to make everyone feel like family. Don't base your opinions off of a few unflitered reviews when there are tons of positive reviews that didn't make it past Yelp's ridiculous system! When in doubt, go out there and see for yourself.

I should have believed the bad reviews. What a waste of $43 dollars and an hour of driving. Just…read morereturned from my daughter's first beginner lesson. She had attended beginner camp at New Traditions last week. I did see them the camp riding nose to tail on the first day of camp when I stopped back early, but the camp person claimed that was a one time thing - and that they were going to fix it by rearranging the groups and it wouldn't happen again. I'm so gullible, I believed them.) Not knowing this nose to tail - waste of time "riding" - was their standard MO, at the end of camp, we signed up for a beginner lesson. My daughter really wanted get into horseback riding. She was so excited. When scheduling the lesson, we were told we should do the Wednesday class because there were only 3 kids signed up and there were 8 in the Monday class - and that 8 was a lot so it would be better to go on Wednesday. We were told she would get so much more attention in lessons than she had gotten in camp - and that she would progress quickly because she was a "natural." Fast forward to the lesson today. We arrived today ten minutes before class, then we learned that five more kids had signed up - there were now 8 in this class. Sounded like a lot - the number that the instructor said would be difficult to get individual attention, but okay. In the next ten minutes, however, people kept showing up with Groupons - and getting added to the class. This continued until TEN minutes AFTER the class was supposed to start. By the time "class" started, there were now FOURTEEN kids in the class. Class was late starting because everybody had to wait (with the horses noses to the walls), while more kids kept getting on horses. Then, once everybody was one, they walked each horse's nose in the tail of the horse in front of it. Every time one kid stopped, the entire group stopped. My daughter learned NOTHING and had an incredibly frustrating time. The instructor taught nothing. Plus, it is DANGEROUS. One of the parents was familiar with them doing this informed me that this happens ALOT - especially when they offer Groupons. She said that sometimes a horse acts up and a lot of kids fall off. Just a little something to add to the stress level of watching this disaster of a class. The "instructor" Anne, (and I use this term loosely, because there was NO useful instruction whatsoever) left the class after about 20 minutes because she has to go out and get payments for the people coming for the 5:30pm class. For 15 minutes of the she was out in the lobby getting people and selecting horses for the next class. Meanwhile, the packed horses/children are barely moving around the ring. Anne was also apparently teaching the 5:30 class. But, she had to come out and deal with all the unhappy parents from the 4:30pm class. So, we waited in line to talk to her. We left at 5:45pm after talking to her - and there was still another person waiting. That 5:30 class was still waiting for an instructor while all this was going on. The parent in front of me explained how unsatisfied she was, and Anne told her that she needed to do private lessons, which are $70. Of course, Anne noted, private lessons do not get the ring to themselves, other students will be in the ring. Anne said that they do not limit how many horses will be in the ring during a private lesson - she refused to indicate what number of horses would be too many. When I finally got to speak to Anne, I told her how disappointed I was - and she frankly - didn't care in the slightest. She said that classes fill up and if I don't like the class I need to invest in private lessons. She also told me that having fourteen horses in that tiny arena wasn't dangerous at all. I wish I would have believed the other reviews and not wasted my time and money.

wish I was able to use my Groupon. lady takes weeks to communicate simple plans if she ever even…read moreresponds. after a month of attempts I was frustrated the day we agreed on was filled due to her taking to long to talk. I wanted to use my Groupon before it expires and she told me to return my Groupon. well that was a headache in it self. She ruined the day of 3 children.