With our train enthusiast grandsons in tow and their parents we stopped by to watch the trains…read moretoday on our way home through Illinois. We arrived about 11:15 and one train was just sailing through and about that quick another train came from the other direction. Perhaps Sundays is a slow train day as we waited for 30 more minutes before we had to get back on the road. The little guys were excited and to see trains this close up enough to read advertisements was fascinating. It's a very nice clean park with picnic shelter, tables grill & water hydrant and comfy benches alongside tracks to watch the trains go by. Nice clean newer rest rooms and a small playground for toddlers. If it had been open we would have enjoyed the gift shop today, too. Will probably hear the grandsons asking to go back to watch more trains another time. I don't think they understood what an opportunity this park truly is.

A formers paradise for rail fans. The park has streets all around it so the horns tell you where…read moreit's coming from so you can't miss a shot. If you are into pictures or video this is a great place for you. Free wifi was an extra great feature of the park. There is a speaker that has some radio from rail operations but my scanner picked up much more so don't forget to bring yours. There is a built in grill if you want to have a cook out. The open air building had padded deck chairs and picnic tables and some built ins. There is a burn pit but I don't know if you can use it. Rail related items are on the property like trains. There is what looked like a gift shop by I didn't check it out. You can make a great family outing with the youngsters if you want. This is a great place for rail fans.

Our family loved this place; especially the swimming hole. Three sounds come to mind when I think…read moreof Maple Leaf Park: Bullfrogs, Freight Trains, and Motorcycles. Valerie B., I am sad to say it appears that MLP IS closed; their phone is out of service and the web site suspended. I hope Marilyn is alright (the manager who rode around on a golf cart); she was the best! She used to give our kids rides on the golf cart. Maple Leaf Park, you will be sorely missed!!!!!

My friends and I have been camping at this park for15 years. We've seen it change owners over the…read moreyears and each new owner has made improvements. The property is well maintained and family friendly. They have clean bathrooms, a cute little beach/swimming hole, BBQ on Saturdays, and friendly owners. It's a great little getaway even for a day trip to get the kids outside and enjoying nature. Tent and RV camping.

Wow what a beautiful Park here in Dekalb you can. Enjoy a…read moregorgeous river as you walk and giant trees and a walk way that will Lead you to NIU university going to the left Path way and if you go to the right you can play frisbee at the court to play with your friends or you can ride your bike, run have a pic nick.I like the park because is just in my back yard

So beautiful! Feel like it's been AI, it's paradise. Great experience, what a sanctuary.read more

A wonderful and peaceful place to be if you want to get away from the bustle but not drive too far…read moreout of town. A must if you love great scenery and wide open spaces. Has about 5 miles of trails and recently they have added on off leash area for dogs, with plenty of room to run and play. The park itself is not as big as other forest preserves, but still big enough to be secluded and peaceful. The winding trails take you through heavily wooded areas and prarie areas... I come hear a lot to explore with my dog and go on walks with my fiance. Its nice!

Have to say this is a pretty good park in Sycamore for a few activities. It may not be the best or…read morethe biggest but it works for around here. Wetzel Park has enough to keep children occupied. A lot of the basic amenities. There's a playground. Clean park that's in fairly good condition. It's mostly a park for children because of the playground. This is the main feature so it makes sense. Has plenty for older kids and adults. There's a basketball court and frisbee golf. A certain place to have physical activity. This is a park popular with families, so keep it the clean kinds. Great place for athletics or exercising. It's located on Rowantree Road. There's often youth leagues playing baseball, other sports, or whatever.

Great little playground. Perfect for little kids. The playground is in great almost new…read morecondition. They have a sand area with one digger, 6 swings, basketball, tennis court and baseball diamond. Lots of open grass area and a place to play Corn hole! There is also a port a potty on site!

Great park located around Yorkville with a few big lakes. It has lots of hiking trails. Silver…read moreSprings State Park gets its name from the pool of bubbling water. Of course, there's tons of other things to see around it. The popular activities include boating, fishing, and picnicking. Bigger park with a lot of history. It's an area that was purchased by the state in 1969 and turned into a park. The park was originally 1,250 acres, and added a prairie restoration project in 1980 among expansions since. Kind of what the land was like before settlers took it. There's a path that goes through it where visitors can check out animals, grass, and wildflowers. A few man made lakes are highlights. Loon Lake is the biggest one, popular for fishing or getting photos. A refreshment stand is located by it. The spring is the biggest attraction of the park though. Amazingly the water in it never freezes. There's amazing plantlife around it including watercress. Also fun when it's colder. There's a toboggan hill that's fairly steep. Among the kinds of trails are equestrian. There's also plenty for basic hiking. Has lots to look at here for hours and you can even stay overnight by camping. It's got an area that's available for youth groups. This area is only reachable through backpacking so it's far away from loud noises or vehicles.

Serene lake with a good 2-mile hike along lake, river, woods amd some prairie. It was a quiet…read moremid-day walk one snowy day... until I pass by a group of kids screaming and sledding along a slope, how fun :)

Beautiful park and very similar to Starved Rock as they are just down the road from each other. We…read moreliked our time here and our son did have fun on the little playground, but it was unfortunately looking very neglected.

Matthiessen State Park is such a gem. The trails take you through gorgeous canyons, lush greenery,…read moreand peaceful streams that make you forget how close you are to the city. The waterfall views are the highlight and absolutely worth the hike in, especially when the sun hits the rocks and everything feels like a hidden escape. The trails are well marked and offer a good mix of easy walks and more adventurous climbs, so there is something for everyone. Even on a busier day you can still find quiet corners to enjoy the sound of the water and the view of the sandstone cliffs. If you enjoy hiking, photography, or just want a beautiful spot to reset in nature, this park is a must visit. Bring good shoes, some water, and be ready to take a ton of photos.

I'd heard great tales of the park with the big statue and we finally went to check it out. The…read morestatue is impressively large! Definitely worth a visit. You then have 3 options to walk down to the river. One that is stairs straight down and two others that call themselves steep/ rough. Honestly all seem pretty steep! we took one of the side rough trails which was a gradual decline down to the river. Although you had to pay attention to where you were going it wasn't too tough to navigate. The river was a nice reward at the end. We used the other trail to go back up and it seemed more steep and tricky. But fun! I'd say it took about 20 minutes each way. It was a fun little outing!

This park was a gorgeous weekend getaway from Chicago. It's easy to find right along the Rock…read moreRiver. We camped in a tent but the weekend we were here, there were mostly RVs around us. If you camp here in dry weather, the site B38 is the most perfect one because there are no neighbors to your sides - yet it's somewhat close to the toilets/showers, and a comfortable distance from the trash bins. (The site is on lower ground, so in wet weather, it looks like a rivulet goes right through the site.) I've been camping all my life and I've never been in a quieter campground! People were so respectful. It's also super clean and well maintained, though the shower building was small and older. The camp hosts were super laid-back but did their patrols. Be sure to go say hi to the friendly guy at Quirky's camp store and hot dog stand. Then take off into the quiet, well-marked trails, don't miss the Blackhawk statue and breathtaking view, and meander along the river. So peaceful!

This is a nice little beach in Wildwood. You do need a resident parking sticker to park along the…read moreposted area however. We are not Wildwood residents but have found parking not too far off. The swimming area is marked and mostly attracts families with young kids.

Nice park. It has a pavilion and a small beach area. The park is not very big, but it is a hidden…read moregem. Recommend you check it out. Oh, and Joe says, "Don't forget...it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side."