A somewhat-hidden gem of a park, Keller Park is tucked away behind several homes on Pine St., and…read moreoffers several nice amenities. McLean Rohn Playground is on the south end of the park, near the Laurel Ave. entrance. It features a nice assortment of playground equipment for kids of all ages, and plenty of places to sit and supervise. There is plenty of open grounds to play upon, and all of the grass is well maintained. Along much of the length is a small disc golf course, which parallels the paved path, and continues over the river into Shepard Park. The small steel bridge that connects the two parks, over the river, has some nice views of the wildflowers and plants on the bank of the river. On a nice still day, the lull of the babbling water is very soothing. Because it's so close to several schools and day care centers, there are often lots of kids playing there during the daytime; if you plan of a round of disc golf, avoid times when the schools are getting out in the afternoon. Parking is limited at the various entrances, but you can park at Shepard Park, and cross the bridge over. The bathrooms are also at Shepherd park.

Briarwood is a wonderful 11 acre park that winds between the Kings Cove, Deer Run, and Briarwood…read moreVista neighborhoods; merging with Trail Tree Nature Area & Playground, and the North Branch Chicago River. There are entrances in each of these neighborhoods, though the best would be in the Briarwood Vista neighborhood along Greenbriar Drive, east of Eastwood Drive. If it's not busy, I've been able to park in the Moriah Congregation lot, which butts up with the lined outdoor tennis courts and full size basketball court. I can't tell if the lot is park district, or Moriah, but I've never seen any parking restriction signs. Paths wind around and through the park, connecting the various amenities. Additional features include playgrounds, soccer fields, picnic areas, a baseball / softball diamond, biking / riding paths, and several nature areas. The entire park drains well, as much of runs along and drains into the river branch. Only in driving rain have I seen water pooling in the field, or off the trails. The trails all manage to stay pretty dry, throughout the year. In the winter - weather permitting - the Deerfield Park District has set up a medium-sized ice skating rink over the soccer fields. All of the Shana Ellman playground equipment and Briarwood sports amenities were renovated between 2017 and 2019, so it's all in great condition. If you follow the paths to the north, and cross Carriage Way (Kings Cove / Carlisle neighborhood), it connects with the awesome playground and nature trails in the Trail Tree park. Most of the park is wooded, and relatively serene despite being in between three relatively big residential subdivisions of Highland Park and Deerfield. It's big enough that you can find some privacy, and get far enough from the occasional droning of landscaping in the spring and summer time. In the winter, I mostly ever see folks snowshoeing or skiing through the trails, and the occasional groups of kids playing the southern fields. While it keeps fairly dry, and I think the park district occasionally sprays the area, I recommend bringing mosquito repellent through most of the warmer months. They're just about the only thing I'm not fond of in Briarwood Park.

On my way to the nursery nearby, I noticed this little hole-in-the-wall, blink-and-you'll-miss-it…read morepark and nature preserve in Wilmette. When I say you'll miss it, I'm not kidding--I thought it was a random, very small parking lot (maybe an extension of the business next door) but then saw a small gate to the park. Keay is a 4.6 acre nature preserve. (It is not part of the Cook County Forest Preserve system.) There are various trails that loop through the park and it's about a half mile, very easy walk. They have trail guides at the entrance, and according to that they suggest it would be about 30 minutes to walk through. I probably did take about that long, but that is because I stopped to look at some birds, and at a lot of the memorial plaques, and read the trail guide at some of the markers along the way. And I also took the advice of the trail guide and sat down for a few minutes to just listen to the sounds around me--mostly birdsong, and simply appreciate my surroundings. But if I hadn't been going through slowly I think it would be 10 minutes or so. I have absolutely no sense of measurement or distance, but was I'm surprised to learn that it's about a half mile walk. I'd think it was much less. I would call this nature preserve pretty accessible, though that's not really my place to say since I would not need accommodations. However, it's a flat trail and there is a bridge over the pond. There are numerous benches throughout the preserve if you need a break or would like to pause and enjoy the atmosphere. It's really surprising how much you feel like you're out in the middle of nowhere--I didn't hear a lot of traffic and but for the service roads a quiet peaceful way to spend part of your day. There is a port-a-potty on site if needed, and a drinking fountain as well.

Lovely and peaceful park with clean even trails and a lake with a waterfall. Lots of bushes and…read moretrees, with plenty of squirrels, rabbits and even big turtles.

This is a peaceful area close to the Morton Grove Metra Station. I've come here during lunch and…read moreI've seen deer here sometimes, but mostly it's just people in their cars. It's beautiful in the fall with the colorful leaves, but I've never ventured out into the woods. Stop here for a little forest bathing, there's plenty of room, and its so green.

Came here for a birthday party for my friends' son last summer. It's a great area, and they had…read morereserved a pavilion so we had a lot of space. The pavilions also seem to be spaced out enough that you're not right on top of another group. My one complaint was parking: there was a verrrrrry large group a few pavilions down, and because there was so many people their parking spilled into the space for our pavilion, so we had to park a ways down. I get that it's all open parking, so not really anyone's fault, but it was pretty hard to find parking. The pavilions are good size, and had plenty of table space and seating (plus room for some games). There was also plenty of 'lawn space' around for people that wanted to be out in the sun. Porta potties were the only bathrooms I saw, and depending on which pavilion you were at it could be bit of a hike to them. Overall, not a bad place to have a larger gathering.

A humble little park, tucked away within the Glenbrook Countryside subdivision, the Glenbrook…read moreCountryside Park packs a lot of amenities in a tiny 1.7 acres. There's parking all along the westbound edge of Oakwood Rd., which can accommodate plenty of vehicles. Trails run the length of the park, starting on the east end near the half basketball court, past the baseball & softball diamond (with backstop and stands), splits around the cushioned play area (featuring some nice playground equipment), past the drinking fountain, along a small picnic area, and off to the exit on Walnut Circle. The grounds are well-maintained, it drains very well so there ground is almost never soggy, the trails are very evenly paved, and all of the equipment is in excellent condition. Other than the lights from neighbors, there are no lights, so you had best get your playtime in before sunset. Because of how well this park is maintained, and because of the excellent drainage, it's one of the better parks to escape mosquitoes during most of the summer season (though they can still buzz in from a distance). If you ever find yourself in the Glenbrook Countryside subdivision, I recommend spending a little time relaxing at the Glenbrook Countryside Park - one of the nice hidden gems of the neighborhood.

We happened upon the North Shore Artisan Market at this park. They had an eclectic collection of…read morevendors -- vintage clothing and accessories, foodstuffs, jewelry, art, plants, pet products, health and beauty items. It was a really nice assortment, the booths lined the paths, there were four or five long aisles. This is the only weekend for this location -- other markets in Chicago, Oakbrook and Naperville.

They're 10 and still loving it...yes!…read more I'm absolutely amazed that there is still something for my boys to enjoy at this park. C + E have now re-imagined the climbing structures into American Ninja Warrior Parkour training. Who would have thought? Tonight was lovely and amazing. Not only was the park crazy crowded with the nicest bunch of families, but my boys weren't intimidated or frustrated to take turns. There is a structure or activity for all ages... slides for older and younger kiddos, a well-maintained sandpit, climbing walls, swings, and so much more. Tons of benches and wall structures for sitting. What I particularly love about this park is the fact that it's humble without parent pretension. Every time we go we meet and chat with some random family. Though it's a super busy area, there is always parking right by the park. However, I imagine on game days that might be a different situation. Great atmosphere, lovely families, shops and restaurants withing walking distance. Note: There is no fence around the park area, but everyone keeps an eye out for all kiddos, so it seems.

Cloverdale Park was renamed in late 2023 to Fontana-Pasquesi Park, but remains one of the nicest…read moreparks in the neighborhood. It features two well-maintained fenced-in tennis courts that are open to the public, nice rolling fields to play in, and a playground with lots of equipment for all-ages. The park has excellent drainage, and almost never gets muddy or buggy. There are no lights, except for those from the neighboring houses, so be sure to arrive well before dusk. There also isn't any dedicated parking for the park, and the parallel street parking along Cloverdale is a bit limited (probably 6 cars can fit). If it had a small parking lot on Eastwood, or if they widened Cloverdale to accommodate easier parking, this would be my favorite park in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. Still, it's in my top 3, thanks to the quality amenities and fantastic upkeep by the Highland Park Park District crew.

Great place for kids ages 2-8. Two playgrounds...one for toddlers one for older kids....separated…read moreby swings and a sandpit. Lots of room to run in the grass with your doggies. Dead End street. Tennis court and basketball court.

This is a relatively peaceful place for hiking and biking. But it's a little hilly for an Illinois…read moreforest preserve, so wear appropriate footwear (I learned that the hard way). I've seen people getting professional photos taken with these woods as a backdrop, and it's a good setting for that. There's an expanse of grass between the woods and the parking lot where you can sit, have a picnic, whatever. The paved trail runs up the hill and onto the bridge over Lake St. to the north or towards Old Orchard to the south. As you move south, the forest preserves get a bit busy, so I prefer to head north from here. Just to the west of the main trail, there's a gravel path that tacks off to one side and is a little quieter, if that's what you're looking for. You won't lose sight of civilization completely, but you'll get a breather from the steady flow of bike traffic on the main trail that way.

07/03/20 - Yet another part of the extensive trails that make up part of the vast Forest Preserve…read moreNorth Branch trails. These start East of me by the Chicago Park district on Foster Ave & go West through Labaugh Woods off of Cicero Ave (5 houses East of me) through Forest Glen Woods (2 Blocks west of me) the turns north all the way to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. These trails are awesome as they provide people a little respite from urban life literally right in their backyards. People especially now that the weather is warmer come out for walks, running, roller blading & biking along the trails. My sister and I are both on a mission to not only get exercise, but see our own natural beauty our forest preserves provide & at the same time shed some pounds. The amount we have been walking you see all sorts of wild life, everything from deer, Blue herons, snapping turtles, chipmunks scouting around, squirrels, raccoons, hawks, redwing blackbirds, cardinals (no Cubs though bummer), blue jays even a fox. Today we walked from the Blue Star Memorial Woods to the south end of The Skokie Lagoon & back about 6.3 miles.