I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

Midewin is worth the drive from Chicago -- 90 minutes…read more The visitor's center is closed during the pandemic. We followed the signs and went there, thinking we'd find the trailheads. We didn't. We eventually found a man moving grass who recommended we drive north to the Iron Bridge and park there. That was good advice. Not only is there parking, pit toilets, and picnic tables, but the trailhead, and connections to several trails. I recommend everyone start at the Iron Bridge trailheads. We did not see the bison, but we did enjoy a few hours of walking on flat trails. We admired the prairie grasses and flowers, reveled in the sunshine and breeze on this cool day, and just loved every minute we were there. Hikers, remember to wear a head covering. You are on the prairie, after all. Officially, this is a national park, and I brought my national parks pass, but we saw no rangers at all. Nobody checked for park passes or any kind of entrance fee.

If bison, wildflowers, wildlife, & pastures are your thing, you've come to the right place. I'm…read morefrom Ohio and it was my husband's idea to come here. He saw it on a map and said, that's something we've got to do because we live less than 6 hours from it and it's got National in the name... We were not disappointed. I noticed that most people come here for the bison viewing, and that was nothing short of spectacular. However, there are so many trails in addition to that that make this place all the more worthwhile! I especially enjoyed the history, this park was the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and when you walk some of the trails, that becomes apparent in the sense of abandonment that it gives you. However the peaceful ponds and gorgeous wildlife found along the way makes the hike both interesting and fulfilling. The hikes are not strenuous unless you hike in the heat like we did. There are no inclines or anything. You'll be out in the prairie or into the shade of the woods, but more of the former. Just be aware if you hike in the heat, to bring lots of water and sunscreen, as the sun seems to be more brutal in the open plains. The park gave us plenty to do in our 3 days in the area and it was a unique park for us in the sense that it was a prairie and not woods or mountains or beach...when have you ever hiked a trail through a prairie? Try it, you won't be disappointed.

My husband was a member for over 10 years. Absolutely love the place. So much to do. Camping,…read morefishing, swimming, biking just to name a few. My husband took me there for our first date. We went fishing at goose lake. Loved going there so many times for fishing, swimming, bike riding, picnics to name a small amount of activities there. So years later during the pandemic I forgot to send in the dues. Granted we had a discounted rate. I even said we will pay the full rate because I was so heartbroken over the fact that I screwed up and forgot to pay the dues. I contacted multiple people there about it. They would respond to my messages but would never respond after that. I still don't know why exactly we are not able to renew our membership. I'm no Karen lol but I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad that I screwed up my husband's membership and can't get anyone to tell me why. I can handle the reasoning Haha

This is our special piece of heaven! How can you not fall in love with a private, secure, and…read moreprotected outdoor eutopia where you, your family, and friends can camp, swim, fish, hike, ride bikes, explore, etc. All in a gated community. They have camp sites for tent camping and also sites for RV camping and it is very well maintained. Check out joining. It is truly a wonderful place that we have some of our most wonderful family memories at. And the staff who work here and maintain the grounds are the best people you will ever meet.

Best park that's in Channahon of course. Channahon State Park has some nice views of the DuPage…read moreRiver. It actually is bigger than it seems with lots of open areas and trails. Has lots of places for grilling. The park also usually isn't crowded so it's a good place for chilling and hanging. A lot of great scenery around. It's located along the DuPage River. This is near the end of it where it flows into the Des Plaines River, so around here there's certainly lots of water. Among the other features is the war memorial. This honors those from Channahon who died in various wars. It consists of a few flags and pillars with names of those who died. The park also has a building that looks like it has bathrooms but it's closed off it seems. Gets crowds when it's good weather for boating. It's located close to the marina with the Big Basin Saloon, a popular hangout. There's plenty of areas along the water including a few trails.

First time coming here, wanted to try something new to visit on a day off work and this place is…read moresuch a beautiful gem! Great views everywhere from all places! The park itself is great for the summer for shade from the sun. Bathrooms are okay. The dam itself is really cool to see. Highly recommend coming here on a run to take everything in better. Even a better place to fish at! Not too crowded at all, very peaceful! 4.5 stars

I'm a guy that's always interested in history but I have never heard of this place but I researched…read moremy history before coming in here and I'm happy this bridge was saved, used as a terminus and you can walk this all the way to Joliet. Sadly the rest of the former railroad is long gone but you can easily see the railroad scar left behind on Google maps!

Nice little hide away! We were driving around looking for a place to fish and found this little…read moregem! Features include a place to fish, boat, picnic, a large covered pavilion and a disc golf course! Worth the drive to get away from it all and enjoy the great outdoors!

Potowatomi Camp: What a beautiful, quiet campground, neat, well kept, with a good size shower…read morehouse, and wooded areas separating the sites. The bike trails were awesome. The river views were picturesque. They had parks and swing-sets, pavilions, a nice suspension bridge and river overlooks. 10/10 would come again.

We stayed at Chippewa one of Kankakee's state parks had a wonderful time. The hosts "D and R" are…read morewonderful people. They are very attentive to their campground and were there when we needed help. We definitely will be going back. The sites are spacious and very clean. J and Lisa

Fair campground, wishing for wifi, but the host Brenda Garcia deserves 5+…read moreThank you for everything Brenda

Staff was friendly but the spaces are unleveled bad. The only tires on the ground right rear. The…read morefront left was at least 12" off the ground.

Nice place to go for a picnic or a hike down the trails , can even camp out if you like, we usually…read morego during the week when less people have lunch and fish a little

A great place for the "outdoorsy" types! You can camp, fish, hike, picnic, and there is a free…read moreboat launch area. Good fishing along the river. You do compete with the river traffic, such as speed boats and barges, but we were able to catch fish. The grounds are pretty clean overall and you experience the a plethora of river foul. I also saw four water moccasins, so you should use some care along the waters edge.

Camp Shaw has been a life changing experience for my daughter! The counselors are AMAZING! The camp…read moreis so inclusive, they make everyone feel accepted and appreciated for who they are. Don't hesitate to send your kids here. They will make new friends and forever memories!!

Wonderful family camping spot! Easy going and responsive staff members. Excellent attention to…read moredetail.... Built in showers and bathrooms. Wonderful creek with rapids and swimming holes at the bottom. Great venue for a music festival. Getting in was a slow process, more vehicle searching staff is needed.... Or less vehicle searching!! After all this is vacation not waiting in lines at an amusement park. They have beautiful forest up lighting and if you have any questions or concerns just shoot them an email and guess what... they will respond! Thank you Shoe fest and staff we will be back! ( please bring back the kitchen dwellers)