I love the visitors center. Nice selection of souvenirs. Very helpful clerks. I would've given them…read morean additional star, but they're not open every day.

I know there's not much to do in the Beecher-Crete area. I grew up there. However, I have fond…read morememories of Plum Creek, and I've gone back there with younger siblings who didn't get to experience it (up to that point). The Nature Center has been redone, and it looks great, and the hiking trails are pretty good. Yes, this part of Illinois is mostly unremarkable for wildlife, but in just a few minutes, we found a tangle of snakes near us sunning in a pond (it's a brain teaser to count how many, see attached). Plum Creek is also famous for its hill. Even in springtime, it's fun to see who can run up and down the fastest. Of course, when there's snow, the competition is really on.

Good place to launch kayaks or canoes, this place used to be unkempt and dangerous. Near the…read morehistorically important Altgeld Gardens housing project, this end of the river has other important African American historic sites. It's the start to the African American Heritage Water Trail. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/33c3120579f9471e84e51f8684ced943

It's a great place to relax and fish and I suggest it to who ever enjoy being outdoorsread more

I have tried to check into this part of the trail several times, but it surprisingly did not have a…read moreyelp page. The trail is about 3 miles. There is plenty of parking. Only a porta pottie so keep that in mind.

Averaging a 3 because the hiking trail isn't that great (2 star tops) but the park, picnic and…read moregazebo areas are great! (Solid 4) The trail is quite buggy during summer because of many pools and rivulets of standing water. Which also makes the trail and its smaller offshoots quite damp and muddy too. When it does dry up some, the mosquitos are still there but not as abundant as normally. The playground area is clean and the munchkin enjoys it quite a bit. The only qualm I have with it is that there's a wee bit of graffiti featuring some choice words that our little one hasn't noticed yet. Other than that the equipment is in great condition and the mulch grounds are seemingly maintained.

Great park. Park was clean, it has basketball court, gazebos, soccer field, and sand volleyball…read morecourts. Also has a small pond, and a short hiking trail. Portable bathrooms available. How many Parks have all these different options...

Nice short trail, it's only about 2.1 miles starting at the Schererville police station and ending…read moreat a park. When you pass under Rt.30 there is a way to get to a running store (name escapes me right now) and even a mexican restaurant and pizza place. So if you walk or run like crazy and need a drink or some grub it is there! The place is ideal for kids because it's a short trail and is near Reeder Park that has a good playground! In the summer on Thursdays there's a farmer's market and other fun events. I live close so I use this trail a lot. You can walk, rollerblade, run, bike, walk your dog (limited to the trail, pick up poop!! They have some spots with baggies) and even someone in a wheelchair can use this... Skateboards are allowed too! It's clean and well maintained.

This is a great gathering place all year long . Today was a fire and ice event. As I walked in the…read morepark area I was greeted with a big gas fed bonfire . The stage had blocks of ice ready to be transformed into clever and stunning art . The setup in the small parking lot flowed smoothly . Great job by all the restaurants that participating in the chili cook-off . The samples were so diverse , who knew chili could be so different ? Hot chocolate was available at the front and s'mores trimmings in a baggy was being distributed by local police in the back . Small wood burning fire pits were putting out the heat to toast those marshmallows . There was a very well built bags board game from ice . It was fast and slick , the challenge was fun. Two other Photo Op ice pieces were in the lot and on the stage . The event ran from Noon until 3:00 . Just the right amount of time to sample ten specialty chili's and vote for your favorite . We stayed for the award ceremony , three trophy's we're given out . The people voted fat Rosie's as the best. If you missed it try restaurant week during Feb 17 - 27 . Although the fire and ice event will remain very special to me and my fiancee . The outdoor dance in the brisk weather with radiant heat from the bonfire was epic . And thanks to the little girl who took our picture. Great community spirit during less social times .

Breidert Green is the heart of Frankfort and many of its activities. Depending on the time of…read moreyear, there are so many diverse actitivities that occur here. There are Sunday concerts in the summer and Arts and Crafts fairs in the fall. There are ice sculpting events, chili cook offs, runs and out door movies. The Green is maintained beautifully with the stage set inside a replica of the former train station. It is located along the Old Plank Trail which runs on the old railroad path. There is even a magnificent public washroom which is always spanking clean. If you come to Frankfort, you will probably see the Green. It is at its best in the summer bloom or under the sparkling holidays lights. I just love it, however corny that sounds!

A quaint but pretty oasis in the middle of Hammond. A great spot for a quick walk and some nice…read moreviews. In the winter everything is golden in the dead kind of way. Dogs aren't allowed on the trail, but you can still enjoy the soothing sounds of the neighborhood dogs barking away. We saw the tree in this picture, and thought it looked like a walking stick left by a giant. There is probably a good amount of non-mythical wildlife to see the in the spring and summer.

Absolutely beautiful and serene. It's an actual nature trail. No pavement! You can easily get in…read moreabout 3 miles. For longer you'll have to loop through the different trails.

Can't go wrong with a pleasant walk here with that special someone. Beautiful surroundings of…read morevegetation and wildlife.

A nice wooded area that's dog-friendly if you are looking for a place to walk. There are two spots…read moreto park after turning down the road. The parking areas were well maintained. There are also some simple bathrooms, benches, covered tables/gathering spaces, and grills. We parked in the first area and then walked to the second parking area to enter the trail. We decided to do the longer loop first (~1.35 miles) and then the shorter loop (~.5 miles) afterward. Although you do need to watch for random tree roots, it was a pretty even pathway throughout with some cute bridges. It was very quiet when we visited right before lunchtime, and we only passed half a dozen people and a few dogs the whole time. Although I was somewhat expecting a deer to jump out at any moment, we did see some smaller birds and chipmunks. Since it hadn't rained for quite a while, the whole path was dry. In all, it was a really nice walk. I would return here for a relaxed stroll again in the future.