Beautiful park named after the famous hometown author. It's one of the must see places in Waukegan,…read morebut it's usually pretty quiet. Ray Bradbury Park is located in a residential area, so it's isolated from tourists. A lot of people don't know where it is either. That helps keep them away and you can enjoy it better without crowds and stuff. As for the park itself, it's actually not that big. It has an entrance off a side street, close to a few houses. There's a marker noting history of the Waukegan River and the ravine that was mentioned in Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer. Cool for book nerds. For sure it's cool for anyone obviously. Bradbury was even at the park dedication and met a few excited authors and fans. The marker has photos and information. Has no parking lot because this is a residential area. It's usually not busy so street parking is pretty much okay. There's not a whole lot of people who know where this is, so it doesn't get lots of tourists.

The great Science Fiction writer Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan in 1920. His writings include…read moreFahrenheit 451, and of course The Martian Chronicles. Several of his novels are semi-autobiographical. In stories such as Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer he reinvented Waukegan as Green Town. He wrote about a park, drawn from childhood memories, in Dandelion Wine. In 1990 the park, located a few blocks from his boyhood home, was rededicated as Ray Bradbury Park. Bradbury himself, was on hand to do the ribbon cutting. The park is not large, but it has a neat stairway that drops down into a deep ravine. It is easy to imagine Bradbury as a child, exploring this magical place. It obviously left a lasting impression on the great writer. Go pick up a copy of Dandelion Wine, wait for a nice sunny day and let Mr. Bradbury take you on an adventure as you explore his park. You never know what you may discover!

It was a breath of fresh air the morning I decided to finally venture up to Skokie Lagoons to run…read more It was only a matter of time that I would visit after having passed through it via the North Branch Trail System while training for the Chicago Marathon some time ago. My visit to the actual site came after having the desire of running somewhere different, as well as having no interest in running the ever so congested Chicago Lakefront Trail. At the time, it was marathon training season with many runners out training for their fall and winter marathons. And not to mention other individuals out on the Lakefront Trail whether it be biking, walking, skating, or even at the beaches which I just did not have the tolerance for at the time. My GPS took me to what is labeled as Forest Way Picnic Grove #1 where I ended up parking. However, if you want to start your activity at the mile marker starting point, I recommend parking where the Chicago River Canoe and Kayak shed is located which is 1770 Tower Rd. Parking there will put you right at the 0/4.4-mile marker on the path. If not, Skokie Lagoons has several places to park your vehicle which are mostly along Forestway Dr. Prior to starting my run, I could not resist taking in the beauty of the lagoon which made me think to myself why did it take me so long to visit. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Skokie Lagoons as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat; there are rolling hills in between miles 1-3, but nothing excruciating. And there are distance markings along the pavement of this loop style paved path totaling 4.4 miles per loop. Well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as I made my way around the loop. I also felt that feeling of being secluded on parts of the path, but there were always encounters with bikers at some point that kept me in the moment as well as the sounds of vehicles on the nearby roads. As mentioned, I encountered bikers mostly, but I did see walkers and runners occasionally along the path. And throughout my entire time on the path, I encountered two deer which crossed my path as they headed towards the lagoon. I spent a little over 3 hours on the path but could have easily gone longer if I wanted to. Like the start of my run, I took in the beauty of the lagoon again which looked so gorgeous with the sun beaming down on it, giving it that lustrous look. And I overheard the screeching sound of a bald eagle as I stretched and massaged my leg muscles off to the side of the path. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within Skokie Lagoons; some of those activities I saw or can certainly see are fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, hiking, running, walking, biking, and even inline skating. And along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even benches throughout. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Skokie Lagoons, as indicated in this review. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

Having lived in Chicago and visited Skokie Lagoons many times before, I can't believe I never left…read morea review! Recently visiting friends in Evanston and needing a place to hike on a 70-80 degree day on my way back to Milwaukee, SL was a no-brainer! Skokie Lagoons has: - Great paved biking trails - Public kayak/canoe launch - Kayak/canoe rental - Good fishing! (Caught a NICE largemouth bass here once) - Lagoons, swamps, and more! - Paved trails that lead into Chicago Botanic Gardens I was hiking on the paved bike trail, which frankly, they're pretty long trails! Better for running, biking, and watersports IMHO. I can't believe people drop less than a 5-star review for this place!

This is a long trail, about 25 miles between the train and the electricity line. Very straight, so…read moreyou can concentrate on cycling.

I use this path to run/walk/ride several times a week. It's flat... has a drinking fountain halfway…read morethrough my run... places to sit along the way... and gives me a perfect 6 miles start to finish for my exercise. there is all sorts of trees and wildflowers along the way to look at. There are three reasons I reduce the rating by a star: 1) In early summer the "angry birds" attack us pedestrians. If you are on a bike, you will be fine. 2) Some of the bikers are rude and do not announce themselves. This REALLY bothers me! 3) The train tracks are near the trail and every once in a while a train goes by. This doesn't really bother me much... but it may bother others. But most of the time, I get lost in my thoughts as I jog along... There are other walkers, bikers, dog walkers, joggers, roller bladers that all enjoy the trail along with me. Even the nearby Army base uses it for running drills. Most people are kind and thoughtful and share the trail effectively. There's still several months before winter... Try it out!

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.

I LOVE these trails and could literally get lost in these woods for hours. I highly recommend going…read morein the beginning of fall to enjoy all of the beautiful changing leaves. The trails are nice and wide and make it easy to get around other walkers. These trails are also long enough, that once you move away from the main trail that circles the pond (pink trail maybe??), unless you move over to Half Day Forest preserve (connected trails), you'll very rarely run into anyone else. The parking fills quickly at the Everett and St. Mary's entrance, but you can also park over at Half Day Forest Preserve off of Milwaukee and easily find your way to these trails with a short added mile of walking.

We paid a visit here as an enjoyable venue for getting in some fitness steps.  The daughter and her…read morefamily frequent various forest preserves, and she mentioned this one as a recent favorite.  I personally don't have a lot of forest preserve comparison data, but found the surroundings to be tranquil and uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon, the trails all graveled and well marked, existence of a couple of bridges, a good mix of sun and shade along the trails, and folks and their pets all well behaved and courteous.  Some folks were picnic'ing and there was also a wedding party photo shoot going on.  I'm not sure where this one ranks in acreage for a forest preserve, but there were plenty of trails (4 miles worth) to get in whatever mileage you might like.  So, I guess I'll go with an "it's a good as it gets" til proven otherwise!

Its length, secluded appearance, and terrain were three reasons why I ventured out to the Green Bay…read moreTrail rather than the Des Plaines River Trail or Chicago's Lakefront Trail, which are two areas where I love to conduct long runs. As for its length, per sources the trail extends 9 miles from Wilmette to Highland Park which makes it the perfect spot for a long run in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. As for secluded, the majority of Chicagoland trails give off that vibe of being secluded in comparison to Chicago's beloved Lakefront Trail, a trail that sometimes drives me bonkers encountering many individuals doing multiple activities. The secluded vibe is one thing that I love about the Des Plaines River Trail and what keeps me returning. I figured that this trail was no different. As for terrain, after I viewed pictures shared on both Yelp & Google, the Green Bay Trail appeared to be a mixture of gravel and paved which eliminates the whole muddy experience when damp. A muddy trail is the last thing I wanted to have dealt with while conducting a long run. I eased into running on this trail because I was not familiar with it. As expected, the path was a mixture of gravel and paved which appeared as an off-and-on path that takes you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks. The path starts in Wilmette and ends in Highland Park; the Metra train station in Highland Park from what I experienced. I had a hard time finding parking in the Wilmette area, so I drove out to a park known as Shelton Park, a park located in Glencoe which worked out just fine for me. In the meantime I will most likely continue to make it my starting point until I am fully accustomed to running this trail. I also hope to discover where the trail picks up once you hit the Metra train station in Highland Park because I did not see it. Not only did I encounter a deer during my run, but also a chipmunk, and a redwing blackbird. And with the path being along the railway you will hear the sound of the Metra train zooming by every now and then, which will be viewable off to the side. Very clean and maintained was this path that even had garbage cans along it. And for those that bike there are bike pumps in select areas where the trail resumes. At times the bike pumps helped guide me on the way. Other than its broken up appearance taking you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks I was not let down by experiencing the features I visited for such as its length, secluded appearance, and terrain. I would surely venture out again from time to time because the area is a different experience. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

Beautiful bike trail - rode from WIlmette up to Highland Park and then Lake Bluff. Spectacular…read moretrail with beautiful trees, wildflowers and foliage on either side for a long time. Well maintained and easy ride. A joy to experience.

Google maps leads slightly away from the address…read more Decent amount of parking and super clean bathrooms. (Yes, for a forest preserve!) Trails were pretty flat. I saw lots of wildlife. Trails were clean.

This trail is so peaceful! I've now done the trail twice (once in May, and once in October). The…read more(gravel) paths are extremely wide and leave plenty of space for bikes and walkers. Easy way to get in a good 10k steps before you even realize it, and the changing landscape is absolutely beautiful. We missed the sunflowers/wildflowers this year, but I will be sure to not miss them again next year!! Plenty of parking for a weekend visit. Wear sunscreen as the path is wide open, and bring hand sanitizer as the restrooms were out of soap both times.

A lovely little rose garden among the churches and apartments of Evanston. It's a nice little area…read morebest visited in June when the roses are in full bloom. A nice stop if you're in the area. Did a quick walk through (like 5 minutes) but there were others strolling through and there are some benches if you want to sit for a while.

I lived there it is like an English garden. I had to park my car there to walk to busy Ridge where…read moremy apartment was. There is a sculptural fountain here with an outstretched bird's neck spouting to the sky which can be seen from the groomed grass half block to the end surrounded by artisan crafted stone wall to sit on and picnic and take off your shoes. it is quiet and across from a church. I moved and this is a blessing that this was by my first apartment, nowhere else like it. Rose garden runs behind your back on that wall and you can walk among them.