Absolutely beautiful!!! Great place…read more The kids park look fun. Walking the trails are clean and easy to walk.

Beautiful location and very nice facility. Was here for my nephew's wedding and they could not…read morehave chose a better location. If the weather is right, you can have your ceremony in a pretty gazebo with a nice natural background behind it. Move inside to a nice sized and clean building.

We have nothing but great things to say about the team at Cedar Creek Ranch. We signed up taking…read moreour 7 & 9 year olds for their first ever ride. They were VERY nervous before we started the ride and the team took a bit more time with them and helped to get them a little more calm before starting. They even had one of the team members, Abby, walk along side the kids during the ride to help remind them of what to do along the ride. Needless to say, our kids all had an amazing time and we wouldn't hesitate recommending this ranch to others. It was a holiday weekend and we called about a week in advance and they only had 2 slots left that could accommodate our group of 7, so I'd recommend calling asap to set up your reservations. Abby also mentioned that there was going to be a new trail opening in the fall of 2017.

Lovely peaceful horseback ride on the property's trail with such a friendly crew Cassie and Abby…read more My toddler had such a great time feeding the goats and first horseback ride. Such a cool and unique experience here that we were looking for!! So glad we got to visit and found this spot!!

Beautiful park land alongside the Illinois River. Campgrounds, picnic areas, lookout benches,…read moretrails, and boating in this lush forest by the river. There are places to launch your boat, $15.00 in one area and free by the Lock. Lots of things to do! A great place for the day or a few days!

The real rating is probably 2.5. It's not the worst campground you'll ever visit, but it leaves a…read morelot to be desired. We had campsite 32, which provided a decent amount of tree cover and wasn't too far to walk to the restrooms. Mosquitoes were out of control, so be sure to pack proper clothes and a metric ton of bug spray. There were two vault toilets available in our loop - no running water there. Also no light inside, which is an adventure. Our picnic table was covered in bird poop and other debris from nearby trees. I'm used to roughing it, but this table was as bad as I've seen in a park. Maybe a lack of rain left it in such bad condition. I recommend bringing your own chairs and table if you can. The restrooms with running water were pretty disgusting. Why does every camp bathroom reek of urine? Do we not have functional plumbing in these things? Are guys just hosing down the entire building with piss and refusing to flush? It's insane. There was one very empty soap dispenser available and only warm/hot water coming from the faucet. Of course, you can't control your neighbors at a campground. Most folks were keeping themselves under control, but one group was watching a basketball game or something and the sound of the ref's whistle echoed throughout the camp. I understand that's not the campground's fault. It was disappointing to hear traffic while at the campground. I go camping to get away from it all. This was unfortunate. I might return to Illini State Park if I need a place to crash, but there was nothing special about this place other than its relative proximity to Starved Rock (which had no available campsites the day I was headed there). If you need firewood, you can grab some at the Shell station not far away at 1441 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350.

Such a nice camping spot! I've been going here for a few years now, couldn't camp last summer due…read moreto covid. This place is great! 15$ a night (10$ with a 5$ service fee online) You just pull up to your spot when you get there. They offer very private sites along with some sites in the open. Sites 90-95 & 98-101 are all great spots if you want some privacy. There's a small town with some cafes and bars just over the bridge so less than a mile away. Such a great spot & very relaxing.

This understated park near downtown Morris IL will amaze tree lovers. As I understand, every tree…read morein the Midwest has been cut down twice, leaving only pockets of old growth. This forest doesn't really count as "old growth" because it's not wild. These majestic trees are HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD. Anyone under 80 years old or who have never visited a western forest or pockets of the Smokies will NEVER have seen such majestic beauties. There are sycamore, black oak, maple and more. You can walk in camp too. It's not beautiful but we used to do that with kids for an easy getaway. The park is surrounded by homes. The canal and trail pass through and you can walk to the County museum about 1/4 mile east. There's also a new water over water bridge and the water was clear in the river. (Don't drink it) Back to the woods. It's a must see place, former home of Illinois largest tree, a cottonwood. As I understand, the wife of this plot's first "owner" wanted shade, so loggers never cleared it. I have no source so don't quote me. Then it did become a protected gun club and ultimately a state park in need of some TLC. It's a must visit park.

We were recently roadtripping through the area, and stopped by Gebhardt Woods for a nature stroll…read morewith the fam'. Next to the parking lot is a bridge that is fairly damaged but still reasonably crossable. It connects to a grassy trail that appears long and straight in both directions. We went left, and about a half-mile down the trail seems to end at a fenced restricted area, although there is some rundown signage that indicates mile markers to additional attractions. We didn't turn right down the trail, but it appears to stretch far, perhaps connecting with other trailways in the area. The park on the other side of the parking lot had a few pavilion and picnic areas, and some dingy bathrooms, but they were open. The park seemed somewhat rundown, but it was a nice enough quick stop to stretch our legs before hitting the road again.

Starved Rock is a wonderful place to enjoy nature and is Illinois' most-visited state park. It is…read moreeasy to find and there is plenty of parking, Start at the visitor center before heading to the trails. It has many sandstone canyons, waterfalls, and hiking trails. It is located along the Illinois River. Some of the trails were closed, but it did not impact our visit. Many of the trails include lots of stairs, so be prepared. Highly recommend.

Starved Rock State park leaves your rocks starving for more hiking…read more This park had plenty of trails that were well preserved. Easy to walk through. I had no trouble finding parking. There were bathrooms whether portable or the nice one at the visitor center. Excellent vista points. Great options for families or the adventurous hikers.

The good folks at Woodland Meadows really know their stuff. I highly recommend them. They are good…read morewith communication and great with care of the horses. Highly recommend!

The woman who runs this barn is an absolute angel. My daughter has struggled this year with…read morebullying at school, and we couldn't find her a niche. She found it with Heidi (barn owner) and her horses. I've never witnessed my daughter so happy, so excited to partake in something. She's only been riding here a few months now, and the improvement of her riding is just incredible. She comes home to clean her boots every day she rides. It's taught her some responsibility as well. Heidi is so so nice, she has wonderful horses and a beautiful plot of land. I personally love to be greeted by her dogs and chickens and just absolutely love the vibe at Woodland. Thank you Heidi. You are an amazing lady!! We love you!!

Allen Park is a nice little area. It's along the Illinois River in Ottawa. Pretty basic park with a…read moreplayground. Good place to hang out a bit. There's not a whole lot to do or see. Close to a few other small parks around here. It's on the south side of the river. This is accessed from Route 71 on the south side of town. Amenities are few. There's a tiny building for a bathroom and some playground equipment but that's about it besides the open space of trees and grass. Good city park to chill. It's nothing special to be honest. There's a playground.