LOOOVE IT! I was thrilled to find over 1,000 acres of fantastic trails just 10 minutes from the…read moreDecatur Hotel and Conference Center. The visitor's center at the park offers maps of the various trails, ranging from .25 miles to 2.25 miles. Even if you get there after the Visitor Center is closed (5pm, weekdays) you'll be fine because everything is well-marked. The trails are all natural dirt (the only paved trail is the bike trail), winding up and down, through forests, past rivers, across prairies, and grasslands. The map was perfect, listing the types of scenery you'd pass on each trail and providing the mileage. The map also notes how long they predict it will take you to hike each trail, which I found to be pretty generous (meaning, I hiked trails in about twenty-five minutes when they predicted an hour.... although I also walk at a quick pace). My point is - don't be daunted by their time predictions. Anyways. As I mentioned, the trails were very well marked at intersections making me comfortable navigating by myself through the woods. Especially since I didn't pass one other person my entire two hours hiking! I saw plenty of wildlife at very close range: three deer, one four foot long snake (don't be scared now), and several hawks. BOTTOM LINE: A gem of an area, just 10 minutes from downtown Decatur. Totally worth the drive.

I love Rock Sorings! The good:…read moreIt's always well kept. Every time I go there you rarely if ever see trash The staff are always helpful and friendly The observatory is just one of the greatest hangout places ever! (Wish they would turn it into a little coffee area) Path and grounds are always well maintained Rock Springs also has all kinds of extracurricular activities going on that the public can sign up for that's either free or extremely cheap The bad: Unless you get lucky, normally the extracurricular activities are hard to come by. I understand the budget is limited and they can't really afford to go fliering the town. But I wish there was a way for them to communicate the activities better other than Facebook. I wasn't a fan of the cross country skiing, but that didn't reflect my review. I'm just glad they offer stuff like that! Thank you Rock Springs and s

Ramsey State Park is an exquisite hidden gem in S.Central Illinois. Its beauty is comparable to any…read moreNational park with a perfect Lake, camping, horse park, playground and scenic hiking paths. You'll want to see the fall colors around the lake. It's spectacular. Food and beverages are available close by in small town of Ramsey. Large shopping options are 14-20 miles away in Pana, Vandalia and Hillsboro Illinois

Beautiful recreational facilities. Clean well mowed campsite and restrooms. The shower house is…read moreclean with hot water and hand dryers. The kids love riding their bikes on the paved roads. We've been coming here for years to camp

Looking for a long weekend away? Don't want to invest in tons of camping equipment? Visit Jim Edgar…read morePanther Creek! It takes about 4.5 hours to drive to from Chicago, but it is well worth the trip. We rented a cabin, due to lack of camping equipment. The website (www.reserveamerica.com) was easy to use, and described the basic cabins accurately. The price for the weekend was so low I thought I was getting away with something. Comfort Tip: The mattresses are extremely thin. Take the extras off of the bunk beds, and pile them under the full size bed for better padding. Anyhow, we arrived early on check in day, and the camp host was extremely friendly. He gave us our key, told us where to park, and met us in his flatbed Kubota. He let us load our things on to the back, and hauled us down the hill to the cabin. Who knew you could get bellhop service at a state park?!?!!? Since most of my friends decided to bring their horses down, we spent a lot of time at the Questing Hills equestrian campground. Great big spots with options for single pole ties, and group ties were close to each site. 26 miles of riding trails with excellent lookouts and lots of hills were easily accessible. Another great feature was the large shelter, which we used for most of the weekends, due to bad weather. The host at this site was also very nice, and had a lot of good information to share. All in all, JEPC is a great escape without leaving the state. I hope to see them again next year!

Perfect for camping and stargazing in Illinois. The host was very friendly even though we arrived…read moreafter 5pm (my understanding is he's available until dusk). This is close to one of the darkest skies in Illinois. There are other options with darker skies (e.g. Weinberg-King) but the facilities here with plumbing and showers make this the best choice. Firewood, ice, and ice cream are available for purchase from the host.

The best park in Mt Zion and Decatur area. Followed in second place by Forsyth. What makes this a…read morewinner is the amazing splash pad with a big bucket thing that tips heavy amounts of water on kids once it fills up. Situated in middle of corn field but lots of open space and a good breeze most days.

It is a very nice park. The bathrooms were hard to find and they did not have paper towels but we…read morewere glad they had bathrooms! My child enjoyed the playground and we were able to bring my father who was in a wheelchair.

What a fun spot to stop. Three Dambo Trolls made by college students. You can explore a troll…read moretrail. Careful to check under the bridges. Spot a fairy house and garden. Visitor center to grab a map and a sack. Donations are always welcomed.

This was such a fun place to go. They have lots of jogging trails. They have both paved and…read moreunpaved ones. Making this place a good handicap accessible place. They also have free community classes. I did a mushroom foraging class, and a maple tapping one. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. They have an indoor and outdoor bathrooms. They also have a free parking lot to park. The staff are very nice and helpful in the visitor center. I definitely plan to go back here. It was such a beautiful, nice relaxing place.

Shaded playground, huge shaded picnic area, bathrooms, walking path around creek, volleyball/sand…read morearea and massive sports facilities. Great park in a nice area close to the mall!

Clean, well shaded playground with lots of equipment to entertain the kids. Huge pavilion, walking…read moretrail, baseball fields, volleyball court, tennis courts etc very nice community park.

Lincoln Park in Springfield is a fantastic destination that offers a wide range of activities and…read moreamenities for visitors of all ages. The park is beautifully maintained, with lush green spaces, well-paved walking paths, and plenty of shade provided by mature trees. It's an ideal spot for a leisurely stroll, a family picnic, or just relaxing in nature. One of the highlights of Lincoln Park is its excellent disc golf course. The course is well-designed and offers a fun and challenging experience for players of all skill levels. The layout makes good use of the park's natural terrain, with a mix of open fields and wooded areas that require a variety of shots. The course is well-marked and maintained, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable game. There is a north and a south course! Which gives diversity and more fun and options! In addition to the disc golf course, Lincoln Park features playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas with tables and grills. There's also a beautiful lagoon that adds to the park's charm and provides a peaceful setting for fishing or simply enjoying the view. Overall, Lincoln Park is a wonderful place to spend a day outdoors. Whether you're there to play disc golf, have a picnic, or just enjoy the scenery, you're sure to have a great time. Highly recommended!

Great park in Springfield and you can get some exercise walking while your their. As a local…read more watercolor painter I love painting around the scenic stone bridge area plus it has a storied history with many tales to tell.

I've always loved Washington Park! It's very clean, peaceful and one of my favorite places to see…read morenature, take in beauty and get some good walking in and/or a morning run! Being back in the city for a few weeks has really brought back many memories from years ago! This is where I had so many highlights as a teen. Prom pictures, family gatherings, awareness walks and so much more. This is such a beautiful park, located in a beautiful and calming part of the city! Park closes at 10:30 but it's very large, clean and many places to sit.

Beautiful park, lots of wildlife. Loved walking around and seeing all of the landscape, and the…read moreflowers around the botanical garden!

Really nice play area if you have kids, beautiful little lake to fish in. Nice walking path, not…read moremuch shade. Great place to ride a bike or have a picnic

It's a beautiful, serene park with hiking trails, pavilions with grills, electricity, tables &…read morebenches. Nice playgrounds. And bathrooms are available. There's fishing lakes but we didn't have time to give it a try on this trip. All in all it's a beautiful location.

I have never hiked at a prairie before and I am so glad that I chose this place for my exercise…read more Very well maintained park with lots of trails. The wildflowers alone will bring me back to this beautiful place.

The Buffalo Trace Prairie is a system of trails that are on the far western edge of the Lake of the…read moreWoods Forest Preserve. To be sure, there is much more to Lake of the Woods than just Buffalo Trace. The easiest entrance is located just north of Exit #172 off I-74 in Mahomet, on the left across from the botanical garden and before you get to the Early American Museum. Can't miss it. The trails run all through this medium-sized forest preserve and are perfect for jogging, biking, or dog walking. There is one major asphalt trail that runs E-W and several smaller trails that are really just places that they mow the prairie down every week or so. The asphalt trail is a little more than a mile long, and connects to a trail that is 5 mi in total. The intertwined grass trails are much longer all told, but since there are so many, you can customize as long or short of a walk as you want. The terrain is rolling hills, and the biome(s) are a pleasant transition from prairie to woods. None of the trails that I was on were at all challenging or in disrepair. I would suggest that if you intend to take the grass trails, take a good long look at the map before you leave the trail head, or bring one along. Thankfully, there are not really that many people making use of this park, which is cool. If you make use of the trail map, the trail in the far south of this park (by the highway) actually dead-ends and does not connect back to the parking lot, as is indicated on the map. Not a big deal, just a lil back-tracking. I needed the exercise.