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

Great place to spend the day with the family. The nature center offers a visitors center with…read moreanimals, a library, lots of activities for kids and also a bird observation window. I love taking my dog and my stepdaughter for a free day of fun.

This a great place to rest and recreate. It is so peaceful and the volunteers are the most…read morefriendly. Come out and watch the birds,feed the fish or just count the trees.

Here for the annual Casey popcorn festival. A lot of fun - tons of vendors, food, vendors, and…read morepeople selling everything as typical with a town festival. Lots of free entertainment some pretty decent size acts and then just some locals. In addition, free popcorn for everyone. Rides and other activities. Takes place every year on Labor Day weekend.

This park is a good place to just relax for a little bit while traveling. There is a lot of big…read morethings to see in Casey, Ill, so it's nice to have a place like this where you can just chill. There is a lot of greenery, quite a few picnic areas, a playground, ponds (with ducks & geese), and restrooms in addition to sports fields. Moreover, there is an RV park as well with restrooms and showers. It's very pretty and there's lots of public parking.

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.

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.

This is a wonderful gem of nature. The preserve has about six miles worth of trails that snake…read morethrough the trees and plains, over creeks and ponds. There are benches to sit on surrounding the small lake, a little pier for fishing. I've only visited in mid-May so far but there were plenty of beautiful wildflowers on the grounds. They've got a big old gravel parking lot with plenty of parking. When I visited last May I sat on one of the benches along side the huge pond for at least two hours, listening to all the different birds, watching for turtles, snakes (yeah, they've got water snakes), and frogs/toads. The little bench was partially shaded and the fresh air and gentle breeze lulled me into such peace. I can't wait to stop by again when I'm in town!!

I wish I caught the gentleman's name that gave us the tour! Our family could tell that he was very…read morepassionate about the fact based stories that he told about Thomas Lincoln and his family. This was an unexpected stop on our back back home to Indiana! So incredibly thankful for the tour and now newly gained knowledge! Hope to be back to see the inside of the museum. Until next time! Thank you so much , The Dixon Family

This is not "Abe Lincoln", but his father "Thomas Lincoln". They were owned by Abraham Lincoln and…read moredeeded to his father Thomas. There's a museum which talks about the time/place when Thomas Lincoln lived here - takes about 45 minutes. There are groups where it is set up with buildings and farm animals of the Thomas' Lincoln's time. His grave is just down the road. A key part compares two farmers of the time period. One is a farmer from the area that was interested in farming for profit with the latest technology and Thomas Lincoln, who farmed for the purpose of being a self-sufficient farm owner. There is an example of the homes of each type of farmer. We went in March; apparently there are tours during the summer. Ours was self-guided.

Milnot Beach is awesome! Who knew Litchfield, IL had a beach? I was pleasantly surprised! The…read morequaint little beach is located at Lake Lou Yaeger. Milnot Beach is a perfect family friendly destination in southern Illinois. The beach is clean and has plenty of room to set up the beach towels and swim. There are many aquatic attractions to enjoy. You can rent kayaks or corcl which is a small round boat. They have life vests for safety. The wibit is an inflatable area in the lake. The wibit is perfect for bouncing or jumping into the water. You get a number to go onto the wibit and they will announce when people with your number can enjoy the wibit. There are diving boards to jump off of too. You can bring your food and drink or buy from the concessions or vending machines. The staff are very friendly. We enjoyed this nice little beach and look forward to returning soon!

What a gem! Gorgeous lake and a clean safe beach with lifeguards and tons of water activities…read more(trampoline, diving board, giant blow up recreation thing). I just wanted to find a good old fashioned lake in driving distance and this hit the spot. 7$ per adult for use all day (you can leave and come back). I think kids are 5. It was just my partner and I and there's plenty of space for what ends up being naturally divided into adult/kid spaces. We went on a scorching hot Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised by a relatively quiet beach. They have showers, and an indoor shop with food and drinks. No alcohol. This is a great old fashioned beach. Highly recommend.

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

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.

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!