I'd heard great tales of the park with the big statue and we finally went to check it out. The…read morestatue is impressively large! Definitely worth a visit. You then have 3 options to walk down to the river. One that is stairs straight down and two others that call themselves steep/ rough. Honestly all seem pretty steep! we took one of the side rough trails which was a gradual decline down to the river. Although you had to pay attention to where you were going it wasn't too tough to navigate. The river was a nice reward at the end. We used the other trail to go back up and it seemed more steep and tricky. But fun! I'd say it took about 20 minutes each way. It was a fun little outing!

This park was a gorgeous weekend getaway from Chicago. It's easy to find right along the Rock…read moreRiver. We camped in a tent but the weekend we were here, there were mostly RVs around us. If you camp here in dry weather, the site B38 is the most perfect one because there are no neighbors to your sides - yet it's somewhat close to the toilets/showers, and a comfortable distance from the trash bins. (The site is on lower ground, so in wet weather, it looks like a rivulet goes right through the site.) I've been camping all my life and I've never been in a quieter campground! People were so respectful. It's also super clean and well maintained, though the shower building was small and older. The camp hosts were super laid-back but did their patrols. Be sure to go say hi to the friendly guy at Quirky's camp store and hot dog stand. Then take off into the quiet, well-marked trails, don't miss the Blackhawk statue and breathtaking view, and meander along the river. So peaceful!

Pretty trails. I highly recommend downloading the all trails app when hiking here. The trails were…read morenot marked that well. Plenty of parking and various picnic tables around as well.

Growing up not far from the Starved Rock State Park I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to gorgeous…read moreparks but Castle Rock is nice if you are in the area. The lookout portion is on the side closer to the river and there are some paths & picnic areas there. Across the road is the rest of the park with several prairie and some wooded walking/hiking paths and several picnic areas both with and without shelters. There is a restroom in each of the picnic areas. There was a sand volleyball court and small baseball diamond there as well when we visited. The paths aren't too rugged in my opinion but the stairs up to the lookout point on the river could be challenging for some.

What a Huntley treasure! My seven and three-year-old spent two hours at this park without ever…read moreasking, "When are we leaving?" I take that as a win. We loved the basketball court with a variety of backboards, sand and water area, swings and rocking school bus. As another Yelper mentioned, the loud train whistle leaves something to be desired. Peace and quiet, if we're going to get specific. Tip: Do not perch yourself on the bench right next to the whistle. Big mistake. This park is worth a visit. The nearby pool looked great too. Maybe next time.

This is the best park in the Chicagoland area!! Keeps my toddler occupied for hours…read more Excavators with digging sand, instruments, slides, swings for adults and children. Running water for making sand castles. Bike paths, nice restroom facilities (for an outdoor park).

Our family has been camping at White Pines for well over a decade. We enjoy it because it is clean,…read morequiet, and the camping sites are a good size and the hiking trails are fun. The only thing preventing me from giving five stars is that, during my last visit last weekend, it was obvious the pit toilets were not being cleaned/maintained well. I've used worse, but this was not up to par from my past experiences. I hope this was the exception and not how they are being kept now. Hoping to be back in 2024!

Friends had their nearby destination wedding here, it was lovely. Plenty of space, gorgeous…read moreoutdoors experiences, and the lodge was really beautiful. Camping experience was decent. Many guests camped in a reserved area, and some had cabins. I heard the bathrooms were not that great, but the space itself was nice. The wedding was held a bit down the road from the campgrounds in a lovely canyon. VERY beautiful! The reception was held at the lodge and served buffet style. The prime rib was the spotlight. It's a very quaint spot for weddings. The staff was very friendly and accommodating 6 stars to the staff! The day after the wedding, the lodge has a brunch buffet. The food is decent, but it's pretty pricey. I probably would not personally revisit it just based on the price for what you get, but it's understandable since it's the only dining option nearby as far as I could tell. I would love to visit this spot again for hiking and biking. A nice little getaway in the middle of nowhere Illinois.

County Park, about 8 miles west of Beloit…read more Small, historical park, with playground, hiking paths, waterfall, dam, mill. Great place for romantic photos or introducing young kids to nature and hiking.

Very scenic park. During 2020 most of the facilities were closed because of the Covid pandemic…read more Very well kept grounds and buildings. Plenty of old agricultural equipment and milling gear around. The park looked GREAT during my October 2020 visit.

Team Outsider has really got it right this time. They have a great team that is doing wonderful…read morethings with Lake Louise. Dustin, Michelle and Noel are all very personable and they make weekends so fun. It just keeps getting better.

This is our 2 season as seasonal campers at Lake Louise. It's also the second season without a…read moreworking pool and little to no communication as to the issue with the pool or when it will be fixed; really fixed. When we first decided to become seasonal at LL we were told by the park manager that bathrooms were one of the top items to be renovated. Unfortunately renovated and working are two different things. There is no activity director therefore activities are regularly cancelled at last minute or moved with no notice. The store in site does not sell things you would expect to find at a campground store ie camping essentials but that's ok but it's really hot or miss as to when the store is open. Good luck finding the operating hours and if you do find them, even better luck finding the store operational during those times. As a seasonal camper with your credit card on file, you will be charged for pump outs that are not listed in your contract and are supposed to be included in your yearly fee. No wxplaination will be given to you as to why you were charged this year but not last year. Any campers who do speak up about issues with the campground or management are threatened with being kicked out or retaliated against. Team Outsider is who owns the campground. You will never see them post about Lake Louise like they do their other properties because for some reason they don't care about this one. The co-owners of Team Outsuder, Cody Sauer and Josh Weissenstein have been reached out to multiple times by campers to voice their concerns about the state of LL only to have both Josh & Cody turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. I would recommend not doing business with Lake Louise or ANY campgrounds owned by Team Outsider FKA Land Lease America.

For a community park, this beats every other park I've been to thus far. We frequent this park…read moreoften during the week. Not in the winter, but in the summer we may be here 3 to 4 times a week. Some times we rode our bikes, 5 miles away from our home, to the park traveling on the ice age hiking trail and what a glorious trail that is. Once summer arrives, we eagerly await the opening of the wading pool. The closest thing we have to a beach really. The park is very well kept. The grasses are well maintained and trimmed. Restrooms are clean. There's also the travel center on the grounds, that also acts as the welcome station for Janesville. If you go there and tell them you are newly arrived they will give you a packet which includes several saving coupons that can be used at various stores and eateries. Parking is abundant and can be found at different locations through out the park. There are many picnic tables with fixed grills ready to be used. I bring a grill top just to be safe and clean when using these grills. You can fly kites, have large parties as people often do, and there are even short hikes with trail heads close by. The main attraction is the play ground itself. Designed like a large forest camp with many places to climb, run, explore it truly is heaven for kids as they run around expending energy. There are slides any one can go down. These have rollers so no matter how you are you will go down, and fast too. You really have to watch yourself coming down these type of slides. I have seen many adults land smack flat on their buttock, and I laugh every time watching them remembering my first time too. There's also rings for kids to strengthen their grip and rocking platforms to help control their balance. When the wading pool is open it gets crowded but several life guards are always present to make sure there is no misbehaving by kids as well as adults. The spouting whale slides and umbrella water rain falls are excellent attractions for the kids to take pictures on. The surrounding area also offers kids to begin their exploration of nature. There is lots to see in plants as well as bugs. Many have vibrant colors and are so strange looking that makes them very interesting. We loved coming here. It's a great way to spend family time while your kid unleashes that bottled up energy and get a good work out building his physical abilities with coordination. Many fond memories and pictures are here. Wish there was one close to us now.

Amazing! We live in Illinois, not Wisconsin, but we're met with kindness and openness here. The…read morewading pool is a little dated, but serves a great purpose on a hot august day when you don't have access to any other outdoor pools. But it's fun for my son. He is 5 years old and made friends right away while splashing around. The breaks aren't too bad. We showed up during a break and there was an event going on (I think a lot of events go on at Palmer park) where they learned about seeds and growing their own seeds and vegetables and even got to try some colorful vegetables while being read to. Afterwards, the kids planted their own seeds in a cup and got to pick out a book. So sweet. Then-break was over and back to splashing. The bathrooms are....well public pool bathrooms which are always gross. There's vending and shelters. Also, my sons favorite part is the gigantic playground. There's a Little kids section, a toddler section and a bigger kids section. He likes them all. There's also a mechanical swing for someone wheelchair bound to go in-wheelchair and all...and swing!! The floor is bouncy, so less injuries. Plenty of slides, places for parents to sit. Wooden maze under structure. The merry go round(?) needs help. It's stuck on something so that's no fun. There's a mini house and plenty of fun for hours and hours. On days that I want to surprise my son after school I pick him up and bring him there- 30 minutes away. Just a great place to be. I'd love to keep it to ourselves, but it's too good to be hidden. Also, a GREAT little Pokémon Go spot :)

This place is great for a hike. Winding trails that cut through lush woods and alongside the river…read more Highly recommend to take a relaxing hike.

Absolutely beautiful great hiking, great camping, we went for years and the people were kind and…read morefriendly.

Wow what a beautiful Park here in Dekalb you can. Enjoy a…read moregorgeous river as you walk and giant trees and a walk way that will Lead you to NIU university going to the left Path way and if you go to the right you can play frisbee at the court to play with your friends or you can ride your bike, run have a pic nick.I like the park because is just in my back yard

This is a nice place to take a break and relax. One wish is for dog owners to pick up after their…read moredogs. It would make for a much more pleasant experience on and off the bike/walk path. There is a botanical garden along the river front. We'll have to check it out next time.

Awesome spot for toddlers. My 1yo loved it! The slide was super easy for him to navigate and I was…read moreable to stay in a comfortable spot while being within arms reach.