Had a pretty great time walking around this small park that people don't know enough about. It…read moreactually has quite a few things around if you're looking to hang and chill. Lawson Park is one of the hidden spots in Evanston. A thing that really isn't bad. There's a playground and some cool spots. Coming here isn't exactly convenient if not having a car. It's located along the lake. This is also in a residential area so there's not much going on. More like this is a place for those who live around it. The great thing about it is it's usually pretty quiet. Among the amenities is a playground with modern equipment. There's also an opening to the lake to go hang out and relax. Getting here is probably the worst thing about it. It's located by the lake on Sheridan. There's not much else that's around but it's still pretty chill so whatever.

Insider tip: If you follow the faint path down the little hill behind the park, it leads you to the…read morepirate's entrance for Lighthouse Beach. I call it 'pirate's entrance' because technically, you are trespassing a tad when you use it, but if you just want to dip your feet in the water for a second and not pay the $8 per person entry fee at the main beach entrance, this is how you get there. Enter at your own risk though... I can't be held responsible for any possible charges brought upon you, should you get caught. Other than the bootleg beach entrance, this park is pretty rockin'. There's a solid roofed area with picnic benches that you can rent out for parties, also a large field to just lay in, picnic, or set up a soccer game or whatever kind of sport that the kids are into these days and can be played on grassy turf. There's also a bike rack, and some nice, quiet benches just off a bit from this really swank playground that you should totally take your kids to. They'll love it. You know how I know that? Because I loved it and the thing that would have made me love it more would be if I were smaller and actually fit better going through the equipment, which includes a tire swing, kiddie swings, multiple safety slides right next to each other so you can race, a really nice and spacious jungle gym, a cute tented area that kids can put there heads through and look like they have the body of a knight or princess, a little faux stage to put on a puppet show, a red convertable race car, a motorcycle, a little yellow plane and it's all on that squishy, rubber safety ground so it's cushy, no splinters and probably a lot less skinned knees and bruises.

Prinz beach park is one of the little hidden beaches in Rogers Park (hidden because they're at the…read moreend of cul-de-sacs along the lake). The park is relatively large, but don't go swimming--at least, in summer 2022--because the water quality is not sufficient for swimming. The water is nice and clear, so don't be fooled; check the Chicago Park District site! The park is named for Tobey Prinz, a longtime Rogers Park resident who was a leader and activist in the housing movement, had a strong impact on Chicago housing conditions, and was an advocate for Chicago parks and open space. Perhaps her most notable accomplishment was getting the old site of the Bryn Mawr Country Club, slated to become a shopping center, instead turned into Warren Park, one of the largest parks on the north side. She was also instrumental in preserving lakeside property in cul-de-sac spaces just like these. The bench that runs for hundreds of yards along park is painted white each year and the community is invited to repaint a section. It's fun to wander along and see what people have contributed for the year. There's also tennis courts in the grassy part of the park. There's also a nice view of the city from the pier as you walk toward the lighthouse, which unfortunately was clouded the day I was here by the foggy weather. Parking is essentially non-existent here, so public transportation is really your best bet.

I can't remember how I found out about the murals. I think I was just randomly hanging out at the…read morebeach because I had two other apartments nearby. I thought it was really pretty but one-and-done. Once I found out that this is a thing that happens every year (Artists of the Wall), it turned out to be a fun way to celebrate around Father's Day and Juneteenth. The new paintings are up, and these are my favorites this year. (I have a photo collection of my favorites every year for at least a decade. Just saw these today. Nice job, artists!) Also, this is a fun park to bring your dog too. I was nervous about the off-leash dogs at first, but once my dog became less aggressive (but NOSY AS EVER!) around other dogs, it was much more comfortable to bring her here. Sometimes she's the off-leash dog, too, long enough to chase a toy or two and come back.

This is a cute little semi-pocket park located in downtown Winnetka, a small town right outside of…read moredowntown Chicago. It spans 1.2 acres and features a nice a very nice playground area that is on a bed of wood chips. Some of the playground equipment includes a bank of traditional/toddler swings, a merry-go-round ring, a small with a slide, a large jungle gym with slides, a suspended pebble bridge, monkey bars and a couple of slides, and a tire swing. The equipment appeared relatively new and was in excellent shape. You will also find ping pong tables, a gazebo, corn hole boards, and a bike rack with a bike maintenance station here as well. There is a lot of seating at the in the park, around the play area and the park's paved walking paths. The park's green space is decent sized and suitable for picnics, playing catch, flying a kite, or other small field activities. It had a decorated Christmas tree in the area during my visit. The park appears well maintained and was in great shape. The park does not have any restrooms, so plan accordingly. There is however, street parking available along its perimeter and a parking lot within a reasonable walking distance from the park. The park seems relatively safe, even though there was a recent incident with kids discharging a soft-projectile weapon at the park. This may not be a destination park, but is a nice park to check out and spend some time at if you are in the area. It has a nice patch of green space, which is prime real estate in any downtown area, lots of seating, a water fountain, ample parking, many public transit options, and well maintained.

Beautiful clean park right in the downtown area. Convenient location for restaurants shopping and…read morecoffee! Drinking fountain in the park for the hot days! There's also plenty of seating and shade! There's also a place to work on your bikes if they break down.

I've been wanting to visit this park since it opened, but it never came to pass. I'm really glad we…read moregot to visit during their 10th anniversary celebration! That party was cool; they had various community orgs, like a citizen science group and the Budlong Woods branch of CPL here to share info and stuff. There were park volunteers doing arts and crafts with the kids. They even had a fishing derby in the little pond, I think, which was really cool. There's at least one or two works of art in the park that are nice as well. This isn't your typical CPD park. It's a nature area that was acquired from neighboring Rosehill Cemetery and developed into a natural area/native preserve. Though the cemetery is over 150 years old, this portion on the northwest corner of Western & Peterson was never used for burials and was simply an undeveloped section of the cemetery. I used to live a couple blocks away from here and remember thinking it was a bit of an eyesore. But the Chicago Park District, and the advisory council for the park, have done wondrous things. There's a walking path throughout the park for a leisurely stroll. The park also hosts various events; I believe they recently had an equinox program, and I hope the bat program comes up again so I can take my little one. They even had Hocus Pocus movie night a few days ago (just before Halloween). But my favorite part by far is the nature play space. It's gorgeous! There are lots of benches and stumps for adults and children to sit on, and they had a couple of outdoor play kitchens. There's a little mound (which to a small child could look hill-sized) for kids to play and sit on. There's a small stage and I'm not sure if they've always had events or if they've started hosting more, but I'm keeping an eye on it because it's truly one of the best nature play spaces I've seen around. It's absolutely worth a visit if you have children, or just want a little quiet contemplation.

We had a great morning at West Ridge Nature Park! We came here on a Sunday morning to celebrate the…read more10th anniversary of the park. They had a lot of kid friendly activities like face painting, coloring, fossils to look at, and our favorite -- music from old town school of folk music! After enjoying some wheels on the bus, we walked around pond. The path was so pretty and well kept. We saw lots of geese, butterflies, squirrels, and even a hawk which my two year old loved. Our favorite though, was all the turtles! We saw about 10 out in the pond swimming. They were so cute, we could have sat out there for a hours watching them bob around. Definitely recommend West Ridge if you're wanting some peace in the city.

It was great taking my family out here for outdoor activities. My kids love it. They were playing…read moresoccer with some random friends on the fields for a few hours and got exhausted

Thanks to Google maps, i found this park. I wanted to cycle in Evanston, and needed a turnaround…read morepoint. This was it! Peaceful park, with a playground for children. This is one of those so peaceful you can take a nap type of parks; also have a picnic. I do see many more trips to this park in the future. Enjoy, if you decide to visit this park.

Love this forest preserve! Last time I was there I saw three baby deer. Awwwww…read more Good walking trail though it doesn't connect in an easy way...you'll need to stop and turn back in the same path you just walked. It's a lovely path though! There are nice spots for feeding the ducks, cute areas for picnics and an overabundance of parking!

Lots of people out enjoying the weather walking, running, biking, roller blading and picnicking…read more Almost 11,000 steps and 4.8 miles (so far)

Hidden local gem. Keep it secluded. No big party's or events. Nice quick stop at sunset or sunrise…read moreon the commute to somewhere else.

Small, but beautiful. Soft sand. Not too many rocks along the shore. Walkable pier where many sun…read morebathe without having to step in the sand. They launch kayaks and canoes. There are steps and a ramp to get to and from. Decent sized parking lot with time restrictions during the weekdays. Fun playground near the parking lot. Always an enjoyable time when we come. Weekdays: $5 for Winnetka residents. $10 for non-residents. Weekends and holidays: $15 res/$30 non.

The sculpture park spans two miles along the west side of the north channel of the Chicago River…read more It's not a playground park, though of course you could play here. There are trails for walking and biking, and dogs are welcome as long as you pick up after them of course. In a few areas of the park there are picnic tables as well, and there are parking lots in a few spots along the park. Currently, in 2023, the southern end of the park is under renovation. You can take tours of the park--they happen monthly. Of course you can embark on a self-guided tour as well, viewing some or all of the approximately 60 sculptures in the park. My favorite has always been the whimsical birthday cake. There's a section that has pieces by students at the local high schools as well which is a pretty cool way to incorporate folks from the community into the fabric of the park.

A few of us recently visited the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park, as it was a gorgeous and warm…read moreSaturday afternoon and we wanted to enjoy the great outdoors in a socially distant manner. The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park stretches between Dempster and Touhy in Skokie alongside the north channel of the Chicago River, so it runs for a significant length. Due to time restraints we did not walk the entire length of the park, but you can appreciate several "sections" of the park and still feel good about it. This park is fine for joggers, bicyclists, or walkers looking to enjoy some nature with some public art mixed in. While there are no Picasso or Calder masterpieces amongst the sixty-plus number of sculptures, there is an eclectic variety in the collection. I liked the use of industrial materials such as steel coils, re-bars, and even parts from airplane wings. The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is free and is open every day. There are several free parking lots along the length of the park for visitors.