A fantastic park is on the far South Side with some cool scenery including a beach. Calumet Park is…read moreone of my lesser appreciated favorites. It just about is as close as you can get to Indiana. Beach of course is the best part about here. The rest of the park has some gardens and hiking trails. Either in summer or winter it's a beautiful place for hanging. It has a few big parking lots. There's plentiful parking meaning it's usually easy to find somewhere. Beach is the most notable feature. This goes along a few miles. Certainly it isn't always pretty around here. There's some ugly old factories, including those across the lake in Gary, but besides that it's beautiful mostly. Be warned about the nuisances here, which include birds and bugs. It's especially bad in the summer. This park is most happening then and has features such as athletic facilities and other fun things.

Beautiful park! Plenty of stone walkways, views of the lake, and trees for a relaxing experience…read more The park is huge and plenty of open space and various amenities, and kiddie playgrounds too. We enjoyed walking the dog and the views

This is but another in a number of hiking and walking trails/picnic centers in the Forest Preserve…read moreDistrict of Cook County system. Of all the things the Cook County Forest Preserve did over the years, preserving thousands of acres for the enjoyment of the people is probably the number one benefit. This is a delightful little trail head that leads to others. This one is called Catalina Grove and it is listed as a family picnic area. It also has a walking trail that hooks up to many others in the area. As part of a much larger system, if you begin here, you can walk or bike for miles...even over to the trails in Tinley Park and Chicago Heights. There is adequate parking here for your car. Since this is one in a number of starting points, this is really an out and back point in your walk/hike. Unless you have a bike and intend on going miles, this place is not a circular route that will bring you back to the start. Bring water and be prepared for a nifty jaunt through the south suburbs. Give this place a try and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Great place to park an relax an walk around an enjoy the sun ! I love it here! Park here often…read morenever had a issue and the park reserve rangers are amazing as well!

A quaint but pretty oasis in the middle of Hammond. A great spot for a quick walk and some nice…read moreviews. In the winter everything is golden in the dead kind of way. Dogs aren't allowed on the trail, but you can still enjoy the soothing sounds of the neighborhood dogs barking away. We saw the tree in this picture, and thought it looked like a walking stick left by a giant. There is probably a good amount of non-mythical wildlife to see the in the spring and summer.

Absolutely beautiful and serene. It's an actual nature trail. No pavement! You can easily get in…read moreabout 3 miles. For longer you'll have to loop through the different trails.

Nice small beach yet crowded because of the air show. Parking is plentiful and you can bring your…read morejet skis here. Lifeguards on duty and there are tables for eating along with benches scattered everywhere to take in the views.

One of the benefits of living in Whiting is having this beautiful park near…read more It's great for a walk any time of year. You can find some interesting fossils along the beach & I have a nice collection of beach glass too.

Went here today for the 1st time with Hubby to run. I'm training for a 1/2 marathon so I try new…read morespots to run at. This was a gorgeous park and all the people we encountered were very friendly! We enjoyed that immensely! Looking forward to returning!

On any regular day this Military park is a gem. Its kind of hidden to the side, full of greenery…read moreand full of history. I first went to this park 10 years ago when I was 18 for the 4th of July fireworks. This time I took my baby brother who is 12. Parking on holiday: There was hardly any parking but we did park across the street in the parking lot for the small children play park. The walk across the street was not long at all, but making it thru a ton of people was. safety: In today's society, it is not so safe to be outside anywhere in Chicago or the suburbs of Chicago. With the firework bombs and loud people I was kind of shaking siting in open field because of all of the mass shootings happening here. But On the 4th of July there were plenty of police but that did not stop the teenagers from running in the crowds with M-80's bombs. They did catch the "cool" teens who kept doing this but it still scared the daylights out of the younger babies there. Fireworks: The firework show was exactly 20 minutes long and worth the wait and mosquito bites. The colors were big and vibrant! my brother couldn't take his eyes off of it. They were so close it looked like you could touch them. they were very beautiful! I recommend bringing your family, but keep them in eye reach.

This park is such a delight. I came on a Thursday afternoon and nobody was around but the critters…read more Idyllic, serene...I could have sat there for hours. I missed the train exhibit by just a smidge; I'm always looking for a quiet place to write; looks like I'll have to return. Cute surprise: little fairy houses everywhere. There's also tons of picnic tables. Upside: some of the trails are super short if you're low on time or energy.

The adventure garden is small, but cute! This was well done for little explorers. It would be nice…read moreif the train ran a bit more regularly in the model train gardens, and the playground near the trains could use a little TLC. There were nice trails and a beautiful atmosphere overall!

This is one of the most scenic, well preserved paved trails in Northwest Indiana. Starting in Crown…read morePoint, there is more than enough parking and space available. The area is always clean and well kept. Although Crown Point is a very industrialized town, the path ventures over a stream, through farmland, by tall grass, and other beautiful scenery. It usually has the occasional runner or dog walker, but still mostly quiet. I've come for long bike rides and skate boarding alike, and it's always a pleasure to go to this trail. If you enjoy bike riding, this trail is perfect. There are even gazebos along the way for cute picnics. Definitely a local favorite for me.

Currently under construction. Will likely be open for the winter…read more The trail provides good windbreaks and lots of trees. When the bathroom facilities are open they are usable. Way better than a hole-in-the-ground-type facility. Lots of nature is along the trail and makes for a great setting.

Oh! What a cute gem of a park! New to the area and I wanted to fina park and Hubby had been here…read morepreviously when he lived here 10 years ago. It's a great place to walk, across from the hospital and it's quiet. The grounds are lush and well kept. They also have a greenhouse in the park! We are total green thumbs so we were excited to go in! We met the most incredible man, Kenny who worked there and he was so kind and gave us a quick chat and walkthrough. We enjoyed spending time with him. They sell plants and grow food that they sell too from the garden! It's great summer events for Seniors which is really cool! What a pleasant surprise on a sunny Tuesday morning!

Oh boy, where to begin. I grew up a block away from this park and I had a lot of memories here. I…read moreused to play baseball here, play in the playground, when I went to Block Jr. High, I would walk through here on a daily basis. As I got older, I would jog around the park for exercise. I got chased by gangs here, I had birthday parties and rode my bike through here. I was in an ATV accident with a friend where he lost a leg when he crashed into a tree here. I got into fights here, I cried over my childhood woes here. I remember in the 80s, there was a HUGE breakdancing contest here that filled the park. I would do chin-ups on the old Vietnam cannon that was here (now gone). There's a greenhouse here that you should see at least once. I played tennis here. Do you know a long time ago, there used to be a zoo here? Now they ripped out the baseball fields and there's some crazy water slide. They even inserted a parking lot in the southeast corner. There was a statue of George Washington and someone knocked the head off of it when I was a kid. SO many memories of Washington Park.