Hidden gem in LITH!! Peaceful, lovely scenic trails. It's a beautiful walk. The pavilion is great…read morefor a packed lunch or hanging out with a good book.

This place is a true hidden gem. You would never know it existed if not for stopping in and taking…read morea walk down a trail. The kids and I love to take in a trail and go amateur bird watching. My son loves fishing and he's participated in a few fishing derbies here as well as caught a few on a couple of quick trips out. The little ponds have all sorts of fish, but we've only really seen the bluegill and the sunfish. The trails on the west side entrance are grassy paths with various states of brush and shrub. There are even some stone formations for sitting or for the kids to play on. I've seen people jog and walk their dogs at safe distances, though now and again some inconsiderate patrons leave animal waste on the trails. I haven't been on the east side trails in a while, but from what I remember, they are more hilly. If you are in the area, you have to stop by... it's a natural wonder!

What an amazing place! How did I not ever know about this? It is free for entrance otherwise it's a…read morefive dollar visitor fee. If you wish to go to the main beach, that's an additional $12 if you are not a resident of Crystal Lake. The grounds are immaculate, very well maintained, and the bathrooms are clean. There are two lakes, multiple pavilions that you can rent ahead of time. Lots of picnic tables for you to sit down. Near the bar and grill while you can't go in the water, you can take your drink and sit on one of the cheers on the beach. You can watch people practice on their WaveRunner. Swing on the swings at the bar and listen to great music. I did not have any food here. I did have an amazing Mojito. The bartender was a young man looking to join the Barrington police force. Polite, kind and also had great customer service skills. The reason why I didn't give it five stars is that there are absolutely no markings anywhere as to what trail you are on, how long of a trail it is, and where there may be porta potties. There aren't any maps or QR codes and it was a bit confusing as I came upon several wise and the trail to decide which way to go as I had limited time there. Given the fact that everything is so nicely taken care of I don't know how they can't have at least some markings on the trails that they have there. One of the workers sent me direction and it literally just took me to a pavilion. They have kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and SUP boards. They also offer lessons for SUP depending on the day. Lots of people fishing. Amazing Place! Please add signage for the trails! The pop and water machine near the beach entrance did not work. Hopefully those are checked daily to repair.

First time here, and came with our 3 year old. Boy oh boy did we have fun!…read more Beach was beautiful. Very clean, everyone there was respectful and our son had fun playing with some other kids. Water... cold. Expected. Lol. But nothing you wouldn't get used too. Typical "pool / beach" food is available. Not the cheapest... so be ready, lol. But all is okay. Haha. There is feet washing stations and a really nice playground! We had an absolute blast and will absolutely be back!!!

Great little zoo. Stay for the zookeeper talks, very informative. Great little place to support!read more

Haven't used the park much at Randall Oaks Park, but the petting zoo/barnyard is a fun place to…read moretake a kid if you want to kill an hour or so. Cheap to get in - $2.75 for adults, $2.00 for kids I think. You can buy bags of feed for the animals - those are $.75 per bag (usually need about 5 bags, depending on how generous you are to the animals!). It's not really a place to spend the whole day, but it's nice for an afternoon out. They have a couple of playgrounds for the kids, and it's my understanding they have party pavilions for rent - like at a forest preserve. Easy drive from Chicago - 90 W to Randall Rd. north; go about 5 miles and it will be on the left.

There is a wonderful little gem of a park. In our neighborhood that our family just can't get…read moreenough of. Hill Climb Park has a modest setup: a sand pit, 4 swings, a jungle gym with 3 slides, etc. what seems to be the favorite are the 2 wooden truck structures and the train. Our toddler absolutely loves climbing through the tunnels of the jungle gym and sliding down the slides over and over and over again. He also loves climbing in and around trucks and train and pretending to drive them. This might not be the most exciting playground for an older kid but, because it's within walking distance it does the trick for us.

Great time out with the family came for a picnic did a little fishing and my three-year-old ran…read morearound had so much fun on the beach

We went for a walk this morning and loved the trail. The water was very clear with just the right…read moreamount of activity,

Nothing spectacular or super exciting, but a park with a pretty nice lake view. They have a…read moreplayground-- a playground that's very old. Needs maintenance-- there were literally geese skeletons everywhere. Don't look at that picture if you're squeamish. Oh, also dead fish and other animals. Maybe it's a lion!

I happened upon this park when I got to the library just up the road a little early and had some…read moretime to fill. If you're waiting for the library open like I was, it's a short, easy walk. I was so glad for the extra time as I wouldn't have found this great park otherwise! The park being on the waterfront is mainly what makes this park great, it's a nice open area to enjoy the water. There is a cute little park with lots of slides and some swings. The picnic shelter is very large and close to the water. Further down from the park area there looked to be some ball fields. Looking forward to coming back here!

A long trail goes along the Fox River where you can take on lots of natural beauty. Fox River Trail…read moreis one of the biggest ways to get some walking and exercise. It goes from Oswego all the way up to Algonquin, so that's a long way to go between the end points. Curve around buildings and rivers along it. There's enough room for bicycles, joggers, and whoever. Get on the trail from many areas. It goes a long way following the Fox River. This is a long ass trail. It makes it a way to get around without driving. Kind of hard to get to from where it starts and where it ends. It's too long for most people to walk along it. The part in East Dundee is especially scenic. It goes through the restaurant district. This goes by the old depot that's now used as a place for some people to hang or sleep. Has a long way to go for joggers and exercisers. It has enough room for bicycles and other faster transportation methods. There's plenty of parking spots along the way and you can find many places to eat as it goes through a few towns.

Been a while catching up on reviews, came with family was nice saw the infamous river boat to…read moregamble would be fun for next time.

Did you know a place like this exist?…read more So, if wakeboarding is something you've been wanting to try, there's one out in Crystal Lake that offers a pulley system. Think of it like a t-bar on water. Passes and equipment are all available at the site if you do not have your own. I believe the pass was for about 3 hours and if you are new, then there could be a wait for the cable each time you go. Luckily for me, doing 2 or 3 rounds was what I could possibly take, but I'm glad I got to try this sport out. I was definitely beat. The surrounding area is chill if you want to sit by the quarry with a beer and listen to the live band, no additional fee to enter, just pay to park.

Stopped in to the Quarry bar for a drink after paddle boarding at three oaks. There was a private…read moreparty going on, but we could still get a drink and sit near the water. I had a sangria. It was beautiful and strong. Everyone else had a second round but one was enough for me.

Fun place to hike with little hills and can go on or off the paved trail to keep it interesting…read more Would walk here regularly with my dog if it were closer to me!

I took some time off the beaten path - and that's to say, the paved path - on my most recent visit,…read moreand goodness is this place expansive. If I were more of a mountain bike enthusiast, this would be an oasis. Even just walking and hiking around, the many twisting, undulating trails proved interesting and exciting (though I was constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting to get run down; people on bikes get entitled, y'know...). Knowing the history of the racecourse, it is astonishing - and maybe a testament to the work of the forest preserve - how little this place resembles what it once was. Aside from pavement, which you might as well just assume was a paved path, and the big fuel silo, this place once again belongs to nature.