Such an amazing trail to walk, run, and bike!! I first visited in middle of summer, truly such a beautiful walking experience that made it so memorable. Everyone walking/running by was friendly!! The environment is so well taken care of, I can tell the community puts a significant effort into up keeping it! It made me want to volunteer as well!! 100% recommend taking a walk here to decompress, get exercise in and/or to run since the trail does provide different paths along with different sets of intervals that can help! read more

Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve - Beautiful scenery while walking down one of the trails. - Parks Near Me - Deer Park, Illinois

See all

Cuba Marsh is a nice preserve with the marsh its name alludes to, and many other wetlands supporting many waterfowl and migratory birds. The trails are all crushed rock and easy to navigate whether on a bike or foot. There are no steep grades or climbs here. There are quite a few groves of pine trees throughout the preserve that are just a little too perfectly spaced and lined up to make you think they just grew that way naturally. Pretty though to hike through if the sun is hot and you need some shade. This is a nice local preserve but I do appreciate preserves with more variety - Cuba Marsh is flat and very sunny!! I tend to avoid it on the hotter summer days because I have a very healthy appreciation for shade!! If you want a nice hike or bike ride and love the sun, Cuba Marsh is definitely worth a visit. I prefer this preserve in the Spring, Fall, and cooler days when the temps and humidity don't get very high. If you are a sun-lover, this is the place to be on a hot day!! read more

See all

Beautiful park; you can really lose sight of how close you are to Ela Rd. while you walk/ride/jog here. Nice mild trails, definitely walkable for most folks. Trails are packed dirt, not asphalt, but graded enough that I think a wheelchair shouldn't have a problem. Reason I took one star off: though the park offers doggie bags for droppings we only saw one trash can the whole trail--this is presumably (giving folks the benefit of the doubt) the reason why we saw so much dog poop on or just off the trails. Jeez people, clean up after your dogs! This is why we can't have nice things... read more

See all

Looks like a nice park but be careful, if you park with your wheels in the grass the park nazi's will leave a 50$ ticket on your car. There was no sign indicating no parking here. It was an expensive day in the park. Thanks Lake County! We won't be going back. read more

There are many things I miss about Illinois, and Cuba Marsh, in Deer Park, IL, is one of them, especially in the Spring. When I lived in nearby Barrington, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, I was an avid cyclist. I rode every day, weather permitting, and this forest preserve was one of my favorite destinations to ride to from home. Cuba Marsh is named for Cuba Road, on its north border. The preserve covers more than 780 acres, and I probably have seen it all from my bicycle. There are miles of gravel trails that I have ridden many times, and I never got tired of the setting. I was often the only person in the preserve, in the early mornings. The Midwest landscape, although mostly flat in this part of Illinois, is quite beautiful. Cuba Marsh embodies most all of the unique characteristics of the IL terrain: marshland, prairie, and woods.....including an oak savannah. When I circled the preserve on my bike, I would travel through heavily wooded areas, where the shade was welcome on warm days, and then emerge into the prairie grasslands on the gently sloping paths. I saw all kinds of wildlife, of course, even an occasional red fox, a rare sighting. Many species of birds inhabit Cuba Marsh, and their songs are often the only sounds that break the peaceful silence. I miss this place. I miss those cycling days gone by, when life was simpler. The rhythmic noise of my mountain bike tires grating on the gravel trails of Cuba Marsh was like music to my ears. There's a parking lot, drinking fountain, restrooms, and I recall a couple of picnic tables, but for the most part this preserve is not a social gathering spot but rather a place to just be, alone with nature. Maybe someone living in that area will post some photos. If not, then I've got a good excuse to go back for a visit..... read more

I met one of my running buddies here today for a frosty five-mile run. The trails were not plowed or anything, but it was gravel underneath and we were just fine. We had a fantastic close encounter with a mama doe and her babies while we struggled through the snow. There was only one bathroom that I saw in the parking lot at the Cuba Road entrance, so plan accordingly. I didn't see any water fountains, either. If you have a dog who needs regular exercise, this would be a great place to check out. We saw several larger-breed dogs frolicking in the snow and did come upon a little bag dispenser, too. This place has rolling hills, so if you have a hybrid or mountain bike, you could check this out. It's not a loop, however, so you might have to make a bunch of turns to get a decent number of miles in. read more

I am new the area and was looking for a good run. Cuba marsh preserve was perfect. 10-12 foot wide crushed gravel path (very comfortable). If you just keep taking right turns you'll end up at Citizens Park (there is a bathroom there), turn around and continue taking right turns will eventually get you back to the parking lot after about 5.5 miles. I didn't see any deer, but the environment is beautiful. I had to take off the headphones to enjoy the sounds of nature. It wasn't too buggy, but after a night of rain, the humidity was about as high as it can get... Still worth the trip. read more

Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve - Crushed gravel path - Parks Near Me - Deer Park, Illinois

See all

Visited in April and saw pair of sand hill cranes, an egret and a number of other birds. Great mix of restored prairie and oak woodland. We'll maintained and moderately busy. We'll likely be back in the summer. read more

Really beautiful, peaceful place for a walk. Lots of walkers and cyclists. Easy trail. You can loop around for a shorter walk or continue for a longer walk. Two things to note: someone recently felt it was okay to groom their dog here. Lots of dog fur clung to areas early on the trail by the parking. In addition, the bathroom (porta potty) was so dirty, I told my mom not to use it. I wonder how often it gets serviced. That was such a turn off, but the marsh itself is gorgeous. Just don't plan to use the porta potty on your way out. read more

See all

Awesome place to take a long walk. They take care of the path and my dog loves coming here. If you come at dawn, you will see deer close to the path. read more

Beautifully maintained - Nice hard surface so you can run walk or kids can ride bikes. This place gets pretty busy when the weather is nice. That is actually a bonus though because it always feel safe and Not creepy like some other forest preserves. There are bathrooms on the Cuba side of the trail. I'm not sure about the Barrington side of the trail, but probably because it opens up into a really big park. read more

Great place to walk your dog on a beautiful day. Eat lunch on the benches along the paths. Listen to the birds chirping. Is it a cardinal or a canary? Owl or hawk? read more

We love this place! We like to walk and bike the beautifully groomed trails. They keep the trails nicely groomed. My boys enjoy building tee pees in the trees! read more

This is the nicest and most well maintained hiking and biking trail! Beautiful! Love it!

Of all the local trails, Cuba Marsh may be my favorite. It's connection to Citizens Park makes the 6 mile path fine for a leisurely bike ride. Its quite diverse with the lake, woods, prairie and the cool wooden bridge over the marsh. I will be back soon read more