What else are you going to do in 70 plus degrees on a Saturday in March? Yes, go for a 3 mile walk! My wife and I have been itching to go for a walk since we go here every Saturday from Spring to late Fall. The entrance we go to is off Dundee road and i had plenty of parking! The trails are well kept and the trees look great in the summer and even more beautiful in the fall. There are gravel trails and paved trails. We typically use the paved trails. People are very courteous when running or riding bikes. They call out that they are passing which it great for safety reasons. The different birds and sometimes we see deer grazing and it's beautiful to see. Along the path there is a radio controlled area where people can fly their gas powered airplane. It is pretty to cook to see and they are very skilled! It has a runway which looks cool, like it is a mini airport. I highly recommend coming here during the summer for hiking, biking, roller blading, picnics, etc. I'll update pictures for each of the seasons!!!! read more

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What a beautiful day it was to attend a cystic fibrosis walk with some of my colleagues. I enjoyed coming here. read more

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Wow second time I've been here. What a beautiful park. Nice trails, somewhat hilly terrain. Lots of information about the trees and plants. It was cool one time I saw groups of people foraging for mushrooms. I need to learn his e to do this. It's a beautiful park some nice old oak trees and flowering trees. read more

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Huge Forest Preserve in Palatine. Trails are well my marked. Mainly dirt or crushed stone. Only problem was very uneven or washed away. Good for jogging,walking or biking. Dogs are welcomed. Plenty of parking off Dundee Rd. read more

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The weather is getting warmer & we have been in self isolation for weeks. We felt the need to get out & get any form of exercise after being quarantined. All the gyms are closed so we have been walking outdoors checking out different forest preserves. Today we went to Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine, IL Deer Grove is one of the larger nicer Forest Preserves w/a large assortment of different groves. Like all of the preserves they have trails that are paved and unpaved that meaner through different groves. Some are wooded forests while others are open prairies w/an assortment of themed concrete cubes w/themes etched into the blocks. One area has blocks that spell out the seasons, while another has different species of wildlife in the preserve. There are concrete cubes w/the different solstice & equinox seasons and yet another Grove w/wetlands of ponds in prairies and areas that are swamp like ecosystems. They even have an open field dedicated to people that have fly model airplanes. This area is restricted to card carrying members though. We also found a couple of crabapple trees in full bloom. Overall we walked 5.2 miles and got a bit of exercise and were able to enjoy nature wo/too many people as in many of the preserves in a Chicago. It was a bit on the chilly side, but made for a nice brisk temperature for outdoor activity. Definitely worth checking out. read more

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This preserve features a beautiful, scenic almost 3 mile paved path. There are also gravel biking paths that many people walk, that will take you through the trees, but I have yet to take that route as I am too afraid of ticks. My only complaint about this preserve isn't even about the preserve itself, but the people. You will see zero masks (which is fine), but only 1 out of the 50 people that you will encounter actually understand social distancing, so just be prepared. We have only done the main path, but I do know that this preserve expands much further into unpaved territory that crosses some of the main roads. Maybe with a good tick repellent, I'll explore one of these days ... read more

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Deer Grove is divided into 2 preserves - Deer Grove East on the east side of Quentin Road, and Deer Grove West on the west side of Quentin. Combined, the preserves cover almost 1800 acres, many of which have been restored. Deer Grove is also home to Camp Reinberg, a campground for RV and tent camping. Cabins are also available for rent. Deer Grove West contains large woods of oak and hickory and extensive ravines. It has a Yellow Loop trail (5.4 miles) that runs along the perimeter of the preserve, and takes you through many sections of the woods, through a wetland, and some savannah areas. West also features spider trails that cut through the ravines and really take you deep into the heart of the preserve. This is truly some of the best hiking in northeastern Illinois! Deer Grove East is smaller than West, but it has extensive open prairies that have been restored. It has many oak and hickory woods, over 20 restored wetlands, and many acres of native wildflowers, grasses, and sedges. One way to think of Deer Grove, is to remember - West has the woods and shade, and East has the open prairie and less shady trails. That's an oversimplification, but more or less how I decide what type of hike do I want? Shade or sun. Deer Grove is also the original forest preserve in the Cook County Forest Preserve. The land was first set aside in 1916. Prior to being a forest preserve, it was home to the Potawatomi tribe. One unique thing about West is that due to the ravines, the land was never converted to farmland, as was the case in East. You get a pretty good idea of what the terrain was like before the area was settled. Deer Grove is also a State Nature Preserve, which means it is one of the highest quality natural areas in the state. The Deer Grove Natural Area Volunteers, a volunteer group, has been working in the preserve since 1996. Their efforts have cleared hundreds of acres of destructive non-native invasive brush, like buckthorn, an invasive tree that crowds out native plants. Deer Grove, East and West, is a local treasure! Hiking through here is a great way to see what the Illinois woods and prairies looked like hundreds of years before European settlement. read more

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My sister and I went over here after having a great breakfast and needed to burn off the calories. It helps that she lives across the street from here and walk to it. This place has many trails that can take you all over the place. It's nice to the wild life. On our walk we didn't see any but my sister has mentioned she has seen beavers building dams. The fall colors were beautiful despite being late in the season. It's never too busy here and always peaceful. I He read more

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This is a very peaceful location that isn't too far outside of the city for anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle for a bit. I was looking for a place to do some trail running while I was in town for a wedding and a friend recommended I try out Deer Grove. There wasn't anything particularly special about it, but it's good to know there are places like this around even in the most populated areas of the country. I had brought lunch with me and enjoyed it surrounded by the sounds of cicadas, crickets, frogs, and various birds. After eating I walked around and explored - I saw a lot of little frogs leaping through the grass but I wasn't able to get a good look at any of them. I also came across some sandhill cranes which was a unique sight to see and discovered that there is a whole list of birds to watch for available on the park's website. It appears that the cranes are a more common one as they are featured on the homepage of the website. My run followed a 5-1/2 mile trail that spans along the outer rim of the park. It was maintained very well aside from one point where a tree had recently fallen. I passed numerous other people hiking, biking and running, so if anything were to go wrong you'd likely be found by someone who could help. There are a bunch of shorter trails that branch off from the main one but everything is clearly marked to keep trekkers aware of where they are going. Deer Grove Forest Preserve is a great place to check out if you're looking to spend some time outdoors. They have a whole list of activities that are available to do - including sledding and ice skating in the winter. I'm glad I had to opportunity to explore and get some exercise while in the area and would pass along the recommendation to anyone looking to do the same. read more

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What's not to like about this place. I've been going here for 40 plus years. So much to do year round. Enjoy read more

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Weeeeee- It's Winter!!! Okay- so maybe I only said 'Weeeee' in between a few very solid blood-curdling screeches while struggling for a full breath of air and being simultaneously pelted in the face with ice cold, uhmmm, well: Ice! Deer Grove is a decent sized forest preserve located off of Quentin Road in Palatine that I like to hit up for a variety of outdoor activities (NOT cruising). DGFP is ideal for hiking, jogging, running and maybe even biking (I'll verify that when I re-learn how to ride a bike again) in the Spring, Summer, and Fall months. And, as the name may have already led you to believe, you can peep a bunch-a-bucks here pretty much any time of year. Now, prior to this past weekend, I probably would have said my fave thing to do here was to grab a thermos of hot apple cider, spy a few Bambi babes, and try to remember which trail will get me to the super neat-o area of the FP where people have built some really rock-star teepees out of fallen trees. But post-this weekend, I'm singing a different song... one consisting mainly of screams. Here- I drew a video. It's stop motion (just frame your fingers around the characters and blink real hard while panning from left to lower right). Eat your heart out, Tim Burton. :D :D :D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S :D L :) E :} D :] D :l I : / N :? G :{ ! :O ! O: ! D: *x x* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O~~~ Okay, I'll admit I was just a leetle itty bitty bit scared about the drop+speed but I still did it, is my point. And luckily, it was so cold you could barely tell I was crying after my tear ducts froze shut. Seriously though- There's many a good time to be had here regardless of season. They've also got a few ponds, bridges, and streams that aren't quite rampant enough for a competitive game of Pooh sticks. And there's ice skating once the pond freezes to 4 inches, along with being perfect for snow shoeing and cross country skiing or just a great place to walk your dog and bird watch. They've also got a few of those super cool black squirrels and of course- sledding (2 Hills!). Defo a solid 4 stars, maybe even a 5 in progress. Deer Grove Forest Preserve: I'll see you the next time the powder hits the slopes! read more

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very nice forest preserve, i would say however if you are looking for a more secluded and peaceful experience go to the west side of the preserve as it is more well preserved and there seem to be more animals there read more

Deer Grove Forest Preserve is in Palatine by Quentin and Dundee. This review is for Deer Grove's unpaved trails and singletrack from a mountain biker's perspective. First of all, DG is a nice change of pace from other bike paths/trails in the NW suburbs (e.g., Busse Woods, etc.). DG has a ~4 mile paved loop on the east side. This is nice for road bikes, joggers, dog walkers, casual bikers, etc. because it's quiet with decent scenery, mostly open meadows with some patches of trees. There's also an unpaved loop on the east side but it's mostly flat and somewhat boring for biking. My favorite half of DG is the west side, where there is a ~7-10(?) mile unpaved loop (yellow loop) made up of sections of gravel and sections of dirt. It's not 100% flat either. There are some climbs, although they are not very steep or long. At the other end of the climbs there are the downhill sections, which are pretty tame but you still need to be careful at the bottom because it's typically loose gravel with ruts, approaching a corner.. you can wipe out if you don't control your speed/line. What's even better is that there are some LEGAL singletrack offshoots, which are pretty slow and twisty, over dirt, rocks, and roots.. lots of fun! Something to keep in mind is that DG tends to take awhile to dry out to the point where there are no patches of mud/water. Even after almost a week of dry weather, be prepared to come across a few pretty muddy crossings even in the gravel/dirt multitrack. Not really an issue for me, but others might dislike their shoes/clothes/bike getting somewhat muddy. This place isn't for you if you're looking for big climbs and downhills, very technical singletrack, or all mountain type riding. However if you're looking for an easy XC/singletrack experience, Deer Grove is great. read more

This is an absolutely beautiful spot, I run through this at least once a week. The trails are awesome, lots of parking, fairly nice bathrooms, however there is almost no drinkable water available (one pump that only sometimes works in the summer) and no lights so you can use the park before the sun comes up or on dark days without feeling like someone will jump out and mug you. Also it would be awesome if they had a playground for young kids. read more

Deer Grove West - Parks Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Being new to the Chicagoland area I learned the hard way that the Deer Grove Forest Preserve East has no tree protection from the sun. A nice running loop that can be brutal on a hot day. I came out to the Forest Preserve West this morning and was very pleased. It reminded me of my favorite running parks in the DC suburbs; multiple looping trails, some paved, some gravel, some dirt; a chance to escape in the woods. I will definitely be back. A note to other impatient map readers; i was looking for the 5+ mile yellow trail but mistakenly got onto the orange trail (yellow trail starts out at Dundee and not in the parking lot)... It wasn't a big deal, I was able to cross over to yellow and the trails are well marked. You are (or at least feel) pretty isolated, so I am not sure I would recommend a woman come out alone. read more

We visited the Preserve and specifically Camp Reinberg this past weekend. The campground is wonderful. Everything is near brand new and well cared for. The campstore is stocked with everything you need from ice and firestarters to even sleeping bags and tents. There is staff on site at all times. And they're very helpful with everything from making sure your fires start at night, to hauling in your gear when you first arrive. It is also nice that you get the quiet and remoteness of the forest preserve but can head out to more urban areas easily. We visited the Palatine Farmer's Market (and Starbucks) early Saturday and then headed back to take a hike in the Preserve--hard to do most camp sites! read more

Fun place to check out. Beautiful lake views and walking paths. If the water is high then there's a great waterfall. read more

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Has a lot of paths and routes to go on. Some paved some are not. Cool place to go bike walk or run. read more

Deer Grove West - Map of all the trails - Parks Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

This trail is excellent for longboarding (a larger version of a skateboard). I love the variance in hills and the smoothness of the path. I have found it to be easy to bypass others on the trail and have never had any issues with having enough space to enjoy my workouts here. My only reason for rating four instead of five stars is because my windshield was slammed with a parking ticket because my car was present in the lot a few minutes past sunset. I had to pay approximately $40 as a penalty for this offense. I found that to be not only petty, but a disruption in the overall positive mood of my workout. The ticket issuing situation seems a little overzealous, particularly in a quiet suburban neighborhood. read more

Deer Grove is a forest preserve for all seasons and my little escape from the normal hustle of life - cars, cell phones, TV, etc. On the plus side: Beautiful trails, tons of deer, some peace & quiet, two super nice sledding hills, the lake in the middle, the leaves in Fall, decent biking trails, and fun longboarding roads! I love to go to the the far west side where the creek is meandering, I think it is the most beautiful part of the preserve and you are left mildly secluded. Once you get far enough into the forest the sounds of the surrounding cites slowly fade away and you are left with a peaceful place you walk, run, bike or whatever it is you like to do. The name says it all, there are deer everywhere! I think after going to Deer Grove for the past 4 years, a countless number of times, there is a 50/50 chance of seeing a deer especially in the morning or at dust. The two super nice sledding hills are fun and well groomed - the big one further in the preserve (almost at the end of the road) is way faster. They have hay bails at the end to stop you from going into the lake but most people stop before they get there. However, with a big-ol-running push you can get your friend all the way to the end with enough force to flip over them! The lake is nice year round but is very peaceful in early spring. The Spring Peepers (a small frog with a big voice) make a great background noise for your saunters through the forest. The Fall leaves are amazing here, since the forest is dense at times when the leaves change color you can see a wide variety of beauty. The roads are hilly enough to ride a longboard but since you are in the forest be ready for fallen sticks, rocks on the road, wet spots - just about anything - so wear a helmet! The biking trails are nice if you want to go for a Sunday cruise but ... well I will finish that in a little bit. On the negative side: Closed mountain biking trails! I understand that Deer Grove is at the bottom of the city and that water pools and is stays wet for days and that the trails would be destroyed if/when mountain bikers ride them when it is wet. However, why not have some designated mountain biking trails or try to get people to not ride them when they are wet, maybe a sign - "Please ONLY Ride Trials When The Ground is Bone Dry (Otherwise we will have to close the trails again and we know you don't want that) -DGFP" Overall there are so many positives it has me coming back again and again, but with a few more open bike trails they were get the fifth star! It is a very great place for an escape to nature, a walk, and a great day! read more

This is a great forest preserve with plenty of trails to run/bike/walk on and a variety of scenery. There are some smaller loops that are fully paved, and even more trail that is crushed gravel/dirt path which are great for running. This part is very wooded and secluded so as a female I would probably not run there alone but with my husband along it's a wonderful place for a long run. The paved paths are much more populated and open. There is a remote control plane airfield there, and my kids have enjoyed watching the planes fly. I would recommend looking up a map of the preserve to plan out where you want to park and which trails to follow as there are several parking spots and many trails. It could be easy to get confused and take a much longer walk than you intended :) read more

Awesome 6 miles yellow trail. Shade. Deers. Aaesome for hike or biking. Totally recommend!

I was looking for a good place for some nature hiking in the NW suburbs and found Deer Grove. It has a nice unpaved (gravel and dirt) track that is really long and will leave you pretty tired. My husband and I like to hike but there isn't much terrain to speak of in the NW suburbs. Not the greatest trail ever, but for the area, it is excellent! read more

Being an avid runner, I'm always looking for different trails in the area to run on. I'm currently training for the Chicago Marathon, and have some pretty lengthy runs to get in, so doing the same trail over and over can get really boring. I love this trail, one because it's conveniently close to my house, and two it's usually pretty quiet and I know I don't have to be scared running there by myself. I truly enjoy this trail and would say I frequent it at least 5 times a week. read more

Came here to run a race. This forest preserve is pretty much along the lines of any forest preserve in the northwest suburbs. It is a nice area to be one with nature with paths for walking, running, or biking. They also have several picnic areas with tables and benches. These spaces are perfect for a grill out or a family party. read more

This is my local forest preserve and I love this place. The kids can wander around and burn off energy and there is a 2.8 mile paved loop (great for walking, jogging, biking, etc.) that lets me burn off the stresses of the day. Also, for those of us that are more adventurous, there's a non paved trail that lets you disappear away from the noise of the suburbs for a while and get a tiny sense of what it'd feel like to get away from it all :) read more

Very nice forest preserve! Lots of trails to choose from! Lots of open area! We like hiking the trails the best!

I started running early spring of 2012, and now I am hooked to this activity thanks to the beautiful and serene Deer Grove Forest preserve. In past when we went for vacations we were thrilled to watch a Deer running around on a natural trail, but finding them in my backyard nature trail in Palatine is a blessing. The east side of trail is more open with beautiful meadows during spring. It has shorter trails as well, but ideal for biking and running in sun if you wish. The west side is the longer "yellow" trail, through the dense woods and unpaved. Being unpaved and well maintained in dry months, its a blessing for an addicted runner like me. I completed the 5.4 miles just admiring the calm serenity, deers and squirrels. In the middle of the day you rarely run into people. The parking lots are well maintained and safe. There are several small trails that shoot out of the big one and it has something for everyone. The picnic areas are kept clean and I always see maintenance trucks, which makes me feel reassured that someone is putting my tax dollars to good use. Deer Grove is one of the reasons now I feel that I made a good choice to settle in Palatine. read more

If you go super early it's great. Although you have to look out for the spandexed bicyclists who may or may not let you know they're behind you if you're walking. On weekends, it gets too crowded and loud to enjoy the area, which is mostly wetlands. So pack bug spray, sunblock, water, and patience for spandex. The paved trails are spectacular and extensive; the gravel trails are best if you're walking - deep oak groves and unbelievable plays of sunlight and mist in the morning. So get there around 6 am on weekends to truly revel in the majesty and solitude of nature. read more