I love this place. That's a few trails, a bathroom, grills, tables. A nice area to play games ball…read moreor anything that needs room. I nice parking lot

Veterans Woods is a family favorite where I've taking my guests and dogs for over 15 years. Come…read morefor a hike and stay for a picnic at 1 of the 4 gazebos. Also a few special feature's I love is the eclectic red water pump, beautiful prairie field, & 3/4 mile deep woods trail.

One of my favorite parks in the area! There is a wonderful walk/run path that encircles the park…read more Also a skate park area, huge soccer field, picnic tables and a large playground. Centrally located and lots of parking , this is one of my favorite halfway points to meet a friend from the city (and I'm in the western burbs). Well maintained and seems like there's always a few people about, but never too crowded. Would def recommend for those looking for a playground, walking path or skate/sports fields.

My buddy lost his ball here! He will never be the same. Besides that it's a great park.read more

Hidden Lakes has been a staple in my Bolingbrook life for as long as I could remember. In middle…read moreschool, my sister's friend had a birthday party here. In high school, my friends and I would hang out here (my mom jokingly asked if we'd do anything... bad... here, and the truth is, we really just sat around and talked because the nature aspect was welcoming for a group of friends who just wanted to goof around), and when I lived in New York a few years ago, all I could think about when I was overwhelmed by city life was the fact that I barely appreciated living near a nature reserve like Hidden Lakes. This hidden, peaceful area of Bolingbrook is one of my favorite places on Earth, both for sentimental reasons and for its gorgeous greenery. I've had picnics here, as well as dates and walks with my dog. It's also connected to Whalon Lake, which is technically in Naperville, so walking over to that area is a nice extra activity. As teens, we'd walk around a fence to get to the Whalon Lake side, but in the last few years a connecting bridge has been added between the two "lakes." There's a restroom and an information center, and plenty of spots for fishing. I will say, though, that there is also a LOT of goose poop, and a lot of geese around, too. That part is pretty gross, but I suppose that's part of nature and can't really be prevented. I just wanted to put it out there! Hidden Lakes is tucked away on the side of the road at Boughton and Schmidt, but I highly recommend turning off the main road every once in awhile and getting lost in nature. I promise it's worth it.

I took my daughter there for a new fishing spot. The park district ranger was so helpful and…read moreinformative. They are very kid-friendly and thoughtful. The area is well-maintained.

Such a cute theme for a park and perfect for car-lovers! This is an awesome pit stop for road trips…read morein the Chicago area without going downtown. The park was clean and well cared for. I wish the bathrooms and AC for diaper changes, but many don't so I wouldn't fault them for that.

It's a little park with a walking path, small playground and place to sit to eat. There's lots of…read morebenches to sit for a while. Also there's a pond and a baseball diamond. Very peaceful!

Fairly large park with a soccer field, hills, 2 playgrounds, basketball court, and plenty of…read moreparking. My visit here was to check out the frisbee golf course and I was pleasantly surprised at a few features. First, there is quite a bit of elevation changes across this course, which make it more fun and challenging than some of the other nearby courses. Second, the views in the park are beautiful, particularly at sunset. Third, the course takes you on a wide variety of different nature and shooting situations. Fourth, you don't really run the danger of throwing your disc into water, holes, or other unrecoverable situations. It was not too busy here when I visited and parking was plentiful. I would gladly visit this park again for some more disc golf in the future.

Cool spot that I didn't realize was in the area. Looking for a good meeting spot to meet friends…read morefor a walk, found Sagawau. On the day of my visit, we saw this black netting/screen. Curious, we stopped to ask staff. It turns out on Sundays they do bird banding. This was very interesting how they catch birds, take data, and release back into the wild. I recommend! The nature center was well kept and had clean bathrooms. They close the area at 4 pm daily. Check it out for a nice walking and educational opportunity.

Sagawau is waaaaaay out in Lemont, so pretty far from me, and it's also bit confusing to find when…read moreyou get there. But I really enjoyed it so I'd say it's worth it, and now I'll know where I'm going in future! Word to the wise: There's the large parking lot, and what looks like a driveway is not. Park in the lot and use the wide paved path to get to the nature center. The purpose of the first preserve system was to both preserve and conserve, but also to provide natural areas in which people could recreate. They also have a nature center here with exhibits, as well as a variety of programming. I came for a program. A land acknowledgement was provided to connect the land to its history, and the people who once called this land home. I came for a hummingbird program, which took place in the hummingbird garden. The garden had quite a few bees and some wasps, but those insects are actually invasive in this area so you may see traps out for them so they don't take over the hummingbird garden. There are hummingbird feeders around to bring the hummers out. But nectar isn't their only source of food; they'll eat insects and invertebrates. Most importantly, they need pesticide-free habitats to survive. It was interesting to learn that hummingbirds live only in North, Central, and South America. When colonizers came into contact with hummingbirds, they thought they had no feet and that is where their scientific name is derived. Hummingbirds are surprisingly loud! The ruby-throated hummingbird is only ruby throated for the males. Juveniles and females have a white throat. But the color only comes out with the light, as it's iridescent, so the males may look black. Ruby throated is the only native one in Illinois. The juveniles are about the weight of a penny. In migratory season, they try to double their weight in order to sustain their migratory most fly over the Gulf of Mexico, which is a single flight of about 600 miles. They can do that flight in 16-24 hours. Hummingbirds fly with a figure eight pattern, which allows them to be one of the few birds that can fly backwards. It also allows them to hover! Migration is hard, so why do they do it? At least in part, it's because there's less competition. Apparently day length is a trigger to let birds know when to begin migrating, and the plants and flower on which they rely for food usually coincides to their migratory season. The nesting behavior of hummingbirds draws a direct line between environmental stewardship and habitat protection. They line the nest's outside with lichen and plant scale, and line them inside with soft things like dandelion fronds. Air pollution won't affect the hummingbird directly, but it will affect lichen and thus the integrity of their nest and subsequently their success in breeding. They will use spider webbing to bind their nest, which makes spider conservation important too. How fascinating how these things all connect! Whilst visiting Sagawau, I learned that this preserve is a licensed bird banding station--not just for hummingbirds. Banding allows us to gather much of the information that we have about birds in general. The information gleaned from banded birds can tell us about their migratory patterns, lifespan, and so on. I believe they have some events during the year where you can observe this process. In addition to their great programs, they have a nature center with exhibits related to the natural history of Sagawau and the region. One of the things that makes Sagawau so unique is it is a dolomite prairie, of which only about 500 acres exist in the world--over 100 of those acres being here. There are several trails to walk, and they have maps showing these to help guide your way. And this site turns into a cross-country ski location in the winter! In that season, walking is not permitted on the trails because they're used for skiers. They have lessons and equipment rental, but you can also bring your own gear--you just need to call first to make sure it's open for skiing, dependent upon the snowfall. I saw more open acknowledgment of snakes here than at some of the other preserves, which may make me nervous to visit very soon--snakes in just about any capacity (cartoon, real, image, etc.) creep me out more than anything. But, Negin is the employee that led the hummingbird chat, and she was really great. Welcoming, inclusive, knowledgeable, and friendly. I'd love to attend more of her programs.

The first course I learned to play disc golf many years ago and still have a blast every time!…read moreChallenging obstacles like weaving through trees, not losing discs in large weed filled holes, and longer holes in general. Walk towards the upper hill where you'll find a fun bridge to cross the water and climb stairs to the top. There's a great BBQ fun for the fam or hanging with friends. This park is also great for hiking. There's a great trail through the woods. Beautiful flowers with a large field and unique trees to walk or bike through. Overall, clean and fun park for a nature escape or game of disc golf. Last note, dogs are welcome as lone as they're on a leash. So great outdoor escape for all people and their furry friend!

Manageable trails for nature hike with shade and sun. Very kid friendly! Found historic plaques…read morewith interesting facts of founders. Good signage so you don't wander off. Will go back for a walk in treed area.

First time coming here, I've passed by this place for years not knowing it was a state park but…read morereally you can drive right down division Avenue until you get right to the shut down bridge by the river. It's always quiet, peaceful and scenic here. What's not the best is the unclear path of the trail that's provided.