Among the nicer parks in Champaign. Hessel Park isn't too big but it's still big enough. It has…read morelots of athletic facilities including for baseball and tennis. Even has a fountain. There's also a trail that goes around it. Big enough park for many activities. It has some pretty good athletic facilities. The local youth leagues have games and there's also kids just playing for fun too. Hot summer days are cool here. It has a big sprinkler area in the middle. This is a good place to take kids to cool them all off. For adults, there's areas for grilling. The pavilions are popular for holidays. Good park for almost everyone. It has a good amount of parking around it. There's a big water area for kids, there's sports, and there's a few trails.

Really nice Champaign park! Nice kid's equipment 2-5 and…read moresome stuff for the older kids Really nice splash pad in the summer Multiple tennis courts Lots of open space BBQ's and shelters for reserve

I have never hiked at a prairie before and I am so glad that I chose this place for my exercise…read more Very well maintained park with lots of trails. The wildflowers alone will bring me back to this beautiful place.

The Buffalo Trace Prairie is a system of trails that are on the far western edge of the Lake of the…read moreWoods Forest Preserve. To be sure, there is much more to Lake of the Woods than just Buffalo Trace. The easiest entrance is located just north of Exit #172 off I-74 in Mahomet, on the left across from the botanical garden and before you get to the Early American Museum. Can't miss it. The trails run all through this medium-sized forest preserve and are perfect for jogging, biking, or dog walking. There is one major asphalt trail that runs E-W and several smaller trails that are really just places that they mow the prairie down every week or so. The asphalt trail is a little more than a mile long, and connects to a trail that is 5 mi in total. The intertwined grass trails are much longer all told, but since there are so many, you can customize as long or short of a walk as you want. The terrain is rolling hills, and the biome(s) are a pleasant transition from prairie to woods. None of the trails that I was on were at all challenging or in disrepair. I would suggest that if you intend to take the grass trails, take a good long look at the map before you leave the trail head, or bring one along. Thankfully, there are not really that many people making use of this park, which is cool. If you make use of the trail map, the trail in the far south of this park (by the highway) actually dead-ends and does not connect back to the parking lot, as is indicated on the map. Not a big deal, just a lil back-tracking. I needed the exercise.

I love Rock Sorings! The good:…read moreIt's always well kept. Every time I go there you rarely if ever see trash The staff are always helpful and friendly The observatory is just one of the greatest hangout places ever! (Wish they would turn it into a little coffee area) Path and grounds are always well maintained Rock Springs also has all kinds of extracurricular activities going on that the public can sign up for that's either free or extremely cheap The bad: Unless you get lucky, normally the extracurricular activities are hard to come by. I understand the budget is limited and they can't really afford to go fliering the town. But I wish there was a way for them to communicate the activities better other than Facebook. I wasn't a fan of the cross country skiing, but that didn't reflect my review. I'm just glad they offer stuff like that! Thank you Rock Springs and s

Never been hiking first time but it was fantastic considering I lived on an island all my life!read more

This is a gem of Illinois! We stumbled on the Allerton history in Kauai after visiting the…read moreBotanical gardens, unaware of the ties to our home town of Chicago, so we vowed to come stay here this summer. It was really nice as expected: historic house and gardens, well maintained. For quality and amenities it's more on the level of a nice B&B, with a generous cafe just a short walk away (but not in winter!). Staff were kind and upgraded our room when the small room we checked in somehow had a messed bed. Generous parking and much of the main sites are drivable. I'd love to come back in another season!

as for the trails, they are beyond snooze vest. Today walked them and not maintained, 3-5 inch ( up…read moreto 60 atleast)log left on the trail so someone can break their ankle. I did my best to move most of them. You can see the staff just ran over them with there quads while on patrol, lol. Not much flora from mushrooms to birds to animals wild flowers. The U of I torn down the "tea house" that the original owner was disguised with that act. With all the houses on the property why did not the U of I make a beautiful creation like they do on campus to restore history. They might have some events that are cool, but grounds not taken care of at least get some goats. If you like easy snooze trails, this if your hike, nothing here is even a moderate level, all easy. Only a honest review as always.

This was actually so much fun. I discovered them on tiktok. We did the behind the scenes package…read morewhich is about $250 for five people it includes Museum, walkthrough, and drive through access. So one thing to remember with this package you are already going to the kangaroos and you are able to put them so you don't need the encounter for the kangaroos with this package. The owner realized that we purchased all three animal encounters and he was kind enough to refund us the kangaroo encounter. For their animal encounters it's like $10 each and I did like the scaly and cuddly encounter it was consist of bunnies, Hedgehog, sugar glider, a gecko, and a turtle and python. The other encounter I didn't like so much it was more of a learning about the animals which I think would easily be included with the behind the scenes instead of making it an encounter because they were just talking about the birds they were pretty birds but you don't really have an encounter with the animal the only thing that they did have an encounter with was the armadillo. I would definitely come back even though it's 3 hours away because it was so much fun and I definitely know what I want to get the next time I want the ATV Drive Through Safari package because that was so much fun and that was so worth it. They had huge camels horses zebras it's honestly an amazing experience and you need to try it.

We had a fantastic time! My kids had fun, great grandparents had a great time and perfect weatherread more

This is a very well maintained state park/campground. The sites are electric only, so plan ahead to…read morehave water available. Our lakefront site (#1} isn't really on the lake. But many of the sites are directly on the water. The available shade varies widely by site. If shade is important to you ask for a site number in the 50s. The park is a ways off I-55 (~17 miles) so it isn't ideal for a quick stop on your way from A to B. But it's a great place to unwind and do some fishing.

For the past 15 years, my family and I have made Hickory Point Campground at Sangchris Lake our…read morehome away from home nearly every year. Years ago, the main camp host set the gold standard for hospitality. He was incredibly welcoming, driving around to wave, checking if campers needed ice or wood, and even delivering it straight to your site. He even gave my son an unforgettable golf cart ride, making us feel like true family. Unfortunately, the experience over the last three years has been a stark contrast. The host (the same host as before) acts as though guests are a massive inconvenience. He has a sign instructing new arrivals to check in, yet treats you with open annoyance when you actually follow his rules. On a recent visit, when we politely asked if he still delivered firewood, he shot us a look that could kill and snapped, "No!" When we apologized and mentioned we hadn't realized the policy changed, he barked, "It did this year!" We didn't expect special treatment; we simply asked based on years of past practice. On the bright side, the woman sharing his site is always an absolute delight. We adore Sangchris Lake and Hickory Point Campground, but if hospitality isn't your job anymore, sir, it might be time to pack up the camper and haul off into the sunset.

Beautiful spot to take a scroll for free and enjoy nature. This arboretum is very well maintained,…read morespacious, and has plenty of parking. In addition to the ponds and gardens, do make a visit to Japan House if you get an opportunity when they're open.

The University of Illinois Arboretum was a nice surprise to. This was a great oasis from a busy…read morecollege campus. My husband and I went on a Saturday afternoon, and while there people there, it was not crowded. There was a nice mixture of trees, lakes, and trails. It is a great place to rest and relax. Be sure to go when the Japan House when it's open.