Great Park! So many beautiful trees. It's a great workout with many wonderful trails. My…read moretwo-year-old daughter loved it and the little cute play area. Go to this park if you have not been there. It's so pretty and well kept.

So this place is literally hidden. Actually, that might be one of the best things about it! Plenty…read moreof parking and a perfect place to take your four legged friends. They've got the poop bags at the beginning of the trail (always a good sign). You can go either of two directions to start. It's not crazy big but it's a nice place go come back to once in a while. There's a bit of water, and a few benches around. You could even have lunch if you so desired. Enjoy your visit! I know your doggie will appreciate it!! :)

Absolutely love the Christmas display; loved the light show especially the singing trees. This is a…read moregood set up with different aspects of lights. The American flag that changed from each branch was heartfelt...

A great park. There is a 9 hole disc golf course, good…read moreplaygrounds, picnic shelter, fishing lake and lots of hiking. I love to come out here with the family.

It wasn't until about a month ago, I first heard about this place. I've developed a new interest in…read morehiking and this seemed to be the perfect place. It is somewhat a "hidden gem" and it's not marked on the roads so you gotta use your GPS to get you there. There is a small parking lot (for about 3-4 cars) where the trail starts. From the lot you will be greeted with plenty of signage, including the warnings and history of Homer Stemler. Be sure to take a picture of the map, which is near the trailhead. Pros: the trail, for the most part was moderately flat, with a few hills here and there. Very peaceful, and not many people were on the trails. Not really muddy, except near the start. Some signage throughout the trail. There are three (with different lengths) to choose from. Cons: Trails are poorly marked, as one could easily get lost. (Then again, getting lost is fun, right? lol) Scenery gets old, as you're basically in the woods. Don't expect anything fancy, like an overlook. But you'll find a pond! Also, Internet was sketchy on my phone so if you use Alltrails, you're gonna need it. Be sure to bring bug spray, hat, and try to wear pants instead of shorts no matter how hot it is.

This is a great and convenient trail for all ages! Our group ranged from young children to…read moreretirees. The parking is limited, but we were easily able to park on the side of the road. Overall, it took our group about an hour, but we stopped to talk and take in the scenery. We saw a family using a jogging stroller. However, if you're debating using a stroller vs pack, it would probably be easier to wear younger children in a hiking pack.

Nice short trail to stretch your legs. They have a disc golf course in the park. This is around a…read moreone mile loop. Two different playgrounds.

I am thankful for the resource and the city is clearly trying to make a nice "green space" for…read morepeople to enjoy. I have been in a lot of places in the world and seen better, but also much worse attempts to give the citizenry a taste of nature. The park is actually much larger than it seems at first glance. There are three ponds and some drainage streams. I primarily come to fish (in reality stand near water and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, as I rarely catch anything of significance). I would guess that in 25 trips I have caught and released 10 fish (bass, sunfish, catfish). I have enjoyed every single minute doing so. -On another note- I have jokingly called this place "divorce park". There are a few playground pieces that I see the occasional over wrought dad or mom leverage to entertain (or wear out) the little ones. I see them [I have been them], sitting there contemplating the choices that put them there. Of course these days they are furiously engrossed in their phone more often than not. There is also the phenomena of secret "assignations", you see cars arrive and one person hops into the other. It is both sad and funny, considering that choice is likely to have them end up back at this park...with the aforementioned kids and the regrets. I also see the signs of drug use/ drug buys (I've travelled the world, and lived in Baltimore for years). This place is no worse than anywhere else, I am not saying it is dangerous...it is just a reality. I guarantee there is drug activity at the bright and shiny O'Fallon sports megaplex. I have come to the conclusion that if you are at this park and not fishing, hiking, frisbee golfing, walking a dog - you are "crime-ing" or sinning...LOL

"History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time, it illumines reality, vitalizes…read morememory, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquities." Marcus T Cicero Mounds the remains of the past . This site is not as studied as other sites in the United States. We all think "Serpent Mound." Of all the area of the United States, Cahokia Mounds, the past area of the Mississippi people's of the past is the largest. It's the most influential pre Columbian that we have yet to know of in the Americas. Now they believe that early settlers started here in 6th century AD. Early indigenous peoples were burying their dead and they have found personal effects with the ancient burials. The French in the 17th century arrived and found an early settlement of Illinois inhabitants. These are not the first! No written language exists. Just the mounds. It's been preserved for us all to see. It's an hour from Springfield to Colinsville, Illinois. This is one of the top 25 things to see and do in Illinois. You can walk on the actual mounds . Come and see lost history preserved for us all!

Visiting the historical Cahokia Mound. This was a advertise of learning…read more Upon entering a wonderful lady asked was it my first time visiting. Then she proceeded to give a history lesson on the Cahokia Mounds. I learned a lot. The staff were excellent. There was a huge canoe that was hollowed out from a huge tree. There were many artifacts. I went an one of the trails and discovered many things in the process. If you haven't been you must go. It's a great experience.

This is a great park for just about anything you want from a park. Some moderate trails for a hike…read moreor some friendlier walking on paved areas. Nice shelters and playground area. Easy access from the road. Has open and close

A gem of a park. Scenic, rolling hills, a few hikes to choose from, an old log cabin and an off…read moreleash section all combine for an enjoyable experience for all members of the family. Clean bathrooms and a variety of picnic tables. Lovely place to spend the afternoon.

This is a great place to walk around and do a few laps. The pathway around the park is pretty large…read moreand will take about 10 minutes to complete. There's also a full child's playground as well as a baseball field. They do have a basketball court but there are no hoops... lol.

My office uses their baseball/softball fields for those random times we want to play kickball. The…read morepark itself is not dissimilar to those other parks you will find in the area. Highly manicured, mostly grassy fields with a nice little playground area for the children and a running track for those so inclined. They boast ample parking for the various sections of the park and I've never seen it very crowded. Overall, it's a decent park for the area, but my personal idea of a park is a lightly maintained, wild forest that is predominantly used for hiking up mountains and photographing wildlife.

I took visitors down for a tour and we had a great time! This was an amazing break from screens and…read morecars to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Max knows so much about the swamp! He was personable and good about helping people with mobility issues get into the canoes and kayaks safely. This was an amazing break from screens and cars to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. We had older people who can't walk very far, so this was the perfect way to get out into nature like we used to. Caveat: the office is up some stairs, so if you can't do stairs you'll need to say so. The bathroom is primitive, try not to need it. -Mrs. Dan

Mark and Logan were awesome. Our tour was incredible. We took the sunset canoe trip and we were…read moregone a little over 2 hours. Logan was very nice and very informative. The water was a bit shallow and we got stuck a couple times in the river part of the swamp but through the swamp it was perfect. There were quite a bit of the Asian carp so something to be wary of if this freaks people out but we were just fine. Extremely beautiful and something I would definitely do again. Mark did a military discount. Kudos. Thank you for doing this. Well worth every penny.

We just had our wedding here and it was absolutely amazing and beautiful! We used the outdoor fire…read morepit for our ceremony and then the nature center for our reception and it was perfect for our small intimate wedding (we had about 48 people). It was such a great value too, we rented the lodge and fire pit area for the entire day for less than $300 (not including the deposit which we got back after cleaning and turning in the keys.) The natural greenery made for such gorgeous outdoor photos and also reduced the need for extra outdoor decor aside from our arbor and chair sashes. Highly recommend for small events, it was a life and budget saver for us when our original venue booking fell through and I'm actually grateful that it worked out this way because the Nature Center hands down made our wedding unforgettable.

Easy walking trail. Not remote but feel a nice secluded hike. Has a dog park. Accessible,…read moreparking near trail. Park like setting before you begin trails. Friendly walking area

We got here in the morning for a walk, but there were distressed people in the area without shoes…read moreon and all of their belongings. We turned around.

Colorful mural along the riverfront, goes on for some ways as you are walking to and from the park.read more