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

It is a very nice playground and it is also nice for kids that are on the spectrum since it is…read morepartially fenced in. My grandkids loved it!

What a fun park for kids! I love that the play structure is different. The area for littler kids…read morewas perfect for my toddler. Lots of shaded picnic tables. The bathrooms were clean. My kids had a fantastic time and we will be back!

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!! :)

[As of 8 May 2021]…read more Even though it was a slight overcast, I figured we could still weather a nice walk through nature. The wife and I like to get out every so often, away from the hubbub of the cars and feel the breeze of the wind. Silver Creak Nature Preserve did just that. Taking you away from all the noise, you are able to park and walk. If you bring some food, you can even use their provide tables to dine. It is one big loop of a trail with multiple bird and plant identifiers. At a steady pace, it would take about 30-45 minutes to complete. If you have a pupper, they have trash receptacles with available poop bags, if you happen to forget your own. They would be confined to the walking path a majority of the time. There is ample space to run around at the start near the parking lot. Come on out and use those feet to get moving. You'll be glad you got to enjoy this hidden nature walk. fin.

This is an awesome place for walking! No road noises that I've ever heard. Just the birds and…read moreother sounds of critters. The pathway is a combination of asphalt and concrete, so makes for less likelihood of tripping.

A 40 acre wetland in Edwardsville, IL, the Watershed Nature Center was transformed from a city…read morelagoon to a city park in 1995. Our friends from Edwardsville took me and my wife there on a hot Monday afternoon. It was great to see collaboration between residents and city government to transform and maintain land used by both wildlife and people. This land was a sewage lagoon until 1984, when it was filled and stopped being used. In 1990, a proposal was made to transform it into a nature preserve, and a non-profit was formed to coordinate. Over the next five years, both public and private money was used to slowly terraform, until the center was officially opened to the public in 1995. The center features paved hiking trails, a raised marsh walk, and an air conditioned welcome center with educational classrooms. The Nature Preserve Foundation maintains the trails and native habitats. We saw quite a few animals during our stroll, with various birds (our friends are birders) and even a large snapping turtle close to the concrete marsh walk. We realized later that there was a female turtle underneath. There was also an area where bamboo was growing, with it being pretty clear how fast it can spread and grow if not intentionally controlled.

Located in Edwardsville Illinois,this is a nice 40 acre park with wetlands,woodlands and…read moregrasslands. Paved and gravel trails are well marked . Most trails circle the small lagoon. Pets are welcome. Plenty of parking.

Our new favorite park. A friend told me about it and we've been going weekly or daily since. The…read moretrail around the park is great, clean and easy to walk. It's scenic with the lake and in the summer people paddleboard, fish and kanoe. I have nothing but great experiences here and happy to live near such a good park!

Delightful and peaceful stroll near bike trails, clean bathrooms, plenty of benches, many "exercise…read moreareas", quite a few colourful and creative sets of playground equipment. Stop by Bobby's frozen custard on a hot day after a good day of climbing and play!

There is something for everyone at this park. Disc golf, archery, hunting, fishing and hiking…read more Today we hiked the 4.5 loop mile hike. Very well marked. Lots of places to park. Bathrooms were open today.

From the owner: Outdoor enthusiast's park. Fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking, disc golf, pavilion rentalsread more

Last weekend, it was such a sunny and warm-ish day for January, so we decided to take a little trip…read moreto Cliff Cave County Park with the pup. This was our first visit and so we parked in the lot that gps took us to and then followed the signs for the hiking trail. We were impressed with the number of hikers and mountain bikers out and about. What I really enjoyed about this park is that the trails are all easy to follow and loop around so that you can choose any direction to walk. We started with the shorter hike and walked to the overlook which was so pretty! We spent some time just watching the river and then decided to try another trail for a bit. Honestly, it was really nice to be outside. Baxter was so happy to be able to play in the leaves and we all got really excited because we saw a bunch of deer while we were out walking! Of course, when we saw them, we all stopped and just let the deer have their space to get where they were going. The loop that we completed was about 3 miles and I really appreciated how easy it was to navigate the park. We did not get over to the cave during this visit, but will plan to visit again on another warm-ish day so that we can explore the other trails.

I've been to this park before and like that it offers walking trails not far from the city. The…read morewalking trails offer out and back trails, so I definitely got a couple miles of walking in. Fir those who want more of a "nature" feel there are some hiking and biking trails tucked away near the walking trails, which in my opinion, could use better trail markers. The hiking trails are still close to the border if the walking trails, so you don't go far into the wooded areas. My favorite part of the park were the caves, as soon as you enter the bottom of the trail where the caves are you can feel the cool air from the caves. It was great to check out and I wish the trails offered more scenic views in addition to this.

What a gem! Gorgeous lake and a clean safe beach with lifeguards and tons of water activities…read more(trampoline, diving board, giant blow up recreation thing). I just wanted to find a good old fashioned lake in driving distance and this hit the spot. 7$ per adult for use all day (you can leave and come back). I think kids are 5. It was just my partner and I and there's plenty of space for what ends up being naturally divided into adult/kid spaces. We went on a scorching hot Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised by a relatively quiet beach. They have showers, and an indoor shop with food and drinks. No alcohol. This is a great old fashioned beach. Highly recommend.

We absolutely love this beach! I feel like it's a hidden gem. We live in St. Louis and it's only…read moreabout one hour and five minutes away. The beach has the floating obstacle course, sand for building Sandcastles,and a swing set. You can pay to bring a cooler in, but there's also food options. Available on site. It is cash only so beware.... But they have an ATM for people like me who never carry cash.

Troy's Park is fantastic! It has everything you could want in a park PLUS a bunch of animals!…read moreBeyond the animals in the caged in area, there are swans! The trails are nice and there is even a sand volleyball court. There is really something for everyone here. There are also plenty of benches to sit on, if you want to sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery.

City park complex for Troy. Football fields, skateboarding park, a nice pond, and more. We've come…read morehere three times for Independence Day fireworks, and think the 30-minute show is more than adequate. To borrow a word from my Yelpin' friend Jackie W., this is small-town "Americuh," and it's good.