Big awesome park lots of fun for family and friends!!Also has shaded areas from the sun!read more

Great park for the kids there's so many things to do there . Highly recommend it…read more Coming back soon

This is a nice little beach in Wildwood. You do need a resident parking sticker to park along the…read moreposted area however. We are not Wildwood residents but have found parking not too far off. The swimming area is marked and mostly attracts families with young kids.

Nice park. It has a pavilion and a small beach area. The park is not very big, but it is a hidden…read moregem. Recommend you check it out. Oh, and Joe says, "Don't forget...it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

The 2nd most popular state park in Illinois, Illinois Beach State Park was initially established in…read more1948, with the northern portion being added in 1982. It is located on over 6 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, encompassing 4,160 acres. I spent a lot of summers here (both at the beach and the campgrounds) with my dad and brother during my youth, and was also the area where I proposed to my girlfriend over 30 years ago...was nice to stop by with my now wife on this rainy day. It's official name is Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park, renamed for the former state senator and conservation advocate in 2010 (a year after her passing). I went to high school in the area, and she was an important presence during that time, often sponsoring various academic and community awards for local students. Since it was rainy and a weekday, the large parking lots and beachfront were pretty empty. We walked it a bit, collected some sand (recently started to collect and label beach sand to further document my travels). There is a 'resort' hotel on the grounds (which I remembered) and The Pavilion (a combination camp store, souvenir shop, and concession stand), which I didn't remember (makes sense since it opened in 2021). The latter was closed when we stopped by (has limited hours during the non-summer time and is closed during winter).

My first time here. I've avoided this area because it's surrounded by iffy neighborhoods with high…read morecrime rates like murders. They had a fall festival this past weekend with free guided walks so I figured it would be safe for us. Loved the guided walk and how informative it was. This is a high quality state park with lots of native plants still intact. So the whole place is pretty deserted but it did rain in the morning. Cars with completely tinted windows drive around in broad daylight. Pretty scary...The campgrounds have security that do not allow you to pass through unless you are a camper so that would make it safe. I saw a few police cars in the area as well. Personally, this isn't for me but if you are street smart, know your way around the neighborhood, it's great for hiking.

Beautiful park named after the famous hometown author. It's one of the must see places in Waukegan,…read morebut it's usually pretty quiet. Ray Bradbury Park is located in a residential area, so it's isolated from tourists. A lot of people don't know where it is either. That helps keep them away and you can enjoy it better without crowds and stuff. As for the park itself, it's actually not that big. It has an entrance off a side street, close to a few houses. There's a marker noting history of the Waukegan River and the ravine that was mentioned in Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer. Cool for book nerds. For sure it's cool for anyone obviously. Bradbury was even at the park dedication and met a few excited authors and fans. The marker has photos and information. Has no parking lot because this is a residential area. It's usually not busy so street parking is pretty much okay. There's not a whole lot of people who know where this is, so it doesn't get lots of tourists.

The great Science Fiction writer Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan in 1920. His writings include…read moreFahrenheit 451, and of course The Martian Chronicles. Several of his novels are semi-autobiographical. In stories such as Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer he reinvented Waukegan as Green Town. He wrote about a park, drawn from childhood memories, in Dandelion Wine. In 1990 the park, located a few blocks from his boyhood home, was rededicated as Ray Bradbury Park. Bradbury himself, was on hand to do the ribbon cutting. The park is not large, but it has a neat stairway that drops down into a deep ravine. It is easy to imagine Bradbury as a child, exploring this magical place. It obviously left a lasting impression on the great writer. Go pick up a copy of Dandelion Wine, wait for a nice sunny day and let Mr. Bradbury take you on an adventure as you explore his park. You never know what you may discover!

I visited the Viking Park on Tuesday July 21 about 10:30 am. The weather was perfect for the…read moreoutdoor summer concert for the kids. There were many families with little ones. Jeannie B. Put on a remarkable performance with music and dancing for the children. There were many hands on activities. The adults got Chance to join in with their children at the end. It was simply amazing to be out in the park after the many days of dangerous air levels. A nice place with great musical acidity for the family.

been here a dozen of times...a hidden gem that is not easily visible and accessible from the main…read moreroads...located off the historical "old grand ave"...very well maintained recreational area...great for hosting different indoor and outdoor events (i.e. bday parties, weddings, craft shows, private gatherings)...several indoor centers with that old country settings...the rental rates are cheap maybe because it's a gurnee park district and not privately owned...clean indoor bathrooms complete with plumbing...different outdoor courts (basketball, tennis, volleyball, badminton, etc.)...plenty of parking scattered around...beautiful large old trees (especially the acorn) compliments the setting that mimics a bob ross landscape painting...the only negative comment i can say - metra line is next door so expect some train noise when outdoor...or wear ear muffs!

Best playground for hours of fun. Huge sand area with running water and toys built in. Bathrooms…read moreand tons of equipment with recent updates to be safer/more inclusive. My kids and I love it there. My only complaint is sometimes there are intimidating groups of people (ie. Teenagers not there to "play" or enjoy the grounds)

Great park to take your kids to. Just don't go when the buggers come since they're a little too…read morewild and start cursing.

Fun park with plenty of things to do…read more Originally intended to go here for some fun disc golf and enjoyed my experience here. The course has a wide variety of different challenges and terrain available, though the quality of the tees and signage varies throughout the course. I wasn't a huge fan of the earlier holes which go close to the street and around the areas where geese congregate. However, the middle holes go through some beautiful forest and have a much more interesting combination of terrain. The baskets are difficult at times to see, to updated signage would also be better. But overall, a fun set of challenges. Even if you're not into disc golf, the park itself is beautiful with a large pond, many walking paths, and a variety of nature. There's also basketball courts, a baseball diamond, pickleball courts, picnic areas, picnic shelter, washrooms, tennis courts, and other amenities. This looks like a great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon.

Bevier Park is a beautifully kept park. It has one gazebo that you can rent out with a few tables…read morethere. There's a decent sized fenced in playground for the children. It has a nice walkway along a pond which attracts lots of wildlife to see along the way. A large baseball diamond, tennis courts and basketball courts. The bathroom is decent which is a plus when it comes to parks.

This park has a little bit of everything: new playgrounds, old playgrounds, basketball court, path,…read morefitness stations, sheltered picnic area, bathrooms, and a spray park.

Hastings Forest Preserve has wonderful trails and paths for both hiking and bikes. There is a trail…read morethat wraps around a beautiful Lake. There is also a wonderful playground for children. It has a nice soft padding for kids to play on making it safer than your usual wood chips or Tire shreds. There are plenty of swings for both Toddlers and older along with infants and young babies. The only reason I have not given this five stars is because there has been prepares needed to part of the playground that have not yet been repaired. The repairs have been needed for quite some time now and have not yet been addressed. Maybe once the repairs are completed I will change my rating. Another great feature to this area is there are nice bathrooms right by the playground and in the center of the forest preserve. There are also picnic tables and a pavilion for people to have Gatherings of all kinds.

Hastings Lake Forest Preserve has approximately a 2.1 mile hike. The path is paved and pretty even…read morethroughout. It wraps around the lake which offers nice breezes. Many areas along the trail are shaded by large trees so it's not all sunny and hot. The lake has a good population of turtles and surprisingly also has big mouth bass among other species that you are allowed to fish! They offer a boat ramp to bring your boat or even canoe! They also have plenty of places around the lake to sit and just reflect and relax. The path was very clean and markers easy to spot as there is only 1 path and no diversions. It's a great morning activity with family and friends.

Beautiful walking path along Lake Michigan. Walk a bit south and you get access to the Kenosha Sand…read moreDunes and you can actually get down to the water. The path in the park is fully paved. Lots of benches and picnic tables. The area near the sand dunes isn't paved. More of a "hike". The breeze coming off Lake Michigan helped keep me cool on a warm July day. Not a lot of shade.

Beautiful simple beach front. Walk around and feel nature and watch the water. The town itself has…read morea very nice feel but we were there during the pandemic so nothing was open but it was a nice see and we will be back when the pandemic is over.