It was a breath of fresh air the evening I decided to run at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve. Being…read morethat I work nearby as well as drive along Roosevelt Ave where I pass by Miller Meadow - North, it was only a matter of time that I would conduct some form of an activity at Miller Meadow. I entered off 1st Ave which is labeled as Miller Meadow - South; and the first feature that immediately caught my eye was its off-leash dog area which was huge. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Miller Meadow - South as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat. Distance markings are marked along the path, a loop style path totaling 1.70 miles per loop. I encountered mostly walkers, a few joggers, and a couple of recreational bike riders along the path. At one point during my loop, there was a woman who caught and overtook me as I ran. We went back-and-forth with me overtaking her and her overtaking me which brought competitiveness during my time on the path. I spent no more than forty-minutes during my initial run on the path but could have easily gone longer if I had the time. While well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as well as engulfed by tall grass in certain parts. I also felt that feeling of being secluded, but there were always nature's animals within sight that kept me in the moment. I could not help but enjoy the beautiful sounds of birds chirping, glimpses of the red-winged blackbird throughout the entire path, and I even saw a deer from afar in the woods. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within the path of Miller Meadow - South; some of those activities I can certainly see are hiking, running, walking, biking, in-line skating, or even bird watching. The area can also be used to conduct large gatherings, or picnics; and its large field is perfect for many recreational activities you can partake in. The area is well-maintained, consisting of benches with tables located in shaded areas near or underneath trees, but very few picnic shelters which are perfect for large gatherings; and there are even a couple of portable restrooms within the space. Along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even in some of the secluded spots. And on top of it all, Miller Meadow has a very spacious parking lot. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve, as indicated in this review and would definitely return. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~An adventure a day keeps the doctor away. ~ Thomas G

It was good. It went perfectly. I got to ride a tandem bike. There was a lot of stuff to do!read more

My discovery of Sunset Bridge Meadow came after I took an alternate run route because the underpass…read moreheaded north towards Schiller Woods South was blocked off due to flooding. And since then, I have been slowly moving further south with hopes of locating paths that lead to Thatcher Woods which I hope to eventually start off at in the future to train for marathon runs as I have done before, but at Fullerton Woods trailhead. What I like about this trailhead is that its parking lot is spacious, and highly visible being that it sits along a highly driven on W North Ave. And on top of it having a spacious parking lot, it has a huge open field that is perfect for activities outside of outdoor picnics at the grove. Out of the trailheads in this area which are Fullerton Woods and Jerome Huppert Woods, I recommend this one for safety and security purposes due to its location if you plan to be on the Des Plaines River Trail for more than an hour exploring. Because with its location being in a highly visible area along W North Ave anything suspicious will be easily identified. And also there are a decent number of visitors in-and-out. Once you enter the Des Plaines River Trail, it is a whole different world where you can easily escape reality and be one with nature that covers an estimated total of 28.4 miles. And if you are lucky you will encounter some of the wildlife that live within the preserve too. On the Des Plaines River Trail, you will encounter hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers and trail runners which all are friendly from what I have experienced. Most encounters with mountain bikers can throw your pacing off depending on how many there are in a pack which most of the time are no more than four. I do recommend taking the encounters as the time for a short break to hydrate or gather yourself until they pass by on whatever portion of the trail you may be on if there is not enough room. And lastly, a tip on how to not get off track on this trail is to stay along the Des Plaines River, which will end up on your left hand side once you cross the bridge. If you cannot see the river then you may have went in the wrong direction, but I assure you it is not hard to miss. And the further north you go towards the state line of Wisconsin the more the trail disconnects. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

Egger's Grove is a Forest Preserve in Hegewisch. There aren't paved trails here--or at least the…read moreone we were on was not. There's no services here--you won't find nature center or anything, but there are lots of benches, some picnic areas, and bathrooms. Birding is a popular activity here. In fact, I was here for a program called Owl Prowl because it's starting to become a particularly good time of year to hear them (not see). I think it was the Great Horned Owl and the Screech Owl that we were on the prowl for. I learned that screech owls kind of sound like a horse when they neigh; that was unexpected. Eggers Grove has varying terrain and that is welcoming to birds that don't stop around here in other places, and it's a good place for migratory birds. I was here after dusk so I'd like to visit sometime when it is light out to see the area. It's popular for hiking. There is a humongous parking lot, so you shouldn't have a problem finding a place if you venture out here. Humongous parking lot so many spaces you can park here with your friends family your high school senior class.

Family and I always enjoy having a nature reserve this close to home. We go hiking there often…read more Wish they would put a platform by the small lake on the southeast side so it easier and more comfortable to view the migrating birds that stop there.

This is an excellent spot to have a coffee, maybe a short date, or just a quick reconnect with…read morenature. I bet dogs love it. It's wonderful, first of all, but I guess I was expecting it to be a little longer, like maybe a mile, but it's a little guy, maybe a big block. Wild life was spotted -- saw a turtle and a family of ducklings. And the mechanics of it are fascinating. I guess i also wasn't expecting it to face the waste management facility, but just try not to look at that really. I'm glad it's here and i look forward to more. I hear they are having a wildly successful impact on the cleanliness of the river; a tip taught to the city by the indigenous who absolutely know what they are doing.

Chicago has its own floating gardens! "Wild Mile" is a built island, home to local plants and…read morecritters. We just walked around checking it out, and we heard there are various events, little concerts, yoga, what-have-you. This wild mile is the razzmatazz!

Friends lived near and participated in Pilsen's El Paseo Community Garden in Chicago for a number…read moreof years, and we all still return to help or just to visit! This Sunday (Aug 2026) there was food and light merch for sale. We got fresh eggs! And there was a snake you could hold!

El Paseo Community Garden is one of those things that defines the greatness of Chicago. Humble…read morebeginnings of vacated land made way for the sunlight and brought neighbors together. Plants, specifically edible varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs are the focus, but there are beautiful flowers and indigenous prairie species in abundance as well. Translated to English, El Paseo means the way. The name speaks to this green spaces role as a path connecting two streets, as well as an approach to life in the city that generally speaking is the way for us all to stay sane and even happy living together in the vast urban jungle of Chicago. Growing things together.

To better serve the growing population of Uptown, the City of Chicago's Bureau of Parks and…read moreRecreation created a small municipal playground in 1951. Named for the street on which it is located, Carmen Park was turned over to the Chicago Park District in 1959, along with more than 250 other properties. Re-planting the landscape and adding new playground equipment in the 1960s, the park district made further improvements in the early 1990s. It's well-shaded on a hot day, but a bit dark. Also, playlot wood chips take up the whole space, i.e., no grass.

This is a really nice little playlot. Clean, hidden, and safe.read more

I actually found out about Fullerton Woods - Des Plaines River Trail off of AllTrails application…read morevia Google Play. It was one of the few trails that would allow me to cover at least 10 miles. Plus, it consisted of some of the perks that I love about trails, such as it being shaded, having soft terrain, and that therapeutic feeling of nature, so why not?. I drove about 8 miles to Fullerton Woods from the west side of Chicago and it was totally worth it! The Des Plaines River Trail was not congested at all in comparison to the Lakefront path in Chicago which I wasn't in the mood to run today. Oh, the thought of being on the Lakefront path with the sun melting me away was not in my interest, so I sought out something different. Shame on me! I packed my trail running shoes, but did not utilized them because the paved portion at the beginning of this trail threw me off. So, with that I encourage you to bring out those trail shoes if you plan to run this trail as I did, but its ok if you do not have any trail shoes. On this trail you will encounter hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers and trail runners which all are friendly from what I have noticed. The encounters with the mountain bikers can throw your pacing off depending on how many there are in a pack. With that, I recommend taking it as the time for a short rest break to hydrate or gather yourself until they pass by on whatever portion of the trail you may be at if there isn't enough room. My end milage ended up being 8.44 miles, but it easily could have been more if I would have taken a turn, heading under W Lawrence Ave bridge towards Catherine Chevalier Woods. I kept this run simple, looping around at Robinson Woods South because it was my first time out, but next time I plan to not be so attentive to my route and ready to explore the trail more. And on a side note, another entrance that will put you at a more reasonable area to get good trail mileage at is Jerome Huppert Woods which is on the other side of Fullerton Woods. A tip on how to not get off track on this trail is to stay along Des Plaines River, which you can see on your left hand side while going further out on this trail. If you cannot see it, then you may have went in the wrong direction, but I assure you it is not hard to miss. I really loved this trail! And will most definitely be returning because its distance satisfied my preference of the mileage I wanted to accomplish without doing it in the blistering heat and on a hard surfaced pavement. Thomas G

The first little hike is nothing much, but coming back I turned onto a trail, went under a bridge…read moreand found the real trail. At sunset, in the middle of the city I was pleasantly surprised to greet this deer! This is a great getaway when you're just on your way home from the store!

I have lived in Elmwood park for 14 years. I think that this is a great village. You have many of…read morethe benefits of living in Chicago, with out many of the cons. The CTA owl line on Belmont runs all night if you want to go into the city and not drive. There is local police which are able to respond to emergency situations more rapidly than CPD, just due to the size of the village. The one major draw back is traffic on Harlem is awful, so it takes 15 minutes to get to any expressway, as you are in the middle distance away from all of them. The taxes are not cheap, but I would not say they are outside of the realm of what you should expect for the quality of the schools, and villager services which you can go to or use. The neighborhood is very walkable, there is groceries, and restaurants and convenience stores all within walking distance. There is a fair amount of green space as well. I do wish they would replant some elm trees though. I was a bit surprised to see other reviews saying the area which is so ethnically diverse was racist. I am sorry that those people had bad experiences with some individuals which may have had those antiquated views. I for one am happy to see many different people from different backgrounds all living together keeping this gem of a near west suburb a great place to live.

I visit Elmwood Park weekly to eat at the restaurants along North Ave. The village has a great…read morecrime prevention program in that area, with cameras monitoring the parking area as well as stationary and roving police units. Public Safety is critical and other villages should follow suit in the tactics that Elmwood Park employs to keep people safe from crime. The only downside to this Restaurant Row area is that there are very few handicapped parking spots.