The space is good. Large and small dog area. Lots of poop on the ground. Not sure if because it was…read moreafter winter. The gates have locks on them that prevent you from being able to secure it closed. Not sure why that is.

Amazing dog park! Can be a little muddy if recently rained but overall very nice and freeread more

Trails have been repaved in the last several years they're all black topped. I've been away for…read moreseveral years so that's why I'm stating this. There's also some marked interior trails that are gravel or limestone that seem to go closer to the river. I do not travel those, I would imagine that would produce a lot more bugs. Apparently I have desirable blood, if you're a bug. So, Im not looking to get bit up by insects, so I stay on the main paths. Still have multiple shelters, and plenty of parking at each shelter, & there's grills, there's picnic tables. The dog park is still at Black Road, & and appears to be utilized regularly. Sometimes I'll walk all the way down from Black Road and the trail goes downhill as you get closer to 52/Jefferson and if you continue on it, the path goes underneath 52 and dumps out right behind the bar called Crowd Around Me. Multiple bathrooms along the way, there's semi kept up. I wouldn't say they're super clean but it's an outdoor bathroom. I'll give them this much credit, they are cleaned often enough that they aren't disgusting, and there's usually paper in there. Nice place to walk/bike/E bike/run. Or even gather some folks and have a picnic. Its usually pretty quiet in there. Little more crowded on the weekend, but that's understandable. Worth traveling through. And like I say a good place for exercise.

Great place for you to bring dogs. Hammel Woods is one of the natural wonders around here. It has…read morelots of hiking and jogging trails. A lot of good ways to get some exercise. There's quite a lot of dog poop on the trails so watch. A lot of dog owners come here. It isn't strictly a dog park but it's very friendly for them. There's lots of features including drinking fountains and poop bags if there's any left, which often there aren't so it's advised to bring some bags with you. Also there's trash cans for these bags. The bad thing about this park is you need a permit. Grills are available for cooking. It also has a pavilion. The DuPage River is good for kayaking and wading.

The real rating is probably 2.5. It's not the worst campground you'll ever visit, but it leaves a…read morelot to be desired. We had campsite 32, which provided a decent amount of tree cover and wasn't too far to walk to the restrooms. Mosquitoes were out of control, so be sure to pack proper clothes and a metric ton of bug spray. There were two vault toilets available in our loop - no running water there. Also no light inside, which is an adventure. Our picnic table was covered in bird poop and other debris from nearby trees. I'm used to roughing it, but this table was as bad as I've seen in a park. Maybe a lack of rain left it in such bad condition. I recommend bringing your own chairs and table if you can. The restrooms with running water were pretty disgusting. Why does every camp bathroom reek of urine? Do we not have functional plumbing in these things? Are guys just hosing down the entire building with piss and refusing to flush? It's insane. There was one very empty soap dispenser available and only warm/hot water coming from the faucet. Of course, you can't control your neighbors at a campground. Most folks were keeping themselves under control, but one group was watching a basketball game or something and the sound of the ref's whistle echoed throughout the camp. I understand that's not the campground's fault. It was disappointing to hear traffic while at the campground. I go camping to get away from it all. This was unfortunate. I might return to Illini State Park if I need a place to crash, but there was nothing special about this place other than its relative proximity to Starved Rock (which had no available campsites the day I was headed there). If you need firewood, you can grab some at the Shell station not far away at 1441 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350.

Such a nice camping spot! I've been going here for a few years now, couldn't camp last summer due…read moreto covid. This place is great! 15$ a night (10$ with a 5$ service fee online) You just pull up to your spot when you get there. They offer very private sites along with some sites in the open. Sites 90-95 & 98-101 are all great spots if you want some privacy. There's a small town with some cafes and bars just over the bridge so less than a mile away. Such a great spot & very relaxing.

I've noticed that people in my 'hood can be total slackers about cleaning up their dog poop, so I…read morealways avoided passing Kelly Park on our daily walks. Since my beagle boy didn't poop yet this afternoon, I decided to walk through here since there is a wide open lot of green grass. For a dog, that's pooping heaven. He also enjoyed the wood chips on the playground. Me, not so much, since he projectiled on the living room floor later. This park is clean aside from the occasional water bottle and empty Capri Sun drink. I was surprised that it was free of dog doo, and there was a trash can to throw out my bag. There is a nice basketball hoop, typical playground equipment like swings and a jungle gym, and a nice field for soccer or tossing a softball around. I would like it more if it were fenced since I don't have a fenced yard or dog park nearby. This park is in the middle of the Marybrook subdivision, so even without a fence you don't have to worry about your little ones running into traffic. We will definitely be back. Just going to avoid those wood chips.

Loved McCollum park! Super fun and huge place!! Has a couple soccer fields and tennis courts and…read morebaseball field and basketball courts and playgrounds for kids! Was my first time there but was a really fun experience! It was big enough where everyone has their own space and you don't feel crowded. We were actually able to do a bible study with some friends without being distracted and having people loud and around us. Really enjoyed my time there. Definitely a good place to go if you have a big group of people and need a lot of space.

I love this park, so many thing to do. This park is close to my house…read more There is two great playgrounds for young kids and older. There are basketball courts, volleyball, tennis courts, and soccer fields. You can miniature golf at Miner Mikes and there is a little concession stand. Also, there is softball/baseball fields. The thing I enjoy most is the 1.2 mile walking/running/bike path around the whole park.

Some of the clearest waters you'll see in Illinois. So much fun to kayak in and around the lake. It…read moregets up to 100 feet deep! That and the clarity can give you some really pretty views inside the lake. Not the best for fishing which is kinda a bummer. Roomer has it there's some good walleye here though. Overall such a beautiful lake and do recommend. mildly busy and there are kayak rentals available if you don't have your own

We had a 12:00pm appointment. The 2 very kind workers that were there were unfortunately unable to…read moreunlock the doors to give us the kayaks that we reserved. They were on time but their manager/supervisor was bringing them a key. Unfortunately for us, their manager didn't arrive until 1:45 almost 2 hours after our scheduled appointment time. The 2 workers were very apologetic with us responding it's not their fault. We would like to say to the management, do better!! How dare you have people wait for your slow behinds!! it was extremely hot and very inconveniencing to your patrons. And to make matters worse we didn't even get offered a discount for our inconvenience!! If offered a discount it would have at Least showed you had some professionalism but alas you didn't. Had you shown just an ounce of professionalism I would have possibly considered giving you another try. I wouldn't recommend Whalon Lake Kayak rental to my dog. Sincerely, Very hot and disappointed patron

I am not a dog owner but I really like living in a town with a dog park, I think it's a great idea…read more That way the dogs can run free in an area where they won't scare children or startle bikers or joggers. I wish everyone in Frankfort would use the dog park instead of the Plank Trail as that would keep the Trail free of dog poo. That would be good for everyone else on the Trail and the dogs would be happy also. It is easy to register, pay the nominal fee and get a key card at the Park District office. The fees help to maintain the park. Have a dog in Frankfort? Check out the dog park.

Since I'm a dog dad now I've been scouting the suburbs for the perfect place to relocate and raise…read moremy pup. Just kidding. That will never be me. Frankfort IS a hell of a lot more appealing since this park is there though. $50 and proof of your pup's shots gets you a year long membership. Included in that is private access to a massive enclosure that's all soft grass. There's shaded areas, free poop bags, and a time out section if your dog gets a little too excited to be frolicking out in the sun. It's honestly my dog's favorite place to play, and I don't even mind driving about 45 minutes from the city to do so.

So beautiful! Feel like it's been AI, it's paradise. Great experience, what a sanctuary.read more

A wonderful and peaceful place to be if you want to get away from the bustle but not drive too far…read moreout of town. A must if you love great scenery and wide open spaces. Has about 5 miles of trails and recently they have added on off leash area for dogs, with plenty of room to run and play. The park itself is not as big as other forest preserves, but still big enough to be secluded and peaceful. The winding trails take you through heavily wooded areas and prarie areas... I come hear a lot to explore with my dog and go on walks with my fiance. Its nice!

Great park located around Yorkville with a few big lakes. It has lots of hiking trails. Silver…read moreSprings State Park gets its name from the pool of bubbling water. Of course, there's tons of other things to see around it. The popular activities include boating, fishing, and picnicking. Bigger park with a lot of history. It's an area that was purchased by the state in 1969 and turned into a park. The park was originally 1,250 acres, and added a prairie restoration project in 1980 among expansions since. Kind of what the land was like before settlers took it. There's a path that goes through it where visitors can check out animals, grass, and wildflowers. A few man made lakes are highlights. Loon Lake is the biggest one, popular for fishing or getting photos. A refreshment stand is located by it. The spring is the biggest attraction of the park though. Amazingly the water in it never freezes. There's amazing plantlife around it including watercress. Also fun when it's colder. There's a toboggan hill that's fairly steep. Among the kinds of trails are equestrian. There's also plenty for basic hiking. Has lots to look at here for hours and you can even stay overnight by camping. It's got an area that's available for youth groups. This area is only reachable through backpacking so it's far away from loud noises or vehicles.

Serene lake with a good 2-mile hike along lake, river, woods amd some prairie. It was a quiet…read moremid-day walk one snowy day... until I pass by a group of kids screaming and sledding along a slope, how fun :)