Gorgeous park with walking paths right along the river. There are rose gardens, you can see the…read morebeautiful outside of the Nicholas Conservatory, and many beautiful things all along this park. Stunning and very well maintained.

This is a nice place to take a break and relax. One wish is for dog owners to pick up after their…read moredogs. It would make for a much more pleasant experience on and off the bike/walk path. There is a botanical garden along the river front. We'll have to check it out next time.

Working in Rockford this week and I just happened to find this beautiful park beside the river…read more There were quite a few people enjoying the park on this weekend afternoon, and the weather was beautiful. Bike trails, picnic tables, and many benches along the river. This park is very well maintained. The Nicholas Conservatory is at one end of the park, and while I didn't have time to visit it today I hope the next time I am in Rockford.

Beautiful park along the river! Come to this area during the holidays like Halloween or Christmas…read moreto see their festive lights at night. Well maintained....with a big park that leads to trails, rose garden, etc.

The Forest Preserve Headquarters of Winnebago County is by far my favorite underrated park in the…read moreRockford area! Lots to explore and so many different, unique areas within the park. I love the view over the quarry in all seasons but it's especially beautiful in fall/winter. The walk through the woods and around the ponds and river on the other side of the forest preserve are gorgeous in spring with frogs and other small animals to find and lots of mossy pathways. It feels like a fairytale! (Photos by Figment Photography)

Great place to hangout and have a few beers and go on nature walks…read more I've never camped here, but I heard that its cool. There are a lot of nice shelters and a respectable playground. You can pick morel mushrooms here during the early-mid spring. There's a fair amount of wildlife (deer, turkey, woodpeckers, toads, etc.) as well. The conservation sheriff cruises through every once in a while to make sure no one's doing anything retarded. Its a popular hangout for delinquent kids during the day, so check your grills before you cook. There was piss on one of them once.

Alpine Park is awesome! They have a little something for everyone in every stage of life. They have…read morea pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, lots of picnic tables, pavilions and spots that you can rent out for events, lots of lawn space, and an epic kids playground (called "Paulyground"). We come here all the time and our kids love it just like I did as a kid. Would definitely recommend!

An awesome park - if you've haven't been there you should really give it a try…read more In addition to the picnic and hiking in the park that I remember from years back, we stopped at the playground. While not amazing, it has a good number of play stations at which the kids were having a blast (has soft surface to help when kids fall) Plus big green fields to run and play The only downsides are that the sandbox could definitely use some more sand and someone had clogged up the drain for the drinking fountain (...with sand...)

I have been coming to this park since I was a kid and the growth I have seen in the last 5 years is…read moreincredible. More animals, more events, upgraded facilities. I would highly recommend this park for anyone who wants to hike, enjoy a beautiful playground, see some adorable animals or ride horses.

Obviously this is one of those things that is way better in one's childhood memory than in current…read morereality. I remember walking through the covered bridge over to the children's farm and petting all sorts of animals and riding ponies. We took my 18 month old son today, and found about 4 barns with their windows and doors closed and locked. There was one duck that ventured out of a barn into a fenced area and looked at us. There was one sad horse behind a fence that had an oozing wound on it's leg. There were no employees anywhere in sight. I read on their website that pony rides are only available on Saturdays, and that's fine, but we won't be back. The only reason I gave them 1 star was because they did have one of the largest playgrounds in the area that is good for kids of all sizes, and my son did have a really good time there. Good thing he isn't old enough to be disappointed in what this place has become.

I say this about a lot of parks but, this is definitely one of the best parks I have ever been to…read more There are 6 areas for different sports, including: basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and ping pong. In addition to the sports, there is a very nice playground, pavilion (with electricity and a grill), and a walking trail.

A decent hamsterwheel for children. Want a place to tire them out? You could do worse…read more A few things I can say, is whenever you take children out in public, certain things happen in public. Most of the lower reviews I've seen are realistic, and legitimate gripes, but that's the 21st century for you (with this kind of population). When it gets down to it, there needs to be more places like this for children to have fun. Its not a bad place to take the kids or have a birthday party. The layout and equipment is pretty clever to where the possiblity of injury is low. As for me, I'm just going to sit around and drink a soda for an hour, in the hopes the kid is wiped out at the end.

Is dirty dirty dirty , way too crowded , dirty carpet , too many exits and entrance on the toddler…read moreside , restroom too close to playground.

I cannot recommend this place highly enough!! Absolutely killer on every level!! This is fun for…read moreadults to come to too! Obviously you need to be an inquisitive person and still enjoy learning new things.... But if you have some kids to bring it's literally like Disneyland but where they learn how everything works in the universe...... You really need to come here multiple times to take everything in..... If you care about your kids, and want them to be smart, this place is mandatory!

We came here on a Sunday with my kids (5 and 3). It being March, the outside was open so we were…read moreglad to explore outside for a bit but it closed at 4 pm. I felt this time that the place was kept tidier. I saw employees moving from area to area and trying to keep things in place, which seems like a pretty tough task with the amount of stuff in each area. My kids had a lot of fun in the upstairs area. There's lots to do & for $12 each, it can easily keep young kids entertained.

Had great fun at this state park in Loves Park where there's enough for hours of boating and…read morehiking. It has lots of rental options. Rock Cut State Park is the highlight of the area it seems. A couple lakes. There's also tons of trails. Come in here a few ways but the main entrance is where most come in. It's got a couple lakes. The main one is Pierce Lake which has many picnic areas along there. Boating is a favorite activity. On the south shore of the lake is a boat rental and concession building that's the main launching point. Get supplies if needing to get any. On the north shore of the lake is the campground which is private. Got to contact them ahead of time to get access for it. There's also cabins if not wanting to be in a motor home or whatever. Across the interstate is Olson Lake. This has a beach which is a popular place for families and picnics. It also has a sport dog training area. They practice for those hunters who like to shoot things. At the main entrance of the park is prairie restoration areas. These preserve the natural beauty of the park and are of interest to those in conservation efforts. Great place for outdoor activities. It's got the main entrance on State Route 173 but there's other ways to get in. The park is great for boating, hiking on lots of trails or whatever.

Beautiful state park with expansive walking and biking paths along with tons of camping spots…read more Beautiful views of the water, trees, and nature. This place is perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities and has ample parking and restrooms onsite. Definitely a must do in the area!

Worst place for a teenage kid starting out with Autism. They basically pushed him out with lies…read moresaying he did all of these things to fire him. So sad. You need to do better!

When in Rockford in the summertime, I head on over to Sinnissippi Park band shell for the park…read moredistrict's Music-in-the-Park series. Listening to regional talent among the beautiful trees has been a long standing family tradition. Wooden bench seating is provided (bring a cushion) on first-come-first-seated basis. Most performances occur on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and the best part is the Music-in-the-Park series is free. www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/soundsofsummer