I've always loved Washington Park! It's very clean, peaceful and one of my favorite places to see…read morenature, take in beauty and get some good walking in and/or a morning run! Being back in the city for a few weeks has really brought back many memories from years ago! This is where I had so many highlights as a teen. Prom pictures, family gatherings, awareness walks and so much more. This is such a beautiful park, located in a beautiful and calming part of the city! Park closes at 10:30 but it's very large, clean and many places to sit.

Beautiful park, lots of wildlife. Loved walking around and seeing all of the landscape, and the…read moreflowers around the botanical garden!

On my way into downtown Springfield when I spotted this park and hunted for a power outlet. It's…read morebeen cold the last few days and the onboard battery in the Sprinter van is running low. Surprise, there is an outlet here! It's on the north side on the building with restrooms (which was locked). I plugged in and took a walk around the park. Tennis/pickleball courts, a single baseball/softball diamond, walking paths, playground, skate park and several picnic areas with barbecue grills. Absolutely a pleasant experience this morning and now I'm at 100%. [Review 19690 overall - 144 in Illinois - 662 of 2023.]

Review Visit: May 12th, 2015…read more Iles park is about as park-y as you can get. It has your typical gazebo/pavilion where you can host birthday parties. There is some playground equipment for the kids to burn their excess energy on. There are some open acreage where you can have a picnic, play hacky sack, throw some frisbees, fly some kites, and various other outdoor activities. Besides all that, there really isn't much else to say about Iles. It seems to be a great spot to hang out with the kids or go on a walk with your significant other.

What a fun spot to stop. Three Dambo Trolls made by college students. You can explore a troll…read moretrail. Careful to check under the bridges. Spot a fairy house and garden. Visitor center to grab a map and a sack. Donations are always welcomed.

This was such a fun place to go. They have lots of jogging trails. They have both paved and…read moreunpaved ones. Making this place a good handicap accessible place. They also have free community classes. I did a mushroom foraging class, and a maple tapping one. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. They have an indoor and outdoor bathrooms. They also have a free parking lot to park. The staff are very nice and helpful in the visitor center. I definitely plan to go back here. It was such a beautiful, nice relaxing place.

This is a very well maintained state park/campground. The sites are electric only, so plan ahead to…read morehave water available. Our lakefront site (#1} isn't really on the lake. But many of the sites are directly on the water. The available shade varies widely by site. If shade is important to you ask for a site number in the 50s. The park is a ways off I-55 (~17 miles) so it isn't ideal for a quick stop on your way from A to B. But it's a great place to unwind and do some fishing.

For the past 15 years, my family and I have made Hickory Point Campground at Sangchris Lake our…read morehome away from home nearly every year. Years ago, the main camp host set the gold standard for hospitality. He was incredibly welcoming, driving around to wave, checking if campers needed ice or wood, and even delivering it straight to your site. He even gave my son an unforgettable golf cart ride, making us feel like true family. Unfortunately, the experience over the last three years has been a stark contrast. The host (the same host as before) acts as though guests are a massive inconvenience. He has a sign instructing new arrivals to check in, yet treats you with open annoyance when you actually follow his rules. On a recent visit, when we politely asked if he still delivered firewood, he shot us a look that could kill and snapped, "No!" When we apologized and mentioned we hadn't realized the policy changed, he barked, "It did this year!" We didn't expect special treatment; we simply asked based on years of past practice. On the bright side, the woman sharing his site is always an absolute delight. We adore Sangchris Lake and Hickory Point Campground, but if hospitality isn't your job anymore, sir, it might be time to pack up the camper and haul off into the sunset.

This is a great place to visit for everyone. There are so many things for kids to interact with:…read moresplash pad, playground, giant sundial, chimes they can play, pond (fishing), log house, walking path (wheelchair accessible). It can get busy, but there is so much space it rarely feels crowded.

Beautiful park! Went Sunday and took nice walk. Just breathtaking setting. For sure will be back.read more

Cute little park with plenty of picnic seating and a lakeside pavillion! I love what a great view…read moreof the lake you get from here (if you ignore the CWLP smokestacks). There are lots of little ducks and geese wandering around and a bridge that connects the east and west side of the park. I'll definitely be back to enjoy the lakeview and the picnic grilling!

This Park is huge. Great for walking and catching great scenery. Also a bit romantic if you are…read morestopping to just sit in the garden. Full of live nature and of course free of charge plenty of parking. Be sure to remember where you parked the walking trail will have you walking for a long journey. There's a park on the other side for kids to play. Bridge to cross if you find view of ponds calming. Trails to walk through the forest preserve and plenty of people out walking, running or picnicking. It's absolutely beautiful and a staple here in the state capital.

I recently visited the Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield and had a lovely 4-star…read moreexperience. The gardens are well-maintained and make for a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the city. There's a nice variety of plants and flowers throughout the grounds, and depending on the season, there's plenty of colour and interesting displays to enjoy. One of my favourite parts was simply walking through the conservatory and taking my time exploring. It's not a huge attraction, but that's part of its charm--it feels relaxing rather than overwhelming, and you can appreciate everything at your own pace. The grounds are clean, the staff are friendly, and it's a great spot for photos, a quiet stroll, or just spending some time surrounded by nature. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's relatively small, so you can see most of it fairly quickly. I also have not explored the entire garden yet so I can't say I experienced it fully. Still, it's a beautiful local gem and well worth a visit if you're in Springfield. Overall: 4 stars. A peaceful and well-kept botanical garden that's perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

Imagine this..... You move away from the area for close to…read more30 years, then return home. It seems like a life time since as a child you swam here. As that boy grew he longs to return to those days. The sun shines on those such days that are gone. Playing by the river . Then that boy turns into a man and you and the boys are here. That same pack plays here day and night with not a bit of care except to keep it happy. One day you will all go your separate way. That day came for all these individuals. Then one day you hear the news one of your own drown around Christmas. While life goes on you have this pull to come back here. All those memories to the area are unchanged. But a marker is placed by the people because they lost one of their own Jim Midden in late December 2003. And guess what being gone all those years, you had no idea. You called out for your friend, that connection even in death all those years ago. Jim answered, "here I died all those years ago and you returned to remember. " How powerful! This area the local community swimming hole. A little piece of heaven that you can gather and go. No judgement! All fun! Come and play! Or remember and enjoy life one day as it comes. Life happens but today we choose to enjoy and live it.

Today we went with our 1.5 yr old GSD to Riverside Park, for the first time. We were there all of 5…read moreminutes, and were then swarmed by 8-10 dogs that weren't on a leash. They did not listen to their moronic owners recall. Their owner is negligent and put her dogs, and my dog/husband/myself safety in danger. One dog was a German shepherd with a blue eye, a Brittany spaniel, a pit bull, and a few mutts. The woman was nowhere in eye sight as her dogs chased us back to our jeep. I know it's a long shot, but I hope she sees this. Ma'am, I almost used my bear spray on your dogs because they were aggressively approaching me and my dog. It was a very scary experience. Someone else may have felt so threatened that they could've injured or shot your dogs! Have some common sense! I hope you step in a giant pile of dog shit and have a terrible day! You don't deserve to have those dogs, especially if you can't control them or keep them on a leash. The park itself was confusing to navigate, and as mentioned in other reviews- potholes.

Review Visit: April 24th, 2017…read more Carpenter Park is more than your typical park. Since the coming of Spring, I have been getting the itch to hike. There are plenty of places to hike in Illinois, but I wanted something different. Something off the beaten path. Somewhere that wasn't Starved Rock or a 2 hour drive for me. After scouring Google Maps for a place, I stumbled upon Carpenter Park. So in my car and off to hike I go! Carpenter Park is located on the outskirts of Springfield, almost in Sherman. Taking Sherman Road in, you will find it on the right. Your turn will take you to a one lane road where it leads to a small but ample parking lot. Beware, this road is mighty bumpy and will test your suspension due to all the dips and holes. Parking at Carpenter Park, you'll easily notice the main board that has a map with the trails marked on it. Food for thought, if you ever go hiking, take a photo this is map with your phone. You never know when you will need it. I have referred to the maps on my phone many times, just to make sure I was where I thought I was. The main parking area has all the entry hiking points, so it is easy to hop on a trail and start walking. I noticed main of the trails tend to intersect and cross each other, so you could easily go from one path to another to another. While this was fine and dandy, it was at a certain point that I noticed all the crossings no longer had markers. So you really need to pay attention to where you are going or you may end up getting lost... like I did. Just like at Matthiessen State Park, I somehow wandered out of the hiking area and into the main road that leads to the parking lot. As for the trails, they are all fairly flat, well-defined and suitable for people of all hiking skills. There are quite a few that had logs laying across the path, so you will have to go around or climb over. Not a hassle for someone who is in shape, but if you are looking for a gentle walk, this may be a problem. Some paths had a path going around the logs, but it's not a guarantee. While kind of getting lost, I did stumble upon some really cool cliffs/canyon of Sandstone. They were facing the Sangamon River. If you view some of the images below, I managed to sit on a part that stuck out. It was a fantastic view as long as you didn't look down and see the rocks and river below. Thrilling! Overall, I was here just shy of 2 hours and it was a fun place to hike. It is somewhat connected to another place called Gurgens Park that seems to offer more of the same as here. So if you felt daring, you could literally cross the road that splits them and hike both places. Carpenter Park has some interesting history, if you read the Wiki link below. Guess it is an Old Route 66 attraction. How cool! If you do hike/camp/fish in nature areas, please please please pick up after yourself. I filled an entire Kroger bag full of trash. Keep Nature Beautiful.

Could use better maintenance and more signage…read more Pro tip- to find this park on google maps search "Historic Stone Shelter" This park is a nice little oasis in Springfield and my go to place for a short hike. I love the views by the river but my biggest gripe with the trails is that there aren't very many signs to delineate where trails are intersecting. The trails that are not by the water are nice for a little taste of nature but don't have any standout features. In all, I enjoy coming to Carpenter Park to hike and enjoy a scenic lunch but I wish there was better marking of the trails.

One of the best places to hike around in Springfield. There is a playground for kids, a grassy area…read morewith mowed paths for walks and hiking/mountain bike trails in the woods. Great for dogs too! It's never over crowded like some of the other parks. The trails in the woods link up with the Sangamon Valley Bike Trail.