Midewin is worth the drive from Chicago -- 90 minutes…read more The visitor's center is closed during the pandemic. We followed the signs and went there, thinking we'd find the trailheads. We didn't. We eventually found a man moving grass who recommended we drive north to the Iron Bridge and park there. That was good advice. Not only is there parking, pit toilets, and picnic tables, but the trailhead, and connections to several trails. I recommend everyone start at the Iron Bridge trailheads. We did not see the bison, but we did enjoy a few hours of walking on flat trails. We admired the prairie grasses and flowers, reveled in the sunshine and breeze on this cool day, and just loved every minute we were there. Hikers, remember to wear a head covering. You are on the prairie, after all. Officially, this is a national park, and I brought my national parks pass, but we saw no rangers at all. Nobody checked for park passes or any kind of entrance fee.

If bison, wildflowers, wildlife, & pastures are your thing, you've come to the right place. I'm…read morefrom Ohio and it was my husband's idea to come here. He saw it on a map and said, that's something we've got to do because we live less than 6 hours from it and it's got National in the name... We were not disappointed. I noticed that most people come here for the bison viewing, and that was nothing short of spectacular. However, there are so many trails in addition to that that make this place all the more worthwhile! I especially enjoyed the history, this park was the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and when you walk some of the trails, that becomes apparent in the sense of abandonment that it gives you. However the peaceful ponds and gorgeous wildlife found along the way makes the hike both interesting and fulfilling. The hikes are not strenuous unless you hike in the heat like we did. There are no inclines or anything. You'll be out in the prairie or into the shade of the woods, but more of the former. Just be aware if you hike in the heat, to bring lots of water and sunscreen, as the sun seems to be more brutal in the open plains. The park gave us plenty to do in our 3 days in the area and it was a unique park for us in the sense that it was a prairie and not woods or mountains or beach...when have you ever hiked a trail through a prairie? Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Best park that's in Channahon of course. Channahon State Park has some nice views of the DuPage…read moreRiver. It actually is bigger than it seems with lots of open areas and trails. Has lots of places for grilling. The park also usually isn't crowded so it's a good place for chilling and hanging. A lot of great scenery around. It's located along the DuPage River. This is near the end of it where it flows into the Des Plaines River, so around here there's certainly lots of water. Among the other features is the war memorial. This honors those from Channahon who died in various wars. It consists of a few flags and pillars with names of those who died. The park also has a building that looks like it has bathrooms but it's closed off it seems. Gets crowds when it's good weather for boating. It's located close to the marina with the Big Basin Saloon, a popular hangout. There's plenty of areas along the water including a few trails.

First time coming here, wanted to try something new to visit on a day off work and this place is…read moresuch a beautiful gem! Great views everywhere from all places! The park itself is great for the summer for shade from the sun. Bathrooms are okay. The dam itself is really cool to see. Highly recommend coming here on a run to take everything in better. Even a better place to fish at! Not too crowded at all, very peaceful! 4.5 stars

This lake can be a hit or miss truthfully depending on when you come. It's ideal to come here in a…read morecompact vehicle but many people come here in trucks. This place is ideal for fishing, kayaking and if your looking to do a lap around a park without running in a circle that's 3 miles around. It's right next door to the I&M canal. It has restrooms and a nice picnic area. People off Sheply Road drive really fast so use caution.

Repurposed gravel quarry. Always busy on a clear afternoon.read more

First time coming here. It's a newer park that I discovered by accident that I never knew existed…read morewhen I was driving around. This place is perfect for anyone looking for a short walk, fishing, boating, family picnics and of course sight seeing. There's ample amount of parking here for the most part. Place is moderately packed.... Sometime in the future the trail will be extended. This place also features an outhouse too. Freshly paved trails. Spots for RVs and boats. Hidden gem of Joliet!

Really pretty walking trail. It's not a very long trail. We spent about 2 hours here (January,…read moresome snow on the ground but sunny), most of the path was paved. From a walking/hiking standpoint, this is probably not a full day destination. Definitely worth a visit!

Advertised pallbearers, flowers to put on casket before burial, taps, gun salute, service. Arrived…read more35 mins before meeting time they already gone & service almost over without son & other family. Directed to permanent tent for services, no graveside burial or site seen, nothing as advertized. Someone read couple bible readings. Told that other groups waiting, to leave fast & come back (over 2 hours away) in couple weeks & should be buried. Body & flowers went where? Hideous experience. Tempted to retrieve & go elsewhere. Could not get real answers before choosing.

I found this on the old Route 66 mini road trip and I had no idea that this was even on my drive…read moreafter looking and planning my road trip so I had to stop. The ALNC is almost a 1000 acres with nice uniform tomb stones from any angle that is so cool and perfect with all the contours of the small hills and dips of the land. I stopped by on a Sunday and although the property was open for visitors the building were closed but it was still a cool place to visit. ALNC is a national cemetery available to all armed service members and family depending on eligibility and requirements and for the full experience you have to go Monday to Friday 8 to 4:30 except on federal holidays.

This is a giant stretch of DNR land down along the Des Plaines river. It offers fishing, hunting,…read moreetc, on a mixed landscape of prairie, forest, small cornfields, riverways, etc. There are numerous parking areas that allow easy access for exploration. I've personally only visited in the fall during the DNR's controlled pheasant permit hunting. Being close to Chicago, the allotted permits are taken up quickly, so reserving one in advance is essential. The DNR enacted an online reservation service a couple years ago that made doing so a lot easier than the mail in lottery they previously used. However you feel about controlled pheasant hunting, I must say the DNR does a good job of enforcing good hunting practice and limiting access. At check in you'll have the opportunity to pick from various hunt starting points. This helps spread out the hunter population and give each group of hunters a reasonably private trip out into the fields. Also, be prepared to show a valid Il FOID card- no one is allowed to hunt without one (as well as obvious hunting license- no pheasant stamp required). Prior to the start of the hunting day (9AM), everyone is required to attend a talk on hunter safety and rules- this is taken very seriously. The limit is 2 birds per hunter. As the day wears on hunters are allowed to use their vehicles to move from area to area, so things do tend to get a little more "social," although many hunters limit out so quickly and leave it's less of a problem than one might think. Overall, I found the experience here to be a good way to get introduced (with the help of experienced hunter friends) to bird hunting. Since those early experiences, I've met other hunters here and they've all taken hunting seriously- I've never met any kill it and grill it meatheads here yet. The pheasants certainly have peculiar behavior, and a day spent hunting them and learning while appreciating the beautiful natural landscape is a day well spent. It's not a trip to South Dakota, but it's a lot simpler and a great place to get a kid started hunting and maybe appreciate the need for natural land and habitat preservation!

Beautiful secluded area that is really well hidden! Can be easily accessible on foot through the…read moreI&M trail. I consider this park a place to go on 3 mini trails that all loop and connect to each other. Learning about the history of this place is incredible. This was a former site of 3 residential homes and have been converted to a beautiful park. There is a visitor center where you can observe birds with binoculars, observe fish and learn about the local animals in the illinois region. Even a recreational space to educate children. Clean restrooms inside and throughout the trails. There's a couple of picnic shelters as well. You get to read some great informational stuff as you go along your adventure. Hiking shoes recommended! It's about 85 percent paved. One of the best trails in will county

This review is for the soccer department. After watching my 7 year old play 2 games I noticed she…read morewasnt getting very much game time. I complained as it was basically statically impossible to play as little as she did compared to the other kids especially the coaches daughter. They had 10 people with 7 positions yet somehow my kid sat the bench at the start of every quarter and played less than 50% of the game. All while the coaches daughter played the whole game. I confronted him about it and that guy actually told me that he doesnt believe in fair play and that because his kid puts more effort into practice that she deserves to play more then everyone else. I know hes a volunteer but these are 7 year olds that are in first and second grade. The director of the soccer department did nothing about this coach. Everyone develops differently but that is far to young to punish a kid for not knowing how to play the game perfectly. Bottom line, Hopefully your lucky and you dont get a coach like this, or you get lucky and the coach doesnt single out your child in a method of social bullying. Because, the Channahon Park District will do nothing to help you in this situation. That Coach shouldnt ever be allowed to coach anyone less then 4th grade. That Coach is going to be the reason why so many young kids turn away from soccer.

If you are looking for group fitness classes in the Channahon-Minooka area, the Channahon Park…read moreDistrict has some really good offerings. I take the cardio strength and kickbox strength with Annmarie. All workout classes are good for any fitness level. Most classes are only $5 for the drop-in rate. Most people sign up for the yearly fitness package, but the drop-in rate fits really nicely with my busy schedule. Definitely lost some pounds and toned-up a bit in the two months of dropping in and taking Annmarie's classes. Good luck and happy workouts.

We Love Bringing our dog Jack here, almost as much as he loves being there! So much better than…read moreother Dog Parks in the area. In our experience over the last 17 years as a pet owner around here is that an unfortunate amount of pet parents at other parks do not always pay as close attention as they should ; this causes a lot of fighting, biting, and and doggie doo doo going unnoticed. There is a water pump when it warmed up (AND A WASHROOM SO YOU HAVE TO REASON TO EVER LEAVE...LOL) There are two sides to this park one for larger dogs and one for dogs up to 35 lbs. This definitely helps deter a lot of unforeseen problems that could occur. Grass is very well maintained they have a third side they switch off too to keep grass from becoming a mud hole. It's a walk in the Bark...have fun!!!