Google maps leads slightly away from the address…read more Decent amount of parking and super clean bathrooms. (Yes, for a forest preserve!) Trails were pretty flat. I saw lots of wildlife. Trails were clean.

This trail is so peaceful! I've now done the trail twice (once in May, and once in October). The…read more(gravel) paths are extremely wide and leave plenty of space for bikes and walkers. Easy way to get in a good 10k steps before you even realize it, and the changing landscape is absolutely beautiful. We missed the sunflowers/wildflowers this year, but I will be sure to not miss them again next year!! Plenty of parking for a weekend visit. Wear sunscreen as the path is wide open, and bring hand sanitizer as the restrooms were out of soap both times.

Review Six-Hundy! Since I'm happiest outdoors & we enjoy exploring various parks & nature preserves…read moreI'm glad the timing worked out to make one of those a milestone review for me. Nestled up in McHenry County on Elizabeth Lake this nature preserve has 2 miles of trails with views of the surrounding 345 acres. I took a photo of the map but their website also has a nice one posted there as well. I wish the trails went all the way around the lake but due to the makeup of the ground/marshy area, preservation efforts, etc. the trails are all on one side of the preserve. It's a lovely setting with a large variety of wildflowers, prairie grasses, plants & trees to take in and the songbirds were in full effect on our visit. There are no restroom facilities here so plan accordingly. The trails are a mowed path with a few footbridges so if it has rained recently the paths could be wet/muddy, especially in the shady areas. We had to turn back twice due to areas that were too wet/muddy to get through in the footwear we had on but would have been doable with hiking footwear. We still enjoyed most of the trail with me in my sandals. There is seating near the parking lot at the overlook/entrance area but no other benches along the trails...but with just 2 miles of trails not really necessary for most.

Wonderful trail to walk your dog, wonderful addition to Twin Lakes considering there are no…read moresidewalks on Lake Shore Dr. I just wish they would connect it with the trail system at the south end of Lake Elizabeth to have a longer trail. Beware of ticks in the warmer months. The grasses usually prevent it from getting too muddy. The trail is pretty well maintained and the map is available at the beginning of the trail so you can choose your loop.

This is one of our favorite places to walk and view native plants and birds. Nestled in the…read moreSouthwest Corner of Moraine Hill State Park,this park offers great walking and biking paths. You can walk along the Fox River or take the circular crushed limestone trail . Plenty of parking along with restrooms,picnic tables,bait and snack shop and BBQ grills. Definitely a place to visit when in McHenry County.

This is a great place to walk and to see nature all around you. The trails are wide and go through…read morea variety of different habitat. I enjoyed seeing many late summer blooms and so many birds. Parking lot is huge and there is a bait shop for those who like to go fishing.

Fantastic preserve that's easy to pass by. Reed Turner is a small preserve that has single-track…read moretrails throughout the preserve. This is not a huge preserve so if you want to log miles, this may not fit the bill. A beautiful woodland preserve with a creek and ravines and great beauty!! Well worth a visit and many repeated visits over the seasons!

Neat little woodland in Long Grove with several trails that go through a creek, a pond, and a lake…read more Here you'll find pure undisturbed nature (you'll have to hike on unpaved roads) with lots of beautiful flowers, animals, and insects. There's majestic trees, great water views, and a great variety of plants. Worth a visit if you want to get away from the typical forest preserve.

This place is beautiful, with an awesome little pier, multiple nice shoreline walking areas, and…read morepretty direct access to the des plaines river and another, much smaller pond with a stream running just south of the parking lot. The only reason this place doesn't get a perfect 5 star is for 2 reasons: 1. On the northern edge of the lake, the expressway and electric towers are very loud and get pretty annoying, and 2. You better pack bug spray because the day I came here, I had 6 ticks crawling on me after I left. luckily none of them bit me, but still. I understand it's tick season but it's still pretty crazy. Awesome place overall, and seems to have good fishing. Even saw a loon on the day I went. Would recommend as a walking/fishing area.

Lake Carina is a forest preserve. I went here to eat a late lunch and walk around with my…read moreboyfriend. It's quite small and easy to miss when you're driving on 21. The venue has a lot of parking and the lake is very pretty. It's a nice place to go for a walk. Beware of the many mosquitoes and gnats - it is a lake after all. I am afraid of bees, and there seemed to be an abundance of them on the trail. Along the walking trail, there are benches along the way. There are picnic tables and trash bins by the entrance of the trail. When you enter, there is a dock for fishing. You must be licensed to fish if you are over the age of 16. There is also a bike trail, but I didn't get a chance to check that out. I believe the walking trail is about a mile long. You could also walk your dog. They conveniently have doggy bags at the beginning of the trail as well. There is also a bathroom area next to the parking lot. The walking trail itself is pretty, but nothing amazing. You do go under some big electric posts. When we were walking, they were buzzing which was a little scary for me. The last thing I'll add is be careful where you step. Some people aren't considerate enough to pick up after their dogs. Other than that, it's a nice place to go for a walk. It's not a place I would go out of my way to see.

This is my favorite place to run! It's also great for biking or walking. There is a mix of hills…read moreand flat land. It gets hilly going south to Crystal Lake and north to Richmond, but it's pretty flat through all of McHenry. This is a 28-mile trail that goes from Genoa City, WI to Algonquin, IL. It also connects to other paths, including one that circles all the way around northern Illinois. It is beautifully maintained. I love that it goes through so many different towns; it makes for a lot of good scenery! I love to run through my hometown, McHenry, at sunset, because the path passes Petersen Park beach and gives you the perfect view of a beautiful sky over the water. I love that this trail exists near me!

This is a great little spot on the Nippersink Creek to put your boat in or spend a little time…read morefishing. Coming from both directions on Route 12 it is just around a curve so it can come up quick, but there is a nice big sign you can't miss. The parking lot isn't huge, but has space for cars as well as trailers and seemed to have been paved fairly recently. Past the parking lot there is a gravel road you can use to access the canoe launch. The facility has bathroom (outhouse), a picnic shelter, a fishing area with a fire pit, and the canoe launch. There is a nice paved trail that you can walk to get to the fishing area. I was very impressed with how well maintained the area was.

Lehmann Park is a great place to relax if you are a resident of Lake Villa…read more The park is very clean and well kept with pretty flowers planted by the old clock at the entry. It features a picnic pavillion available for parties, grilling areas, picnic tables, clean bathrooms, volleyball court, beach / swimming area and boat dock. For kids, there are a couple of play areas in the park as well as swing sets and jungle gyms on the sand in the beach area. There is also a separate shallow swimming area just for small children. The sandy beach has clear waters - you can see the minnows swimming right around your feet, and the lake is very calm due to the boat motor restriction. I haven't seen a bad sunset yet. I love coming here and appreciate how the residents keep it clean. I do wish more residents would follow the "no dogs on the beach rule" though; the signs are clearly posted, but people sometimes allow their dogs to run unleashed in the swimming area. If you're a resident of Lake Villa and haven't visited this park, you must stop by before summer's end.