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.

This is a nice clean facility with basic amenities. Although fishing is questionable, as to being…read moreallowed, there are many people enjoying doing it. The park is very large and has the usual playground equipment as well as a sledding hill, picnic tables and soccer field.

This is Four seasons Park in Shorewood, little lake to fish, tennis courts, basketball hoops, big…read morehill great for sledding or just walking up for exercise

Daughter had her wedding here in December a beautiful white building with snow was awesome. They…read moresupplied the chairs and table tables.-if I remember correctly. It was in 2014. Would definitely recommend spring summer winter fall. I think this building would make anything look beautiful.

My brother and sister-in-law went to Walton Island Park in Elgin to take pictures before their…read morewedding on their wedding day. As the name suggests this park is made up of an island and several bridges in the middle of the Fox River. There is a walking and running trail, fishing spots (with the appropriate permits of course), and benches and shaded places to sit and enjoy the nature. While we were visiting, the trees had turned color in the fall and added to the beauty of the area. There are some fantastic places to take pictures. The park even comes with a gigantic American flag. For a beautiful park to experience and enjoy, I highly recommend Walton Island Park!

CAMPING: I camped with a private group at Larsen's Landing…read moreas part of a weekend canoe package. We had the campground pretty much to ourselves. Pros: This camp site is off the beaten path. Literally. The road is not paved. There's no city noise and it really feels like you're in the wilderness even though you're just a short drive to civilization. Cons: You're in the wilderness. This is rustic camping. Forget about electric hookups. No water spigot. Not even a pit toilet. They did provide a port-a-potty. CANOEING: The canoe portion of our trip was no fuss. They drove our group by bus up-river and dropped us off - each with a sack lunch and a canoe - with instructions to just follow the river back to the landing. This was very well organized and they made sure everyone was set before taking off. I wouldn't change a thing. TIPS: If you're camping, bring your own water and a roll of TP. Invest in a dry box. Your canoe *WILL* tip when you least expect it. The sack lunch is worth it.

If you've never been kayaking and want to try it, check this place out. $45 a person per kayak, or…read moreyou can rent a canoe for less. The owner will take you to the drop off site at Epensheids park and away you go. Life jackets are provided. The trip can take 4-8 hours depending on what you do along the way. You can bring a soft sided cooler that can mount on the boat. Wear shoes as there are some rocky stopping spots. My friend and I had a blast on a gorgeous day on the Kish river.

I like it here. The…read morepark has a brand new (looking?) playground, a nice gazebo that I think you can reserve for special events, and a big sunken grassy field which we found perfect for soccer. Also you can walk through the park up to the edge of the Fox river and do some fishing if that's what you're in to. By they way, the bathrooms were probably the cleanest I've ever seen at a public park.

It's not the largest park the village has to offer, though it does boast the picturesque clocktower…read moreand fountains at the NW corner. Other than that, unless you're looking to fish or take the kids to the playground, you may be better served elsewhere. Towne park has a larger playground, Hill Climb Park is no slouch either, and has just as many, if not more display boards with historical information. But if you're walking around downtown and want to head towards the river, you can get here without having to wait at the light, like you would if you'd headed to Riverfront Park. This park, like Towne Park, does feature restrooms, which is not nothing.

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...)

First time wakeboarder here. I've skied many times but never got up on a wakeboard. After failing…read moreseveral times I'm happy to report, with the help of the talented and patient staff, I got up and rode for my first time! Came here with my family and we had an absolute blast. Very cool park set up with a cable system. It's tough to initially get the feel of taking off from a dead stop on the dock, but I do like the fact you're level with the water. Once you get a feel for it, the turns are also difficult (for a newbie) but not impossible. For the advanced riders, they have tons of features to ride on (or jump off of). As mentioned, the staff are friendly and helpful. They are all VERY good wakeboarders so they know their stuff. You can bring your own gear or rent from them. They have slow speed sessions or normal sessions, so if you're a beginner, go for the slow. A few small criticisms I had that would be easy to fix: -We came for a slow speed session and I was bummed they bumped up the speed halfway through the session right when I started getting the hang of it and I started falling again. I wish they wouldn't advertise a speed and then change it midway. They did bump it back down at the end of the session, which was good. -I think they need a little more padding on the shore by the first turn. If you fall there, to get onto the shore, you need to walk over rocks and they're painful on bare feet. -Our two younger nephews got a small burn on their shoulder from the life jacket rubbing against them? the adults were fine so not sure what that was about. All in all, a very positive experience for us and Rockford is very lucky to have a place like this! Can't wait to come back!

West Rock is a prime example for how EVERY cable park (and business) should be run. The staff are…read moreall-time, the park layout is incredible, the locals are very friendly, and the vibes simply can't be beat. This family owned & operated business does wonders with the community and is beyond passionate about the wakeboard industry. We travel from CA every season because we LOVE this place so much. I wish it was closer to the west coast, but the location is what makes this place beyond special. If you're looking into trying wakeboarding for the first time, West Rock is BY FAR the most affordable and provides the best experience for any ability level. Ask about their never ever (first timer) classes if you've never ridden before. A private coach will go above and beyond to get you riding and loving the sport as much as we do! Thanks for always delivering a 6 star experience for every day we ride your park!

Team Outsider has really got it right this time. They have a great team that is doing wonderful…read morethings with Lake Louise. Dustin, Michelle and Noel are all very personable and they make weekends so fun. It just keeps getting better.

This is our 2 season as seasonal campers at Lake Louise. It's also the second season without a…read moreworking pool and little to no communication as to the issue with the pool or when it will be fixed; really fixed. When we first decided to become seasonal at LL we were told by the park manager that bathrooms were one of the top items to be renovated. Unfortunately renovated and working are two different things. There is no activity director therefore activities are regularly cancelled at last minute or moved with no notice. The store in site does not sell things you would expect to find at a campground store ie camping essentials but that's ok but it's really hot or miss as to when the store is open. Good luck finding the operating hours and if you do find them, even better luck finding the store operational during those times. As a seasonal camper with your credit card on file, you will be charged for pump outs that are not listed in your contract and are supposed to be included in your yearly fee. No wxplaination will be given to you as to why you were charged this year but not last year. Any campers who do speak up about issues with the campground or management are threatened with being kicked out or retaliated against. Team Outsider is who owns the campground. You will never see them post about Lake Louise like they do their other properties because for some reason they don't care about this one. The co-owners of Team Outsuder, Cody Sauer and Josh Weissenstein have been reached out to multiple times by campers to voice their concerns about the state of LL only to have both Josh & Cody turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. I would recommend not doing business with Lake Louise or ANY campgrounds owned by Team Outsider FKA Land Lease America.