For those who know me understand that being outdoors in nature is my A#1 Happy Place. Whether it be…read morebiking, hiking, camping, kayaking/canoeing, skiing, boating, or just chilling in a park swaying in a hammock, it is the place to be for me. So, when we consider options that are a reasonable drive from Chicago, there are actually quite a lot. My go-to has been and maybe always will be the crown jewel, SRSP (aka, Starved Rock) as it's a short drive about 1.5 hrs away and puts you smack dab in the middle of *nothing else that looks like Illinois*...except for maybe Giant City in Southern IL in the Shawnee National Forest. But that is about a six hour drive so much less doable. Others include Palos Forest Preserves (best MTB in the area), Water Fall Glen, Saw Wee Kee, Galena, S. Wisconsin, NW Indy, SW Michigan, etc...again, there is way more beauty in nature in our region than you would expect, you just look for it. So when we wanted to check out a new place to us, we came across Kankakee County and the Kankakee River State Park in particular. In short, such an unexpected gem and while it's no SRSP, it does deliver for good hiking in nature running along, you guessed it, the Kankakee River. It's near Bourbonnais where our beloved Chicago Bears do their training camp...well, used to up until recently where they now train at Halas in Lake Forest. In short, if you are looking for a quick getaway adventure in the great outdoors of nature, make this an option, you won't be disappointed.

Potowatomi Camp: What a beautiful, quiet campground, neat, well kept, with a good size shower…read morehouse, and wooded areas separating the sites. The bike trails were awesome. The river views were picturesque. They had parks and swing-sets, pavilions, a nice suspension bridge and river overlooks. 10/10 would come again.

Great park for kids of all ages! Splash pad in the summer is a great time as well!! The restrooms…read morewere very clean and I have no complaints!!

Great park for young kids. Gets busy during summer afternoons. There's a decently large playground…read morewith a padded ground, multiple tall slides, monkey bars. Next to the playground is a large splash pad with several shaded benches. Not much shade to be found elsewhere in the park. Small concession stand open when we went (June). Bathrooms at the entrance to the playground/splash pad. Several picnic tables on the other side of the parking lot that are partly shaded by trees.

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

Take a hike! See some waterfalls! Temper your expectations regarding the latter. This isn't Niagara…read moreFalls we're talking about, but once you reach the falls, it's a nice respite from all the noise in the world. Depending on the season and time of year you visit, you can walk across this small waterway, trek through some woods, hear pleasing bird calls, but be sure to wear some good shoes. The path is dog-friendly and I see dogs enjoying the water more than the owners. So what are you waiting for?

Well maintained. Not too crowded…read more Challenging enough on a bike for me. Beautiful and well maintained trails that are well marked. Love it. If you're out of shape this place can whip you back into shape if you let it.

So peaceful. People…read morereally seem to be respectful and take care of the property for the most part. Trash usually isn't all over. I really enjoyed my evening out it was restful and gave me a sense of calm even though this is in the the middle of a really busy suburb. Didn't hear any cars, horns, sirens or anything like that. There was some noise from the ball fields but that was also far enough away that that wasn't crazy loud either. Check it out when you have a chance

So Tinley park has this massive storm water reservoir with a lake at the center that they turned…read moreinto a community park. They have a couple of large parking lots there to stash your vehicle while visiting. One of the main entrances is right past one of the Tinley Park fire stations. Many paved trails to walk around the lake, with a high route and a low route to vary up the scenery. On the high elevation they have a number of picnic tables and the like for those that want to have a meal. They also have a large playground there for the kids to keep busy while the parents chill. The lower route is mainly for jogging and walking ... although you'll find a lot of bikes in the area also. At the other end you'll find baseball and soccer fields, skateboard, and basketball too. They also have a little dock off which you can fish. Be forewarned - no dogs allowed, which is good for some people and not so much for others. This is a sort of difficult kind of place to find, but that keeps it a treasure.

The Prairie is beautiful. I didn't see the Bison when I went but it was beautiful nonetheless. So…read moremany birds and critters.

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.

Disorganized and disappointing. Through the years most of the programs my kids were signed up for…read morewere lame, and not worth the money. Not much offered for middle school/jr. high aged kids.

From the owner: The Bourbonnais Township Park District services the residents of Bradley, Bourbonnais and…read moreunincorporated areas and offers over 250 programs each year for all ages. Some of the regular events we hold include sports leagues, trips, and special events. We invite you to explore the programs and events available to people of all ages! The Bourbonnais Township Park District has the perfect facilities for your next: -Birthday Party -Bridal Shower -Business Meeting -Wedding Reception -And More! For more information on current events and on planning your next event, give us a call or check out our website today!

Wolf's Crossing playground and splash pad are a big hit with the kiddos in the summer months. It is…read moreusually pretty crowded because it is such a fun place. But it's free fun and kids always make new friends to play with. Highly recommended for those days you can't think of anything to do with the kids, and screens are becoming a problem.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE…read more Raising children is hard, but Wolf's Crossing Community Park makes life a bit easier. Located on the Naperville / Oswego border where 95th St dead-ends into Wolf's Crossing Rd, this public park incorporates 33 acres of carefully planned and meticulously maintained space. It's the perfect answer when asked by your kid for the umpteenth time "wHaT aRe wE dOoOiNg ToDaY?" This complex features a playground, splash pad, covered pavilion, basketball courts, sand volleyball, tennis/pickleball courts, a lookout point with sledding hill and a ninja warrior obstacle course. It connects to various biking trails and there's onsite public bathrooms with plenty of parking. The ~100ft zipline is a standout feature and draws a considerable line on busier days. Watching kids nearly get yeeted off into the bushes makes for great theater! I assume the weight limit is 200lbs so next time I'ma have a go at it (get outta my way, kids!) The only thing missing is concessions, as the lone pop machine near the restrooms didn't appear to work. I think there's enough people here on a routine basis to warrant building a snack shop! I'd love to serve nachos and root beer to hungry peeps, as long as I got paid $25/hr. * TL;DR * This idyllic, multi-faceted rec area is fully deserving of its perfect rating. Wolf's Crossing Community Park was built with young children and special accommodations in mind, easily accessible to all ages & abilities. The fam spent several hours here (granted, most of them were confined to the splash pad) and we barely scratched the surface. I can't wait to beast through that legit obstacle course some day when I remember to wear close-toed shoes. Ain't no way my clumsy ass is making it through there in flip flops. WCCP has tons of what we in the gaming realm refer to as "replayability", essentially, is there enough stuff to do on repeat visits? You bet there is! See for yourself, check them out before summer's gone!

Check out this incredible transformation of a quarry into a park in Bridgeport. In between it was a…read morelandfill. Palmisano Park has went through a lot of changes to be sure. A lot of nature of course. There's trails and an interpretive wetlands among the many things to come across while going through. Best to know about the transformation before going. It used to be the Stearns Quarry. The city purchased it in 2008, cleaned it up, and opened it the next year. Has lots of nature to see and more to do. There's more than a mile of paths, including recycled timber boardwalks, and walkways. At first this was the site of a coral reef if you can believe it. Limestone was formed, and there's been fossils discovered here that are now in the Field Museum. In the 1830s it became a quarry, and operated until 1970 when it became a landfill. There's a fishing pond that still has the old quarry walls. After opening this park there was cause for celebration. The community before this had a lack of green space. Have to go here if you like parks that have been restored from abandoned areas. It's quite impressive. There's all kinds of plants and wildlife.

Underrated and beautiful. It's got a fantastic view of the city skyline and there's a whole…read moreindustrial vibe going on but I don't mind it. It's serene and if it wasn't so warm I'd go to it more often. It's good for a long walk but there's no trees along that walk so I'll be frequenting more in the fall va the summer.

One of the benefits of living in Whiting is having this beautiful park near…read more It's great for a walk any time of year. You can find some interesting fossils along the beach & I have a nice collection of beach glass too.

Nice small beach yet crowded because of the air show. Parking is plentiful and you can bring your…read morejet skis here. Lifeguards on duty and there are tables for eating along with benches scattered everywhere to take in the views.