Me and my wife recently stopped here to go on a little walk in the area. This place is perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities since there's a beach nearby and plenty of trails though I recommend and not walk through them when it's wet outside because they are very muddy and nothing is paved. Plenty of dogs are running off leash as well which isn't an issue. Please check to make sure you know what time the park closes because they will close on you as well. Highly recommend stopping here read more

Decided to take a drive from Evanston on a beautiful Spring day (70 degrees in Evanston, but 80 degrees in Rockford - it was balmy!) I had found this place searching online for nearby state parks that weren't TOO far of a drive and still had ample hiking trails. The park was easy to find, had plenty of parking and lots of paved and dirt trails for both hiking and biking. Picnic areas scattered throughout and a nice large lake for fishing/boating/canoeing (there were prices posted in the concessions area for renting a boat with motor for the day as well if you don't have your own to bring with you!) Small selection of snacks and beverages (non-alcoholic) were available for purchase, however they did not have any paper maps (there were boards posted by trail entrances and we did take photos of those). It looks like there is a restaurant next to the concessions area that opens after Memorial Day weekend for the season. We saw and heard many different birds while hiking and it was very peaceful (and not very crowded, as we were here on a Tuesday). My husband particularly enjoyed seeing the turkeys roaming around read more

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I don't have a lot of experience camping at different state parks so I can't give a comparison. I can tell you that in camping with a large group, it was a great experience. We reserved multiple spots next to each other so each family could have their own parking spot and space to set up their tents. Each site has a picnic table and built in fire pit as well. There's permanent outhouse style bathrooms, but also a shower and flushable washrooms as well. For those we had to drive back to them as we were staying in the tents only camping sites. We ran low on ice at some point so it was so nice to have the camp store where we can buy bags of ice, firewood and other essentials you might have forgotten. Appears to be some construction going on in the park, so we had to turn back from our walk around the lake, but the walk through the woods was still worth it! (Just beware... we spotted some poison ivy nearer to the paths than we'd like, but be aware and watch for ticks etc too... it is Mother Nature after-all!) Most of all... relax and enjoy! read more

Rock Cut State Park - Camping with real bathrooms and showers available? My kind of camping... lol - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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Excellent trails, paved and non-paved! Great for short walks or long runs / bike rides. Nice picnic areas throughout the park. read more

Rock Cut State Park - Olson lake - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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Love Rock Cut!! So lucky to have a state park of this caliber in our city. There are tons of scenic places to picnic, take pictures, hike, sit, have parties, etc. There's a small lake with all kinds of water activities available like canoeing, and near the lake is a shop with food and snacks. There's also a great campground there where you can rent spots for tent camping or camper camping. Great spot for the whole family! read more

We were in the area and had seen signs for this park on our numerous trips on nearby I-90 so we decided to check it out. Not sure if it is always free to enter or if that was the case since it was the beginning of November but it was free. The fall colors were starting to fade but it was a beautiful day and the park does have some nice scenery. We went on a couple of short hikes. On one we saw a giant rock which I have since forgot its official name. We did notice that some of the trails we were on were poorly marked and no maps were available except for one on a board near the parking lot which we took a picture of - but that was insufficient. The lake looked like a good place to be in summer and it appears they have a large campground. We spent an hour or so here. I am sure if I had done more research we might have found the highlights of this park otherwise it seemed kind of average. read more

Beautiful park and trails. They could have been labeled a little better. Lots of parking. read more

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This place is huge! (that's what she said, lol) So much to see and do. The little restaurant had some yummy food to snack on. But very small parking lot and it's hard to get in there. You can rent boats or kayak. They have a small beach on one end. Yeah so much to see. Can't wait to visit again. read more

Located close to the norther border of Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, this park is huge and one of the best open nature parks in the area. We didn't venture here during the winter. During the summer we love to come here to go mushroom hunting, walk along the lake, bird watching and take pictures of them too and take our raft out into the water just to goof off and paddle around. You'll see lots of people running and biking here too. Fishing is big here. Through out the park piers you can easily get on. Parking is easily available for these spots. Then, there are spots people will go to that's not designated. Of course, there's people fishing off their boats too. It's fun to watch them cast their line to see if they catch anything. Camping is available with a permit. Check the website for that informaion. Rates are fairly cheap to. Some camp sites do fill up quickly. Olson lake within the park has volleyball and a lifeguard. It is a great place to have a party That makes it a great place to bring your kids and not have to keep an eye on them as they play in the water. This is actually the only place they allow swimming. $3 entry fee for that. The Lone Rock Cafe is where you can purchase a fishing license if needed and there are several fish fries that occur here. So, if you don't feel like cooking and want to sit by the beautiful lake, that's what you can do here. G and I would come here to get something to eat and drink, sit by the lake, play games and watch everything that was going on. It was a good way for me to chill and let go of the day's problems and enjoy the moment with G. There are many areas where you can bbq. The grill with benches are there. Just pick a spot, unload and start your activities. I liked setting up next to the lake in case anyone was brave enough to go swimming. The fields are big too that allow you to play football, fly a kite or run your RC car, truck or boat in the water. During the summer, there are many parties here celebrating all kinds of occassions that make it hard to get a spot or just to park. I try to secure a spot by 8:30am if I do need one. There are lots of bugs so you may want to use some kind of repellent. The park was always well maintained for a park. The grassy areas in the picnic areas and camping sites were maintained not to get very long at all. Debri in the roads were constantly cleared. Trash cans were never found full. At the large areas where people gather, they used the big dumpsters there for trash collecting. The bathrooms I've always found clean. Never saw homeless people there either although they existed in surrounding areas outside the park. We missed the park for the little boating we did there. So much fun. read more

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Left a day early from camping due to bad weather and they refused to refund clearly the map paperwork they give you says they do

Awesome park!! Well kept up and clean, paths for every level of fitness, walking paths, bike paths, boat rentals, nice picnic areas, everything you could want! This is one of my favorite spots in The Rockford area 8 months of the year read more

Rock Cut State Park - Even my dog loves Rock Cut! - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Great campground. Has a lake and swimming. Close to city needs. A big turnoff was the filthy restroom/bath facilities. Hasn't been cleaned prior to the weekend, the weekend or after the weekend. This campground has only electric so you pretty much have to use them. Soap wrappers, hairballs, dirt buildups. read more

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We have camped at Rock Cut for 30 years. While it still is a very nice park the facilities are in very bad condition. Many plumbing issues with water stations and dump stations. They just cap the water faucets or they let them trickle The bath houses are terrible and dirty. The hosts don't seem to be on duty-old tags left for days, no site cleanup. Illinois can do better. read more

Beautiful setting with kayak, canoe and pedal boat rentals. There is a paved path you can walk around the lake as well as a little concession shop with snacks, drinks, and bait for fishing. It's small enough to kayak the entire perimeter without too much exertion, and if you know where to look, you'll find the blue herons! Rentals are by the hour. Staff is helpful and friendly! read more

Rock Cut State Park - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Perfect for family /couple's outing. We did a video of our time at Rock Cut state park. We went hiking, fishing, kayaking, bird watching and camping! Make sure to check it out first to see the place and what activities you can do! https://youtu.be/X6pcyjh9ks4 read more

Rock Cut State Park - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, Illinois is a really cool State Park voted with lots of amenities and secluded walking and biking trails. With a large lake for fishing kayaking in the boating with sample swimming spots Anna boat ramp there is plenty to keep one occupied. They're on an overabundance of campsites some of them wide open others secluded so if you want a secluded campsite you need to book early. Bathrooms were very clean which is great when you go camping. I liked all the walking and hiking trails so there is plenty of opportunity to exercise and get out into nature. but I did not like about the park was that there are several areas that you can hear the highway traffic from which if you want a quiet place fear that sometimes it's hard with the road noise. However overall this was definitely a camping place that I would come back to or a place that you could come for the day just to get out and explore the outdoors. Also for those that don't like 10 camping there's lots of RV spots that are secluded and also some cabins. If you have a family or large group there are several group campsites that are located right on the water which is pretty cool. read more

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What a fantastic state park! It's HUGE with plenty for the whole family to enjoy. The DNR's website for this park is very informative as to all they have to offer: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/RockCut.aspx There are miles & miles of trails to enjoy in varying degrees of difficulty. Some paths are paved so in additional to walking you could take your bike or skateboard on them. They have ample parking in various areas around the park and many, many picnic areas and green open spaces tucked throughout. There are two lakes, one of which is quite large, Pierce Lake, and at the smaller one, Olson Lake, there is a swimming area & beach that is open Memorial Day - Labor Day according to their website. The larger lake, Pierce Lake, has a paddle boat/kayak rental. There were plenty of people fishing on the shores and on small boats when we visited. Pierce Lake also has a concession stand (I'm not sure when they are open) and the nicer restrooms. There are other small restrooms around the park but we've heard the ones at the concession stand are the better choice if you need to use the facilities. read more

Rock Cut State Park - Map of the park. - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

We were in the area at the beginning of May and asked the hotel staff for a good biking location and she directed us here. Fabulous place! There's lots of road and dirt trails to follow around the lake. We have hybrid bicycles so we did both before getting caught in a heavy down pour! The dirt trails aren't necessarily smooth either. There are tree roots in various spots, fallen trees in the path and some spots you need to bike through the grass to get back to the trail. But it's pretty fun! Lots of picnic areas and we saw quite a few fishermen, either in the lake it on the banks. This would be a great place for lots of outdoor activities, by yourself, with a friend or the family. read more

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My friend and I brought our dogs here. There are lots of grassy trails and access to the water. We sat in one spot for awhile which was nice and had a picnic table, unfortunately there was a ton of garbage people left behind. The other lake we walked to smelled like a portapotty but the dogs still dove in. Great place to bring dogs. We had ours off leash because we were the only ones around. I saw no posted signs. Sadly, we were going to come back and use the fenced in human beach but we discovered that it is closed, possibly for the season due to lack of funding and maybe water quality. read more

Rock Cut State Park - Hanging out in the park - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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I've been going to this park for years. I've camped here in my youth with the Boy Scouts. As an adult I bring my family here for picnics, canoeing and hiking. They have a lot of well maintained trails that are suitable for hiking, biking and some for horseback riding. There is a concession and boat rental area on the lake to rent canoes and paddle boats as well as get a snack or quick drink. The park in general is pretty clean, it does get dirty at times, but that's mostly due to visitors not understanding how trash cans work and not the lack of effort by the rangers, staff and just local groups that go out and clean. I've even seen private citizens picking up garbage. There is a playground and a lot of picnic areas. One of my favorite things is to bring the family out with our canoe, put in at the launch, find some spot along the lake to pull out and have a picnic. I also like to take my wife here on weekends with out the kids. We can hike out into some of the back areas of the park that are only accessable by foot for nice little romantic picnics in the woods. I will say that I'm not too fond of camping there, but that's because for me it's too busy and civilized, I like my camping to be more spacious and primitive. I tent camp only and I don't like being around a bunch of campers and RVs. It also gets really crowded at times. read more

I enjoy camping here. One of the 5 campgrounds is open all year round, atlhough they don't have water available October 31 thru April 30. Lots of nice hiking and biking trails, fishing, nice beach with boat rentals, even a couple newer cabins to rent. Spring flowers are abundant (as well as some poison ivy) and the trees are beautiful in the fall. Wild turkeys in the campground are cool, though be wary: If you hear knocks on the top of your camper in the night, be sure to scan the trees above. I mean WAY above. I knew turkeys roosted in trees, but didn't realize they would fly 60 FEET up into a tree! We had a lot of cleaning to do on the top if the camper. The only negative I find with thes park is that it is right next to I90 and not far from Rockford Speedway. When I camp, I like quiet, and the drone of the traffic never stops. See my photos. read more

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Rock Cut comes off more as a recreational park than a nature park, but might only be because its not isolated from humanity like the other places I've been to. Inside, you have a vast area filled with trails (and roads) for hiking, biking and mountain biking, many spacious picnicking sites around Pierce Lake, canoe and boat rental, and numerous spots for shore fishing. They have an abundance of camp sites, which when I went were clean and maintained. There is a concession stand in the Class A campsites, plus they have shower facilities and the pits were actually bearable in August. I like that there is a large camp only 1-1/2 - 2 hours from Chicago (that's also accessible via major roadways.) The park has many amenities and in good standing. My only negative is that there isn't as much variation of elevation as I like, but that is strictly a personal thing. =) read more

Rock Cut State Park - Entrance along IL 173 - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

This state park is beautiful - I'll give it that. I hiked here last weekend and was very excited when we started, but we promptly got lost because the trails are marked terribly. We planned to walk around Pierce Lake and started at the Lions Club trailhead/pavilion area. Within the first ten minutes we had lost the trail that we were supposed to be on and basically wandered the next hour - luckily my gps worked so I was able to get us back to the lake eventually. Now I understand that part of the fun of hiking is getting lost in the woods, but not when you plan on doing a nice little 4 mile loop. Also, I had planned on going to the visitor's center when we got there and followed the signs to find it, but the road led us out of the park, so we gave up trying to find it. Lastly, after getting lost we ended up just following these little paths right along the shores of the lake - which provided a beautiful view - but they were full of trash. I understand that this is the park visitors faults (while at the pavilion there was a family party popping TONS of water balloons and I didn't see them pick up a single one), still it was really sad. All in all, I would go back again - I might even rent a kayak because it looked fun - but if I planned on hiking I would be prepared to get lost and wander this time. read more

Rock Cut State Park - Pierce Lake - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Great park. Only complaint is the took away the easiest put-in for non-rental kayaks and made it a rock wall. Now the only option is to use the super busy boat ramp. Wish they were more accompanying to paddlers who own their own boats. read more

Dogs are supposed to be on a leash. Ours was. Unfortunately, if you have a dog that might be frightened of motorized skateboards, DO NOT take any paved trail. Too much activity. Our dog struggled, got loose. We were able to find her. We decided to take dirt paths. Most of those are for hiking AND mountain biking. If you want a walk on pure hiking only trails (dog or no dog), there are very few in this park. It's sad that those who want to enjoy a nice nature hike on foot are limited in a big state park. And the hiking near I-90 is NOT pleasant. read more

Not a far drive from Chicago suburbs. Cool for a quick hike or boating. But man is it dumpy. Doesn't feel like a state park at all. It's not well maintained and the bathrooms are a literal hole in the ground. read more

I love this park so much. I live only 5 mins from the park, and this is my favorite go-to spot for a lot of activities. Hiking, running, paddle-boating and camping. This place is so much to offer and is family friendly! The scenery is beautiful and the bike paths are clean and spacious. I love going on an adventure and going on the trails. read more

When we moved to Rockford we were so excited to hear that Rockford had a beautiful state park only minutes down the road that offered opportunity for fun activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddle boating, jogging trails, and more. With all of the hustle and bustle in this city, it's SO nice to visit this park to get away from the noise. We walked our dog here over the weekend and the park had neat trails, and hidden staircases to explore. There's a concession stand in case you need a pick-me-up, and a little beach nearby. There's also plenty of picnic areas where you can host family/friend gatherings, camp out, and get some shade from the sun. We love it here, and will spend a lot of time at this park in the summer. read more

Rock Cut State Park - Parks Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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Was here for a week. Beautiful park. Would be a five star review except your restrooms were never cleaned while I was here. Neglected and very dirty. Since there is no water hook ups to RVs, No choice except to use the restrooms and showers. Lots of hair in the drains. Hair on the walls along with other stuff. Trash was never changed. Same dead bugs on sinks everyday plus new ones. Smelled horrible. I never used the restrooms. To dirty. I will never stay here again and I don't recommend for camping. If your coming to enjoy the lake, picnic, kayaking, hiking, etc this place is a gem. Numerous places to enter the lake. Kayak rentals. Couple stores that sale snacks, and beach items. Lots of hiking trails. Plenty picnic areas for individual or groups. I seen several very nice playground areas for the kiddos. Fishing. This place is nice and has it all. I just don't camping/RVers due to dirty restrooms. This place would be a 5 star if not for thevrest read more

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Great huge park with lots of hiking and biking trails. Playgrounds, picnic tables, fishing/boating/canoeing lakes. Can spend a whole day with the family here. Bring a picnic and some water and enjoy the nature! read more

So beautiful, and dog friendly. The people are usually nice and it's a great spot for photographers. Popular place for ice fishing in the winter. read more

Great State park! Workers are all friendly. It's a family kind of place! Lots of boats, kayaks, canoes, and flatboats. read more

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Q: What do you get when you combine The Flaming Lips, Weird Al Yankovic and Bill Nye the Science Guy? A: This review. I know a girl who reminds me of Cher She's always changing The color of her hair She don't use nothing That ya buy at the store She likes her hair to be real orange She uses tangerines Now, replace: 'a girl' with 'some trees' 'She's' with 'They're' 'her hair' with 'Their leaves' 'She' with 'They' 'Tangerines' with 'Photosynthesis' *** Now, in case you haven't noticed, Autumn is upon us here in the Midwest, and I for one, am really feelin' fall. Most of the time, I celebrate this my putting pumpkin creamer in my coffee, but some days I go the extra step and get out to really peep those trees. This was my first visit to Rock Cut State Park and overall, I'd say it was a fruitful one. We got to see the browns, the greens, the reds, the yellows and of course, the oranges while the sun beat down some mighty warmth on our faces and the shade of the trees with not-yet-fallen leaves provided us with the cool crisp temps of fall. From on land, the lake water shone blue, reflective of the clear sky and from out on the water (you can rent paddle boats) there was a crisp and welcome breeze and the water was chock full of the suns rays that looked like electric sea urchins gleaming as you glided by. It was an Autumn day of epic proportions. We had initially wanted to rent a canoe to paddle out for a relaxing and fun time on the lake, but the girl at the concession store where you rent the boats from said they weren't renting out anymore, because the water was too cold, though we saw many people who had brought their own canoes and kayaks and even a few paddle boarders out the water that day. We ended up walking out on the short dock and seeing that you could also rent (Bright, blingin gold, green and hot pink glitter) paddle boats, so naturally, I went inside to inquire about renting those. The girl who had turned down our canoe request was gone and the guy/kid who was now standing watch over the concession said that we could in fact rent a paddle boat, but said that their power was out so he'd be unable to figure out how much to charge us, which seemed a bit asinine since you can only rent three things and there's just one rate for each. The price of the rental just seemed like something anyone who worked there for more than a day would know, and this being the end of the concession stand season, I assumed this was not his first day. Then one of the cooks from the concession walked out and said, 'It's $10 an hour, man. What's to figure out? She just has to pay cash for it.' Finally, a little commonsense around here. So I go back to tell my group and we see a couple get onto the gold glitter boat we'd been eye-ing. Boo! So we walk back up to pay and get the rental and the crabby + lazy girl is back at the concession stand. We tell her we want to rent a paddle boat and she now says that we can't since that last couple (who came in after me) got the "last one", even though there were about 15 paddle boats sitting on the edge of the lake, just staring at us- but apparently, those aren't for our use, since the rental stand was only open for another week into the season and they're getting to put them away. Uhmmm... why didn't anyone tell us this before on our last three trips in the past 10 minutes to the concession to inquire about renting something- ANYTHING, from them? #LAME+LAZY So we walk out yet again with our heads hanging like some sort of sad Charlie Brown scene, when an older gentleman working there overhears us discussing how much it stinks that we can't rent anything. The older gentleman, who was carrying about a million items under his arms in what looked like an attempt to clean up around the rental area, piped up and told us that what we were told wasn't true and that we can absolutely rent a paddle boat now... then I think he huffed and puffed a little about his staff of punk-ass kids inside being so lazy and nonsensical. About 15 seconds later he had 2 of the worker people come out and push some of the boats that were sitting on the edge of the lake to the dock. The whole process took about 12 seconds, so our frustration was apparently the result of a a few hyper-lazy kids not wanting to walk 20 feet and do their jobs if they didn't absolutely have to. Our time at Rock Cut, and especially on the lake was relaxing and the perfect way to spend this picturesque Autumn afternoon, even though our relaxation (and birthday celebrating for one of the members of our group) was minutely marred by the multiple moments of frustration in dealing with the under-motivated, lackadaisical youth at the concession. I'll be back, but I'll be sure to remember the 'ignorance is bliss' mentality of the concession workers, and just keep an eye out for any adult working in the area who might have an idea of what's really going so we can save ourselves some time. confusion and headaches. read more

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Beautiful park. Been going for over 40 years. Great for hiking, boating, or relaxing.

Rock Cut is a diamond in the rough. We live near by and take full advantage of all it has to offer year round. Even with visiting so often we always find something new and exciting to take from it each visit. Bike paths in and around the park are always clear and marked well. All docks and piers through the park are well maintained and easily accessible for for your carry on or water craft. We have used the rental area and also brought our own kayaks in. Always with good experiences. We have only text camped before, not used electric or shower facilities. Bathrooms near the camp sites should have better lighting. But again always good experiences. Clean trails no garbage. Only downside is closed wood docks, wish the park wold spring to fix them as they are something that makes our park unique and a good opportunity for people to take pictures. read more

If you are coming from Chicago and want a park with sights, try Starved Rock instead. Same distance pretty much from the city, just further south... Also, nasty bathrooms here and broken window glass in some parking lots read more

We used to come here to watch marsh creatures & take in a little nature walk from time to time when we couldn't leave the city for a real camp trip. It can get a little crowded & dirty. People tend not to respect the park as much as they should. One of the issues I had was people leaving fishing lines all over the place & kids running wild without being quiet & respectful. I guess it all depends of what season we go. I won't attempt to go there during the Summertime~that's for sure! read more

Good trails to hike or bike, and the lake is good for fishing, but the campsites are not very well wooded.

I will not camp here again! My husband and I camped on Pierce lake in the non youth area in 2012. We have been scout leaders for over 10 years and have always camped in the youth area without an issue. Camping in the public area is TERRIBLE! If you have a lakeside campsite, forget any kind of privacy. The park has a very goofy rule that the lakeside is open to all fisherman regardless if you're camping there. I had people walking through our campsite to fish all weekend and some guy wanted to set up tip ups along our beach area 6 feet from our tent and park there for hours. He just drove up and walked though our site and started setting up. We asked him to please leave. When I asked the camp host what the deal was, she said all areas are accessible regardless if you're camping there or not. If you have kids or tents nearby you run the risk of getting a fishhook caught in your tent fabric or your kids! We had fisherman talking and fishing by our tent at 4:30am! Really??!!! Not to mention the campsite was the dirtiest I've ever seen. Still remains of a previous campers fire and garbage (bottle caps, wrappers, etc.) all over the place. NEVER AGAIN! I'll camp in Wisconsin or Michigan. read more

A good local state park located right off I-90 on the North end of the Rockford Metro. Pros: -Plenty of space and trails -Abundance of year round activities ice fishing in the winter, picnics in the summer -boat launch for small motor boats - Campgrounds and a swimming lake -Good spot for outdoor birthday and graduation parties. Cons: -The park isn't as rural as it was 20 years ago, so I don't see it as a secluded nature atmosphere -This place gets a little crowded on weekends Bottom Line: It's a good park, but if I really want to get in touch with nature, I have to drive farther read more