Lots of excellent facilities and services at this park. I felt like the upkeep and cleanliness was…read moreexcellent, better than one would expect. The ranger at the campground check in was extremely helpful and friendly! The campground facilities were very clean and had recent remodeling such as new sink, counter, and floor resurfacing.

Wonderful park. They keep it very clean. There are several hiking trails that have great scenery…read morearound the lakes.

Very nice little park with tables and grills! We enjoyed the playground. I'm sure we'll be back…read morenext time we visit.

I used to come to this park often when I lived in Champaign, IL. Some friends and I used to play…read morebaseball in this park. I also brought my girlfriend to this park to talk about what was bothering her. Before moving to Champaign, IL I used to come to this park often. Later when I had moved away to another town I came back to this park with my new puppy before going on to move back into my parents home for awhile. Years later I brought a new girlfriend to this park to show her where I used to park to think things over. I also showed her a tree that had grown into a huge shade tree. I told her that many years ago it was only a sapling not much taller than me.

I loved the wooden playground here when I was growing up. They've recently remodeled the…read moreplayground and while I'll miss the one I grew up with, I am happy to see my daughter enjoying the new one. I love how many benches there were for adults. It's always crowded when we come which is great, our daughter makes friends to play with while she's here and has a great time. I really enjoyed the walking trails too, the sculptures are really cool. Bathrooms were locked and the water fountains were off. There were port a potties though.

This is one of my favorite walking trails in Urbana.. scenic & peaceful. I try to come out here as…read moreoften as I can especially when the weather is perfect.

Beautiful spot to take a scroll for free and enjoy nature. This arboretum is very well maintained,…read morespacious, and has plenty of parking. In addition to the ponds and gardens, do make a visit to Japan House if you get an opportunity when they're open.

The University of Illinois Arboretum was a nice surprise to. This was a great oasis from a busy…read morecollege campus. My husband and I went on a Saturday afternoon, and while there people there, it was not crowded. There was a nice mixture of trees, lakes, and trails. It is a great place to rest and relax. Be sure to go when the Japan House when it's open.

Among the nicer parks in Champaign. Hessel Park isn't too big but it's still big enough. It has…read morelots of athletic facilities including for baseball and tennis. Even has a fountain. There's also a trail that goes around it. Big enough park for many activities. It has some pretty good athletic facilities. The local youth leagues have games and there's also kids just playing for fun too. Hot summer days are cool here. It has a big sprinkler area in the middle. This is a good place to take kids to cool them all off. For adults, there's areas for grilling. The pavilions are popular for holidays. Good park for almost everyone. It has a good amount of parking around it. There's a big water area for kids, there's sports, and there's a few trails.

Really nice Champaign park! Nice kid's equipment 2-5 and…read moresome stuff for the older kids Really nice splash pad in the summer Multiple tennis courts Lots of open space BBQ's and shelters for reserve

I have never hiked at a prairie before and I am so glad that I chose this place for my exercise…read more Very well maintained park with lots of trails. The wildflowers alone will bring me back to this beautiful place.

The Buffalo Trace Prairie is a system of trails that are on the far western edge of the Lake of the…read moreWoods Forest Preserve. To be sure, there is much more to Lake of the Woods than just Buffalo Trace. The easiest entrance is located just north of Exit #172 off I-74 in Mahomet, on the left across from the botanical garden and before you get to the Early American Museum. Can't miss it. The trails run all through this medium-sized forest preserve and are perfect for jogging, biking, or dog walking. There is one major asphalt trail that runs E-W and several smaller trails that are really just places that they mow the prairie down every week or so. The asphalt trail is a little more than a mile long, and connects to a trail that is 5 mi in total. The intertwined grass trails are much longer all told, but since there are so many, you can customize as long or short of a walk as you want. The terrain is rolling hills, and the biome(s) are a pleasant transition from prairie to woods. None of the trails that I was on were at all challenging or in disrepair. I would suggest that if you intend to take the grass trails, take a good long look at the map before you leave the trail head, or bring one along. Thankfully, there are not really that many people making use of this park, which is cool. If you make use of the trail map, the trail in the far south of this park (by the highway) actually dead-ends and does not connect back to the parking lot, as is indicated on the map. Not a big deal, just a lil back-tracking. I needed the exercise.

Unless you are a skilled hiker, I recommend going to this beautiful nature preserve when the…read moreweather has been dry. There is about 90 feet of elevation change on the 0.8 mile loop that can be a bit slippery if you pick a time when mud/rain can be a problem. I only explored the north end trail during my visit. After parking in a shaded lot, I went into the park where I had a choice of left or right. The right side has a steeper descent than the left. Fortunately, there is a hand rail for stability. I figured it easier to go down the steep side than up, so I stayed on the right hand path. There is a fairly level area before you reach the "stairs". The stairs are mostly natural, so they aren't evenly spaced. Just keep focused and you should be alright. Once the trail reaches the bottom of the gorge, there are places where elevated paths keep your feet from trekking through the mud. Depending upon how much rain has fallen, you may get some mud, but my feet stayed dry the entire loop. At the base, there are deep ravines where the trees catch the sunlight and light up in brilliant yellow greens. The rocks are layered and take on a rusty color that can make for some great photos. The highlight of the loop is finding the "arch" through the ridge of rock. It was just a bit taller than my head (I would say most folks won't need to duck going through.) After that, you will start working your way back. Although I traveled the same distance up, it was gradual and not nearly as challenging as climbing steps. I didn't see much wildlife there, but there were squirrels and butterflies that showed themselves. I like a short hike that features a destination and great scenes along the way. If you like that too, then seek out this park. Review #2840

Great trail among beautiful landforms. It's a nice hike that makes for a good day trip along with…read moreWilliamsport Falls, Attica, and the courthouse murals on Covington.

Nice park, Lots of kids around…read moreSolid sections of play equipment Best for 2-5 year olds

Another one of my favorite parks in Champaign. There's a tennis court, playground, and a really…read morenice (and new) trail for running or bikes. It's just a really pretty park and it's usually never too busy. Good stuff!

My experience at this park was for the inaugural Year for Phases of the Moon Festival. The park set…read moreup was a wonderful experience for me. We camped in Forest Tent Camping B. It was back in the woods near a clear lake. There were paved trails we rode our bikes on to get around. The boat dock was pretty looking out to another lake area. There were old buildings that were well kept on the festival grounds. Very neat! Especially the old train car that is set up as an old restaurant that used to be in service. I would love to come back to the park for the festival and other times throughout the year! I know some festivarians had unfortunate experiences getting into the festival grounds Wednesday and Thursday because of Wednesday's downpour but to me they tried their best to get things up to par as quick as possible and continued everyday throughout the weekend. They also had a small disc golf course set up and a playground that I noticed.