I would give a few more stars but i am beyond ticked that the city of Valpo charges admission for a…read morecity park.

Decent facilities needs some updating. Could use a off leash dog area and walking path.read more

Crown Point's biggest park. Go any farther south and you're in Cedar Lake. The perfect place for…read morea nature hike when in the area. I have been here many times throughout the years, especially on elementary school trips. Great place to take the children to. Huge number of trails to take. Lots to see and lots to do. If you like disc golf, welcome to paradise. They've got six full courses of it all round the park! They also have the biggest playground I've ever seen, four baseball diamonds, a tennis court (big, but in need of upkeep), and a monster living in the lake. (All right, I'm just KIDDING about that last one!) Boat rental used to be available on the lake, but I think they've done away with it over the years. You also have six (?) pavilions available for rental. By the way, admission is $5 per vehicle. The park seems to have been hit by the Emerald Ash Tree Borer back in 2013-14, but they have since removed the dead trees. I think that the park decided to use the area once used by the ash trees as a space to extend the disc golf into, as some courses go deep into the forest. I just happened to come on the 23rd of October when I took the pictures. MY MAN, THE TREES WERE COLORFUL THEN!

It's not bad, the paved trail is kinda tore up in some spots but other than that it's cool…read more The parking lot is set back a ways so if you're coming for the first time don't stop at the maintenance building on the left and park. Keep going down the hill and follow the road. OR you can turn right and hit up the dog run they have. I checked out the dog run from a distance, it looks fine. nothing too major. Just an open area where your pup can be unleashed. By the main lot there's a public restroom and a small convenience center too. There's a softball field, B-Ball court and a massive playground nearby too. I liked the side trails, but they're not really that long and they stay pretty close to the main lake loop and run into the Frisbee Golf trails quite often. There are a few benches along the main and side trails where you can make a sandwich or just sit and relax for a bit. Benches are old and worn, little mossy and lichen covered, other than that they're sturdy & solid. Lemon Lake itself is pretty nice, it has Bass, but it's catch and release only. There are also boat rentals (paddle boat and row boat) by the head of the main loop. If you like fishing, there is a big fishing pier on the south east part of the lake that's large enough for 10+ people (comfortably). There are also a few benches right along the lakeside as well. We ended up doing 2 trips along the main loop and several of the smaller side trails. I liked the place and will probably come back here again when the weather warms up again.

Loved this park! Kids 3 and older will enjoy the fort and surrounding area. The splash pad was not…read moreopen when we were there

I came here for a 5 year old's birthday party. Its a very spacious play area. Nice water area, lots…read moreof water related activities for the kids. There is also a playground, if you prefer to stay dry. It is even a picnic area, but no glass is allowed, which is understandable.

I recently attended a wedding at Foundation Meadows Park. The venue is stunning, featuring…read morebeautiful outdoor spaces and a very cool gazebo, perfect for a memorable celebration!

Great park with 3 levels of slides. Beautiful walking paths and public bathrooms. Entire play area…read morehas rubber pellets to protect the kids when they fall. Trust me, they will fall, they are kids!!! Two covered pavilions that make for a great place to have a meal/snack. This park is less crowded than ValPlayso while valplayso has more to do!!! This park is one of the many reasons Valparaiso, IN is an amazing place to visit and live!!

One of the few prairie habits that has not been destroyed for chemical feedstock GMO corn…read moreplantations that nobody needs. Take some time to appreciate the beauty of a native ecosystem, and contemplate the madness of draining Indiana's biggest lake to graze cattle.

First time coming here! This place was absolutely magnificent! I've passed by this place often…read moregoing north and south on US-41 whenever traffic was terrible getting back into illinois but have always wanted to come here since I have always seen Bison here. The viewing area to park at and walk around has a small amount of parking but it has clean, well maintained restrooms trails that are very short and good overlooks. Most of the Bison we saw are all along the outskirts of the preserve from the street. Though you're not allowed to park or stop your vehicle. Park Rangers are always lurking in their trucks somewhere. I was dissapointed in the Elwood location back home in Illinois because I never got to see any Bison but you're guaranteed to see at least 60-80 here!

Nice park with children's playground. In the winter you can rent skis for cross country skiing…read more Beautiful trees & trails. Bird feeders with lots of bird species.

Stopped here to check out the winter scenery. There was not enough snow for cross country skiing…read more Want to go back when the conditions are right. Nice park but a little out of the way for me. I am sure it looks totally different every season. Walked by their bird feeder and spotted a few unique birds. It was a nice nature reset.

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.

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

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.