I grew up coming here and it's one of my favorite places to bring people from out of town. The…read moretrails are super well kept, there is lots of different pad options for longer shorter walks, and you get a fabulous view of the Mississippi river from not very far into a walk The parking is pretty easy. They have a large gravel lot you can park in. I mostly come here for hiking trails, but when I was a kid, I came here for summer camps and it was always blast. I know they do fun events for kids, like a Halloween event, and those are super cute. If you're looking for a great hike, I would recommend coming here

This place is great for kids. They have summer camp each year for young kids. My daughter did the…read morepre-k week long day camp two years in a row. They also have a lot of weekend group hikes and camps for kids.

I was taking part in the Jingle Hike which gets you outside exploring parks in the area. It was a…read morelittle hard to find this place, but what a delight was you do. It is a 1 1/2 mile walk around the wetlands and you get to cross the wetlands on a bridge. You are surrounded by water lilies. Check it out.

If you're up for a bit of an adventure, these Sunflowers are totally worth the effort and are…read moreblooming now. The drive there takes you down a long, dusty dirt road that adds a little thrill to the journey. It might feel like you're heading into the middle of nowhere, but once you arrive, the sight of the sunflowers makes the drive completely worth it. This year the field is a tad smaller than the other fields in the past. Although the road getting there is a little rugged, the beauty of the sunflowers makes it all worthwhile especially with the pictures that we took to create great memories.

As an avid photographer, this is the place! The…read moreconservation is gorgeous during all seasons and the sunsets are spectacular. But summer is everything out here! You'll beautiful indigo bunting bird, and red winged black birds as your drive through. You will spot bunnies on the side of the road, too. You must be very vigilant as the deer to cross in front of you at times, especially in the evenings. I have also experienced hearing and did see coyotes in two packs howling and meeting up in the fields -- never have come close! The sunflower fields are worth the trip. There are about 5-6 all throughout the area, with mowed pathways to walk out to them. Some are closer to the road and two require about a 7min walk out down a dirt road, lined with wild flowers, and beautiful butterflies. It is bumblebee city within the sunflowers! I have been to Columbia Bottom many times and have never been stung, they are completely harmless if you're just respectful and stay calm. :) You must be aware of the wasps though, but they don't seem to bother me either. I would say, to anyone very sensitive to mosquitoes, be smart - use your bug spray, especially in the evenings. Your bet is a morning or afternoon visit to avoid the nuisance. The conservation area also has a beautiful river walk to a dock (right off the boat loading parking lot) and a hidden little spot to sit by the river, just about a 3 min walk on a trail. There is one other mile walk down to the "conjuntion" .. but I have yet to discover that. In all, it truly is a hidden gem for anyone that loves nature and or photography. This place, in all, is good for the soul!

I would be hard pressed to find a Hotz park that I wasn't a fan of. This is the second Hotz park…read moreI've visited, but the first I've reviewed on Yelp. This particular park is notable because it's only 0.2 acres, the smallest park in the city of Edwardsville. Located at St. Louis and Randle Streets, there isn't much to it. No playground equipment, no fountain, however it hosts a bench and a stone bearing a bronze plaque, commemorating the city's five resident governors.

Really disappointed that I didn't see one dog hanging out here when I drive by. Maybe it wasn't dog…read moreparking season...

Awesome dog park right on Scott AFB. There are two fenced in areas for dogs to run and socialize…read more One area is for larger dogs and the other for smaller. Each fenced in area has park benches and covered picnic tables to relax and watch your dogs play as well as water fountains that have a small bowl on the bottom to run water in for your dog. There's also agility training equipment in each area as well as trash receptacles that have plastic bag dispensers to clean up after your pup. This dog park is very clean, never crowded and the best part is it's FREE!!

Everything about this park inspires me and brings me peace and serenity. The fountains, the trees,…read morethe pine alcove. The seasonal plethora of flowers. The "sunken garden", various playgrounds, including a brand new one with things for children with "special sensory needs", many sports accommodations (tennis and basketball courts), an ice rink, a swimming pool/aqua park, skateboarding area, baseball diamonds, walking path all around and throughout. Track, soccer and football stadiums for middle and high school events/games. Something for every one of all seasons and ages, covered picnic areas with tables, benches in every section, band/concert gazebos, painted sculptures carved from old tree stumps. Several schools here too . The maintenance crew is ALWAYS busy beautifying this gem. Very well planned and maintained. Literally my favourite park on the Illinois side of the St Louis metro area. I have so many amazing memories here. I write a new poem almost every visit! Duke bakery not far away (they have ice cream also). SEE WILSON PARK in Granite City, IL! You WON'T be disappointed!!

WoW - what a surprise! This FREE drive through light display…read morealso offered an option to stop for cookies and cocoa, from what I could tell & the weather couldn't have been better for it. We didn't hit up the vendor or walk about on foot, rather, we drove 2 elderly passengers through, one of which has serious mobility issues - thus, this was perfect. It was a bit of a drive from where we were staying but I daresay it was worth it. We paid $20 to go through another park that was about the same distance, with no option to stop. This one was a little smaller but still an excellent find, especially when you consider it's FREE!

A beautiful display of lights, a team of electronic players…read moreplays baseball Piper finds a new hiding spot regularly There's a mighty humble bumble And snoopy saves Christmas Don't forget to stop for the train crossing

This dog park is very convenient, has benches for humans, trash cans, and water for both us and our…read morefury friends. There's plenty of grass and a few trees. It's not a huge park, but it's perfectly adequate. So far it's been pretty hit or miss whether there are other dogs here or not. Probably 50% of the time we're the only ones here, but there have been times when there were nine other dogs... My rating would definitely go up if more people were aware that this park exists and brought their dogs... so come out and play!

Park was clean. It had a walking trail, playground, and dog park. Dog park had double gated…read moreentrance, water fountain for dogs to drink, two benches and two trash cans. No membership required.