On my way to the nursery nearby, I noticed this little hole-in-the-wall, blink-and-you'll-miss-it…read morepark and nature preserve in Wilmette. When I say you'll miss it, I'm not kidding--I thought it was a random, very small parking lot (maybe an extension of the business next door) but then saw a small gate to the park. Keay is a 4.6 acre nature preserve. (It is not part of the Cook County Forest Preserve system.) There are various trails that loop through the park and it's about a half mile, very easy walk. They have trail guides at the entrance, and according to that they suggest it would be about 30 minutes to walk through. I probably did take about that long, but that is because I stopped to look at some birds, and at a lot of the memorial plaques, and read the trail guide at some of the markers along the way. And I also took the advice of the trail guide and sat down for a few minutes to just listen to the sounds around me--mostly birdsong, and simply appreciate my surroundings. But if I hadn't been going through slowly I think it would be 10 minutes or so. I have absolutely no sense of measurement or distance, but was I'm surprised to learn that it's about a half mile walk. I'd think it was much less. I would call this nature preserve pretty accessible, though that's not really my place to say since I would not need accommodations. However, it's a flat trail and there is a bridge over the pond. There are numerous benches throughout the preserve if you need a break or would like to pause and enjoy the atmosphere. It's really surprising how much you feel like you're out in the middle of nowhere--I didn't hear a lot of traffic and but for the service roads a quiet peaceful way to spend part of your day. There is a port-a-potty on site if needed, and a drinking fountain as well.

Lovely and peaceful park with clean even trails and a lake with a waterfall. Lots of bushes and…read moretrees, with plenty of squirrels, rabbits and even big turtles.

A really nice Forest preserve Grove. You can park and walk the trails near the river and under the…read morebridge. The Grove itself is on the smaller side. Still a nice place to pull over and eat your lunch, or stretch your legs. Most of the time there is a porta potty. For sure not in the winter. The dam is also a nice little feature.

Wonderful romantic fall walk in the park. Beautiful trees. Nice path. Spots for picnics. This took…read moreme back to my days in Cincinnati and I really enjoyed it. It's nice to be able to get away from the busy city. Best part... it's free :-)

Love this forest preserve! Last time I was there I saw three baby deer. Awwwww…read more Good walking trail though it doesn't connect in an easy way...you'll need to stop and turn back in the same path you just walked. It's a lovely path though! There are nice spots for feeding the ducks, cute areas for picnics and an overabundance of parking!

Adjacent to the Evanston Art Center this small but historic park, with a beautiful lakefront…read moresetting, is serene. I recommend stopping here before or after the beach or Art Center.

A great tucked away forest preserve just off Willow Rd, East of Hibberd. Its hard to imagine such…read morean open space where the location is. Its pretty basic, but does have an open shelter with a fireplace and bathrooms. Two large open fields (not for sports and no playground) are on either side of the shelter. A great place for a picnic with plenty of space for games and a hiking trail. Crow Island Woods also has easy access to Crow Island School Just to the east.

What a hidden gem! You get the best of both, beach and bluff and it is HP residents only…read more Accessible by both foot and car; but note that parking space is limited and you have to have a sticker (available at HP Rec center). No matter the purpose of your visit, this place has relax and unwind written all over it. This beach is the opposite of Rosewood, it is more of a DIY beach, which is more my vibe.

I'm not sure if this review is about the park area, the beach, the lake, or the fact that the North…read moreShore has some beautiful historical hidden gems worth exploring. Millard Park pays tribute to all of it! Thanks to Maryana R and Peter S for helping me discover this jewel. At the very end of Ravine Drive, down a long and winding road, up some stone stairs, you'll discover a piece of North Shore history. Not only will you discover a remaining stone wall structure that was part of the Robert C Schaffner Estate, built by Howard Van Doren Shaw, but the restored Schaffner Garden, which is a magical place made for a fairy princess. In the midst of wild flowers, you'll also discover planted trees and benches dedicated to loved ones who have passed on. This garden overlooks the lake and the Millard Park Beach. I can't wait to come back when the flowers are in bloom. On the beach you will find a rock garden and a fun wooden structure/rock identifier displaying native rocks. Kids and kids at heart can take the rocks they discover on the beach and match them to the rock identifier as a learning tool. It's kind of difficult to explain, so you'll just have to see for yourself! Overall, an incredible place to escape to. Note: You can only park there with a Highland Park sticker and dogs are not allowed on the beach.

We rented a shelter at Hastings Lake, Lake Villa. The shelter has indoor flush bathrooms,…read morefireplace, ceiling electric heaters, drinking fountain, grill, & plenty of picnic tables. According to website: shelter description says "exclusive use" of these facilities. When we got there, the ceiling heaters were not wired in, unusable but someone stocked the firewood, assuming it was LCFP - but we still don't know. As we were setting up for the party, tableware, decorations, etc - clearly anyone can see there was going to be a private event. Around 10am a stranger walks into the shelter to use the indoor bathroom, my daughter called out to him, please don't use the bathroom as we reserved the shelter, this is a private event. The man ignored my daughter, of course he used the bathroom & on way out - he called us a bunch of losers. Later, he called the LCFP ranger complaining, the ranger called me - saying the bathrooms are public use no matter that we paid a permit reserving the shelter. I told the ranger, the stranger was very rude & could've been courteous, (we're not animals, of course we would've obigled) while I was trying to explain that, the Ranger interrupted me & said I needed to "stop talking" (and listen) as the Ranger said the stranger did not have to thank us or apologize. I called LCFP to report the Ranger & state what's said on the website "exclusive use" is not correct or the Ranger is wrong & whatever the policy - I suggest you make it clear. All I could do is leave a message to return my call, as of today - no call back. I'm posting this because there will be another rude person invading someone's paid reservation of Shelter A at Hastings Lake. How can LCFP expect patrons who paid the permit be OK with strangers walking in on a private event? If the bathrooms doors were not facing "outside" the shelter or the bathrooms in their own building, I could go along with allowing for pubic use - but that's not the case & as the website description "exclusive use" is not true.

Singing Hills is a beautiful open area with the Millennium Trail winding through it. As the name…read morewould suggest, the trail through this preserve is quite hilly. From the trailhead you can get to Lakewood going south or Marl Flat going north. The biggest negative about this preserve is there is no loop trail. At the trail head there is parking, drinking water, and toilets. There is also horse trailer parking, a hitching rail, and a mounting post (and an additional water pump is also near this area). You can hike, bike, horseback ride, snowmobile, and cross-country ski at this preserve. The old barn owned by Singing Hills Farm still stands on the property at the trail head.

It was great taking my family out here for outdoor activities. My kids love it. They were playing…read moresoccer with some random friends on the fields for a few hours and got exhausted

Thanks to Google maps, i found this park. I wanted to cycle in Evanston, and needed a turnaround…read morepoint. This was it! Peaceful park, with a playground for children. This is one of those so peaceful you can take a nap type of parks; also have a picnic. I do see many more trips to this park in the future. Enjoy, if you decide to visit this park.