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.

Nice little park, fun for kids and great place to walk the dog…read more Easy parking too

Very cool park for youngsters. Everything was upgraded recently from the looks of it. Gentle drop…read morefrom the slides, adventurous playground layout, splash pad, huge picnic areas, etc. There is good parking present. Very conveniently located next to the freeway. If you have toddlers or young ones, do check this park out!

I probably shouldn't be giving this away as this sport has gotten way popular but this is a Great…read morepark for pickle ball. They actually have 2 pickle courts and 1 tennis court that's capable of playing pickle with the pickle ball lines in them. There's also available basketball court and some benches for picknickers. Most people (I say most) have been respectful of the court availability and are courteous to each other. We probably ran into only 1 Karen and let's hope that was a rarity around here.

This park is at the end of my block. We walk/roll down here regularly. The tennis courts got turned…read moreinto pickleball courts. There is a basketball court and a huge park. There's a big open field and lots of parking. There are also two water fountains.

Kids Castle is one of the best parks and playgrounds around. The playground has so many different…read moreareas to explore that kids can easily spend hours playing without getting bored. Everything is well maintained, and there's plenty of space for families to spread out and enjoy the day. One of my favorite things about this park is its location. It's close to great walking trails, so it's easy to go for a relaxing walk before or after visiting the playground. There are also fishing ponds nearby, which make it an even better place to spend the afternoon outdoors. Whether you're bringing young kids to play, going for a walk, or just enjoying the peaceful surroundings, Kids Castle is a fantastic destination. It's one of those parks that keeps you coming back because there's so much to do, and it's always a fun place to visit.

Entertaining for all ages! Took my step daughter (5/6 year old) and husband here one summer…read moreafternoon. Clean, updated and a blast for all 3!

I recently attended this park for a pickleball event but I am here to express my appreciation for…read morethis beautiful public park. Several years ago I took tennis lessons here. I also took taekwondo lessons (outside) here and I used to drop a family member at the ice arena for ice skating lessons. In winter, the sledding hill is a fun way to enjoy some outdoor activity. The children's play area looks well maintained. The accessible all gender restrooms are clean and in order. This is a beautiful park to watch sports, participate in sports, or enjoy the great outdoors.

This park has really blossomed over the years with a lot of activities. We only explored the…read moreplaygrounds on this visit, which were really nicely spread out. The playgrounds were fenced in and had soft cushioned surfaces. There was plenty of seating nearby too. By the playgrounds were tennis courts, pickleball courts and a basketball court. The park is just missing permanent bathrooms and a refillable water bottle station. The rest of the park has a frisbee golf course, ball fields, soccer fields, ice skating rink, sledding hill and plenty of parking.

I so adore this park!! I remember dreaming of bringing my own children here one day, while nannying…read moremy way through college, and that day finally arrived TODAY. I appreciate the beautiful greenery, and although the park is faded and more worn than it was 11 years ago, my daughter and her bestie (4) had an absolute blast here! We spent a solid 3 hours here, bouncing between the spray park, playground, hedge maze and sandpit. The grass is spacious enough for a picnic lunch, and there are also two picnic tables on site. There are bathrooms onsite, including a family restroom which is great for changing. Not the cleanest, but decent for a park. I do wish they'd bring back the bench swings!

I've been hearing about this park for a while and we were able to take a visit over there today…read more I'm glad I knew what I was looking for because Google Maps was going to take me to a small playground on the other side of the school, rather than Little Bear Park which is on the very corner of Patriot and Chestnut (and is almost entirely fenced in, which makes it attractive with little kids). The Little Bear Park is actually a section within the larger Gallery Park, so you may need to put that in if your GPS is confused about LBP. This park was established as part of the redevelopment of the military airfield in Glenview. Overall, I was disappointed in the park, but there were some things I really loved about it along with those that left a bit to be desired. First, it looked like a gorgeous, romantic garden like you might envision from an Austen novel. Truly a beautiful setting, with a small hedge maze and a several picnic tables. Quite an idyllic little spot within the larger park, and ostensibly where it gets the "garden park" part of its name. There's also a really awesome water feature here. It's really large, and unlike some "splash pads" that are little more than a tall pipe sticking out of the ground, this one had several arms coming out of the ground of different heights. It also had some water coming from spots in the ground, for a lot of different ways to play. My kiddo got soaked and loved it. Sadly, the playground section looked kind of old and worn. It has a cute castle/medieval theme, but all the play equipment was quite faded. Of more concern was that the playground terrain, which was that composite rubbery stuff, was broken off in quite a few places; more than once my babe brought me small or large pieces. Seems potentially fraught in a few different ways, but it was weird since in all the parks I've been to with that kind of ground cover I haven't seen chunks of it missing throughout the playground. There's lots of parking at/around this park, because it shares space with a middle school and park district headquarters. The playground itself isn't the attraction for me--though if we are already in Glenview, I might stop--but I would absolutely return for a beautiful picnic in the garden, and that's what really makes it shine.

My niece and her husband had their wedding reception here a few days ago. The weather was rainy and…read morecool, but as someone visiting from hot and sticky Texas, I gladly welcomed it. An outdoor pavilion surrounded by the forest was where the celebration was held. It easily accommodated all the guests. Because private events here use outside caterers, we were treated to an amazing buffet style dinner that included salad, chicken, steak, salmon, potatoes and vegetables. All were abundant and delicious. The exterior of one of the historic buildings served as the spot for the open bar. I went inside the property and was transported back in time to mid-19th century Illinois. Parts of the building resembled a hotel off the beaten path in Mexico. I confess that I didn't do much research on The Grove beforehand. It appears to be a place where you could get in a quiet weekend walk. Simply put, a must visit for anyone seeking to escape the hurly burly of Chicago proper. Fair warning, however. It's easy to get lost looking for The Grove so be sure to keep an eye out for the sign indicating it while traveling down Milwaukee Avenue.

The nature center is a great place to see some animals and other exhibits. The forest is much…read morebigger than it looks from the street and has nice flat paths. We saw several deer and chipmunks. Great place to go for a hike.

In the past year or two, the Park District of Highland Park have stepped up and taken much better…read morecare for Sherwood Park. Previous summers; the main field would be more dandelion than grass, and the Deerfield Rd. embankment would be an overgrown mess. In the past two summers, these issues were tended to much better. As a result, the park has been much more usable. The ground crews must have used a good weed & feed type of product, as the dandelions were mostly gone and the turf grew in MUCH stronger. Before, especially in lower areas that used to fill up as muddy puddles during a modest shower, the grass would tear easily. Now, the grass seems to be deeper rooted, and holds up to vigorous use by two-legged and four-legged kids (and kids-at-heart). When it rains, puddles still form in several spots (particularly in the center of the park), but they aren't muddy. The puddles even drain better. Along the east edge of the park, the Deerfield Rd. embankment - which is fenced off - is far less overgrown. It still has wild plant growing, but isn't as out of control. It also seems like they may have adjusted the pitch of the earth in some spots, as there is no longer standing water near the fences. the past two summers have seen fewer mosquitoes due to the weather, but I feel the above changes will further reduce mosquitoes in the park during hotter and more humid summers going forward. Holes in the fence must have been patched up sometime last fall, and there's an repaired backstop in the northeast corner. The playground equipment they installed a few years back were all premium gear. They've help up nicely to the elements, and still look absolutely brand new. It helps that they were regularly being cleaned, prior to COVID-19. They were roped off for a few months, but are back in use. As a result of COVID-19, I see park crews cleaning them fairly often, and the garbage & recycling cans emptied just as often. All of this attention and effort by the Highland Park Park District have improved the usability of Sherwood Park. The playground is still the nicest feature - excellent equipment, plenty of seating, stroller parking, garbage cans, tables, and soft padding all around. It's been a great destination to groups with younger kids. The improvements to the field and surrounding area have also made the rest of the park more useful. You can now run around on the field, without worrying about kicking up a storm of dandelion puffs or getting all muddy. I had previously scored this park 3 stars, but I'm now inclined to give it 4 stars (I have to grade on a curve, because of its proximity to even nicer parks like Mooney Park, Cloverdale, and Sunset Woods).

We absolutely love this place. A small forest preserve along the shores of Lake Michigan. Good for…read morehiking,biking and even cross country skiing. The beach is rocky which makes for great rock collecting and bird watching. There is a small parking lot which fills up quickly especially on the weekend. Ft. Sheridan is rich in history dating back to the Great Chicago Fire. Definitely a hidden gem in Illinois.

This is a lovely spot to feel cool breezes off the lake on a hot summer day. We enjoyed walking…read morethe beach, bird watching and all the native wildflowers.

Can you believe it's December and it's so beautiful? A lovely day to walk the paths at Openlands…read moreand/or walk down by the lake. People, dogs, families walking, jogging, strolling and taking in the view.

Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves since August 2023, this 72-acre area (formerly part of Fort…read moreSheridan) has a unique blend of ravines, bluffs, and a lakefront in Highland Park, 25 miles north of Chicago. This is close to Fort Sheridan and the cemetery. I love the paved trails, which are Ada accessible with minimal disturbance to nature. The art installations offer additional meditation subjects with a mix of science, poetry, and wonder. The qr code links did not work. My first introduction was a ravine with concrete sidewalks, mighty oak trees, and a complex root system slowing the erosion of the sides. Art installations do pique the imagination of visitors. Wood sidewalks and bridges lead to additional ravines, bluffs, and lakefront. I spotted a great horned owl silently sweeping across the canopy of trees. Four white tailed deer were nibbling on their grassy lunches. Red winged black birds were singing sporadically. I passed a tree with the bark rubbed off as evidence a deer came by to rub its antlers. I also saw several round holes on the lower trunks of the tree. It was evidence of a possible woodpecker looking for grubs. I spotted wood ear mushrooms growing on the side of a tree. Thousands of migrating birds visit the preserve each year. Listen to the audio guides for the nature and art installations. https://openlands.org/projects/openlands-lakeshore-preserve/ Main Parking 24256 N Patten Road, Highwood, IL 60040 South Parking 2789 Oak Street, Highland Park, IL 60035