Midewin is worth the drive from Chicago -- 90 minutes…read more The visitor's center is closed during the pandemic. We followed the signs and went there, thinking we'd find the trailheads. We didn't. We eventually found a man moving grass who recommended we drive north to the Iron Bridge and park there. That was good advice. Not only is there parking, pit toilets, and picnic tables, but the trailhead, and connections to several trails. I recommend everyone start at the Iron Bridge trailheads. We did not see the bison, but we did enjoy a few hours of walking on flat trails. We admired the prairie grasses and flowers, reveled in the sunshine and breeze on this cool day, and just loved every minute we were there. Hikers, remember to wear a head covering. You are on the prairie, after all. Officially, this is a national park, and I brought my national parks pass, but we saw no rangers at all. Nobody checked for park passes or any kind of entrance fee.

If bison, wildflowers, wildlife, & pastures are your thing, you've come to the right place. I'm…read morefrom Ohio and it was my husband's idea to come here. He saw it on a map and said, that's something we've got to do because we live less than 6 hours from it and it's got National in the name... We were not disappointed. I noticed that most people come here for the bison viewing, and that was nothing short of spectacular. However, there are so many trails in addition to that that make this place all the more worthwhile! I especially enjoyed the history, this park was the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and when you walk some of the trails, that becomes apparent in the sense of abandonment that it gives you. However the peaceful ponds and gorgeous wildlife found along the way makes the hike both interesting and fulfilling. The hikes are not strenuous unless you hike in the heat like we did. There are no inclines or anything. You'll be out in the prairie or into the shade of the woods, but more of the former. Just be aware if you hike in the heat, to bring lots of water and sunscreen, as the sun seems to be more brutal in the open plains. The park gave us plenty to do in our 3 days in the area and it was a unique park for us in the sense that it was a prairie and not woods or mountains or beach...when have you ever hiked a trail through a prairie? Try it, you won't be disappointed.

My husband was a member for over 10 years. Absolutely love the place. So much to do. Camping,…read morefishing, swimming, biking just to name a few. My husband took me there for our first date. We went fishing at goose lake. Loved going there so many times for fishing, swimming, bike riding, picnics to name a small amount of activities there. So years later during the pandemic I forgot to send in the dues. Granted we had a discounted rate. I even said we will pay the full rate because I was so heartbroken over the fact that I screwed up and forgot to pay the dues. I contacted multiple people there about it. They would respond to my messages but would never respond after that. I still don't know why exactly we are not able to renew our membership. I'm no Karen lol but I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad that I screwed up my husband's membership and can't get anyone to tell me why. I can handle the reasoning Haha

This is our special piece of heaven! How can you not fall in love with a private, secure, and…read moreprotected outdoor eutopia where you, your family, and friends can camp, swim, fish, hike, ride bikes, explore, etc. All in a gated community. They have camp sites for tent camping and also sites for RV camping and it is very well maintained. Check out joining. It is truly a wonderful place that we have some of our most wonderful family memories at. And the staff who work here and maintain the grounds are the best people you will ever meet.

Best park that's in Channahon of course. Channahon State Park has some nice views of the DuPage…read moreRiver. It actually is bigger than it seems with lots of open areas and trails. Has lots of places for grilling. The park also usually isn't crowded so it's a good place for chilling and hanging. A lot of great scenery around. It's located along the DuPage River. This is near the end of it where it flows into the Des Plaines River, so around here there's certainly lots of water. Among the other features is the war memorial. This honors those from Channahon who died in various wars. It consists of a few flags and pillars with names of those who died. The park also has a building that looks like it has bathrooms but it's closed off it seems. Gets crowds when it's good weather for boating. It's located close to the marina with the Big Basin Saloon, a popular hangout. There's plenty of areas along the water including a few trails.

First time coming here, wanted to try something new to visit on a day off work and this place is…read moresuch a beautiful gem! Great views everywhere from all places! The park itself is great for the summer for shade from the sun. Bathrooms are okay. The dam itself is really cool to see. Highly recommend coming here on a run to take everything in better. Even a better place to fish at! Not too crowded at all, very peaceful! 4.5 stars

I'm a guy that's always interested in history but I have never heard of this place but I researched…read moremy history before coming in here and I'm happy this bridge was saved, used as a terminus and you can walk this all the way to Joliet. Sadly the rest of the former railroad is long gone but you can easily see the railroad scar left behind on Google maps!

Nice little hide away! We were driving around looking for a place to fish and found this little…read moregem! Features include a place to fish, boat, picnic, a large covered pavilion and a disc golf course! Worth the drive to get away from it all and enjoy the great outdoors!

Potowatomi Camp: What a beautiful, quiet campground, neat, well kept, with a good size shower…read morehouse, and wooded areas separating the sites. The bike trails were awesome. The river views were picturesque. They had parks and swing-sets, pavilions, a nice suspension bridge and river overlooks. 10/10 would come again.

We stayed at Chippewa one of Kankakee's state parks had a wonderful time. The hosts "D and R" are…read morewonderful people. They are very attentive to their campground and were there when we needed help. We definitely will be going back. The sites are spacious and very clean. J and Lisa

Fair campground, wishing for wifi, but the host Brenda Garcia deserves 5+…read moreThank you for everything Brenda

Staff was friendly but the spaces are unleveled bad. The only tires on the ground right rear. The…read morefront left was at least 12" off the ground.

Nice place to go for a picnic or a hike down the trails , can even camp out if you like, we usually…read morego during the week when less people have lunch and fish a little

A great place for the "outdoorsy" types! You can camp, fish, hike, picnic, and there is a free…read moreboat launch area. Good fishing along the river. You do compete with the river traffic, such as speed boats and barges, but we were able to catch fish. The grounds are pretty clean overall and you experience the a plethora of river foul. I also saw four water moccasins, so you should use some care along the waters edge.