Absolutely love the Christmas display; loved the light show especially the singing trees. This is a…read moregood set up with different aspects of lights. The American flag that changed from each branch was heartfelt...

A great park. There is a 9 hole disc golf course, good…read moreplaygrounds, picnic shelter, fishing lake and lots of hiking. I love to come out here with the family.

A 40 acre wetland in Edwardsville, IL, the Watershed Nature Center was transformed from a city…read morelagoon to a city park in 1995. Our friends from Edwardsville took me and my wife there on a hot Monday afternoon. It was great to see collaboration between residents and city government to transform and maintain land used by both wildlife and people. This land was a sewage lagoon until 1984, when it was filled and stopped being used. In 1990, a proposal was made to transform it into a nature preserve, and a non-profit was formed to coordinate. Over the next five years, both public and private money was used to slowly terraform, until the center was officially opened to the public in 1995. The center features paved hiking trails, a raised marsh walk, and an air conditioned welcome center with educational classrooms. The Nature Preserve Foundation maintains the trails and native habitats. We saw quite a few animals during our stroll, with various birds (our friends are birders) and even a large snapping turtle close to the concrete marsh walk. We realized later that there was a female turtle underneath. There was also an area where bamboo was growing, with it being pretty clear how fast it can spread and grow if not intentionally controlled.

Located in Edwardsville Illinois,this is a nice 40 acre park with wetlands,woodlands and…read moregrasslands. Paved and gravel trails are well marked . Most trails circle the small lagoon. Pets are welcome. Plenty of parking.

Great Park! So many beautiful trees. It's a great workout with many wonderful trails. My…read moretwo-year-old daughter loved it and the little cute play area. Go to this park if you have not been there. It's so pretty and well kept.

So this place is literally hidden. Actually, that might be one of the best things about it! Plenty…read moreof parking and a perfect place to take your four legged friends. They've got the poop bags at the beginning of the trail (always a good sign). You can go either of two directions to start. It's not crazy big but it's a nice place go come back to once in a while. There's a bit of water, and a few benches around. You could even have lunch if you so desired. Enjoy your visit! I know your doggie will appreciate it!! :)

Our new favorite park. A friend told me about it and we've been going weekly or daily since. The…read moretrail around the park is great, clean and easy to walk. It's scenic with the lake and in the summer people paddleboard, fish and kanoe. I have nothing but great experiences here and happy to live near such a good park!

Delightful and peaceful stroll near bike trails, clean bathrooms, plenty of benches, many "exercise…read moreareas", quite a few colourful and creative sets of playground equipment. Stop by Bobby's frozen custard on a hot day after a good day of climbing and play!

Township Park is a wonderful park to take kids and family to for a beautiful day out! There is…read moreplenty of space to run and place plus they have lots of play ground equipment to keep everyone busy! I don't like you can't bring pets, but I do understand to a point also. It's a great community park!

The best park for kids I've ever seen. Someone posted a bad review saying there weren't any…read moreswings, but I saw lots of swings! My little guy loves going to this park! It's a true gem for this area. Also, there is lots of area to play ball, throw a frisbee or fly a kite! It's fun to take a blanket and have a picnic in the grass, but there are lots of picnic tables too.

Joe Glik Park is a new park with pavilions and ponds, slightly rolling terrain, and recently…read moreplanted trees. As they mature, the landscaping will look really nice, especially with planned improvements. In the meantime, JGP has the widest concrete paths I can remember in any park I've visited, like the concrete guys were hurting for business, and offered a double wide, two-for-one deal. I imagine it offers a smooth surface for skaters, though I haven't noticed any here on my rare visits. Most importantly for Onyx H. and her little buddy Ruby H., this place is dog-friendly. There's a fenced dog park on the northeast side, and at least one doggie-bag dispenser. That doggie-bag dispenser can be most important when the stock of plastic bags in your pocket is exceeded by your pet's desired number of pit stops. JGP is a perfect place for a short winter walk with your canine companions.

A hidden gem in Edwardsville. Found this when I was desperate for a place to walk our dog while in…read moretown. Beautiful setting, ponds, fountains, trees, pavilions and wide walking paths. We will be back!

What a gem! Gorgeous lake and a clean safe beach with lifeguards and tons of water activities…read more(trampoline, diving board, giant blow up recreation thing). I just wanted to find a good old fashioned lake in driving distance and this hit the spot. 7$ per adult for use all day (you can leave and come back). I think kids are 5. It was just my partner and I and there's plenty of space for what ends up being naturally divided into adult/kid spaces. We went on a scorching hot Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised by a relatively quiet beach. They have showers, and an indoor shop with food and drinks. No alcohol. This is a great old fashioned beach. Highly recommend.

We absolutely love this beach! I feel like it's a hidden gem. We live in St. Louis and it's only…read moreabout one hour and five minutes away. The beach has the floating obstacle course, sand for building Sandcastles,and a swing set. You can pay to bring a cooler in, but there's also food options. Available on site. It is cash only so beware.... But they have an ATM for people like me who never carry cash.

It is a very nice playground and it is also nice for kids that are on the spectrum since it is…read morepartially fenced in. My grandkids loved it!

What a fun park for kids! I love that the play structure is different. The area for littler kids…read morewas perfect for my toddler. Lots of shaded picnic tables. The bathrooms were clean. My kids had a fantastic time and we will be back!

In Alton visiting a friend and we wanted to get outside and enjoy the day. She took me to this park…read morefor the amazing view. This park is located in a higher altitude to the places around and that affords an amazing view over the river. There is a steep set of stairs on one side or gradual slope to walk up on the other (also making it more accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, etc). There is a nice Gazebo with benches for weddings and events. My friend advised that the Alton Orchestra plays at the gazebo in the summertime. There was also a walking trail and nice views on the lower side of the park. I give it a 4/5 as there is no equipment or play area for the youngsters. Also there was a large construction area where it appears there was a landslide type situation. The city is addressing it and has the whole area sectioned off for the protection of guests. Overall I would recommend this area for a stroll, a view and maybe a picnic. Would also be a great wedding/event spot with the gazebo.

I came here today to check out a new park with my friend along the way to the state park, and I…read morefound this quaint city park with a great view of the Mississippi River overlooking St. Charles, MO. I played catch and fetch with my dog, and he got to run around the upper part of the park off-leash. (I recommend not doing the off-leash with your dog if they are not trained for recalls). I sat at the bench overlooking the river for 30-40 minutes, just enjoying the view and how the weather was also perfect for the park. This park will be one of my go-to whenever I revisit Alton, IL.

It is so wonderful to have this gem so close. The trails are not crowded and they make for great…read morehiking. It's a great, scenic spot to get away for a day and just enjoy nature. There are so many birds too!

One of the most fun for family and friends during the warmer months in Carlyle Illinois.read more