Best Family-Friendly Nature Walks Around Chicago

Sarah D. said:  The Ned Brown Preserve, better known to locals as Busse Woods, boasts an eight-mile paved loop trail that is perfect for family members of all ages. The trail weaves throughout the preserve through sunny greenways and shaded woods. The trail even follows the Busse Lake shoreline where families can rent canoes and rowboats by the hour. The Busse Woods trail connects to the Salt Creek Greenway Trail for those looking for an extended adventure!

Sarah D. said:  Old School Forest Preserve offers families an array of amenities that make this nature destination one of the best around! With a playground, public parking, toilets and access to water, this is an ideal place to spend the day in nature with the little ones. But, this particular location gets an Upparent nod for making nature hiking accessible even into the winter months! This forest preserve offers solar lit nature hikes and even stays open late on designated dates for folks to hike or snowshoe along the 1.3 mile fitness trail!

Kristy Pepping said:  The trails at the Morton Arboretum wind through an amazing display of carefully cultivated trees and provide exceptional play areas that give kids a space to explore nature. The Children’s Garden is a fun outdoor playscape with scavenger hunts, tunnels, mazes and whimsical structures.

Kristy Pepping said:  The DuPage River Trail at DuPage River Park offers trail walking. You can stroll by a pond, pavilion, and stop for lunch at a picnic area.

Kristy Pepping said:  Meadow Glens Park offers a loop trail with fitness stations. There is also a nature-themed playground, restrooms, open fields, educational signs about the prairie, rain garden and plenty of shade.

Shila said:  Twin Lakes at Salt Creek is filled with fish, and no motorized boats are allowed. It is a great spot for catch-and-release fishing around Donut Lake, as well as a family-friendly nature walk. Families of all ages can also enjoy pedal boating and kayak rentals.

Sarah D. said:  The Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve in Long Grove, Illinois is known for it's wide open spaces that are safe and easy to explore! There are four miles of crushed gravel trails at Buffalo Creek that winds through Illinois prairie and along the Buffalo Creek reservoir. With amenities like toilets, drinking water and benches along the trials, this forest preserve offers a calm and peaceful walk in nature.

Sarah D. said:  The trail system at the Meacham Grove Forest Preserve offers 2.5 miles of peaceful trails. While the Savannah Trail is limited to foot traffic only and spans only a half-mile, it is accessible only once well-inside the park. The Maple Lake Trail, though a bit longer (1.3 miles) is accessible directly from parking and wanders along the shoreline with access to parking, benches along the route, restrooms, picnic and drinking water.

Kristy Pepping said:  Knoch Knolls is run by the Naperville Park District and has rivers, a creek, a pond and over five miles of hiking trails. In addition, there are areas for picnicking, plenty of parking onsite and a bridge over the DuPage River that connects to other segments of this trail, both north and south. Families can stop at the Nature Center, playground or stop for a game of disc golf as well. Trails maps are located on their site.

Sarah D. said:  The Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park is the best possible way to bring nature walks together with art and design. This hidden gem is sprawled across 20 acres of meadow, forest and natural Illinois prairie serving as the backdrop for multiple pieces of design all reflecting different architectural periods. Bring your family to hike and explore this private-public partnership between the Village of Schaumburg and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. While walking, be sure to check out the Prairie Center for the Arts - part of the campus.

Kristy Pepping said:  The Lincoln Marsh Natural Area is a fun place to hike, picnic and generally enjoy the outdoors. There are several nature trails to explore and the fun part is there are free scavenger hunt lists located on their site to use and check off as you go. In addition, Lincoln Marsh has a playground on-site to visit before or after your hikes! There are also Nature To Go Kits available for purchase. Parking lot and trailhead locations can be found here.

Kristy Pepping said:  The trail has fitness stations, and the park offers a playground, restrooms, shelter and many more recreational activities.

Kristy Pepping said:  Frontier Sports Complex is a new plaza that has trails within it and further south. There is also a trail across the entire park connecting to the pedestrian bridge over Rt. 59. Besides trails, there is a park, picnic shelter, bocce ball and basketball courts.

Sarah D. said:  The trail system at the Blackwell Forest Preserve offers something for everyone! I recommend the Egret Trail located in the south east quadrant of the 1,366 acre preserve. The 0.6-mile Egret Trail is located close to parking, with access to bathrooms, picnic areas and a scenic vista of Silver Lake. After the hike, enjoy boat rentals on the lake or a more adventurous stretch of trail up to Mt. Hoy (elev. 836 ft.).