Forest Park Nature Center 5809 North Forest Park Drive, Peoria Heights, IL 61616

"We did the luminary walk this weekend and it was really beautiful and fun. Lots of fun items for sale in the shop and we got to hear some really great live music."

"Went hiking there a few weeks ago during peak fall colors, it was very beautiful. Planning to return soon"

"Went for a nice walk in this trail. Got to see some deer, squirrels, and a few different birds. Very nice to walk it during this time of the year. Nice shade provided by the tall trees and the cool air of fall made the walk super enjoyable. Would definetely recommend it to others. Is like a 3 mile loop and I had forgotten my walking tennis shoes wh3n we flew in so only had flip flops for the walk. So that's what I used for it and was pretty good. Besides getting my feet a little dusty from the dirt in the trail lol Is a very easy trail in my opinion. I would suggest it to others, espcially family with kids since the trail is pretty begginer type."

"Amazing hiking trails. On the strenuous side, hill-wise, with lots of rest areas. So much wildlife late June around dusk. Turkeys, deer, squirrels, many birds calling. Wonderful tree variety. Trails are well marked. Robin's Wake is the farthest in but well worth it if you have the time! It was remarkably uncrowded when I went, saw maybe a handful of other hikers in the two hours I was there."

"Review Date: September 29th, 2013 I remember coming here a few times as a kid on field trips. It was awesome as kid. They taught us about animals, bugs, nature and everything else outdoorsy. Then we got to hike a smaller trail as a group. Maybe this is what caused me to be such an avid outdoors person. Coming back here after about 2 decades was a huge nostalgic trip. Nothing had changed from what I remember as a kid. I’m sure things have been changed and updated since the early 90’s, but it still retained that feel and look I remember as kid. The main building has set hours, but I do believe you can hike there before they open, as long as you follow the rule of ‘no hiking before sunrise and after sunset’. Don’t quote me on that. Inside the building is a small gift shop. There are quite a few learning activity areas to enrich yourself on local foliage and fauna. They hold a lot of events here, so you are surely able to drop in once a week and encounter some fun activity going on. There are plenty of trails to hike. If you want a quick hike, they have short trails. If you desire something challenging, you can hike some tough trails. Just be careful, I know a few people who have wandered off the path and ended up in a business area of Peoria Heights. The last time I was there, they had a 100-mile hike challenge. It was $10-15 to sign up and you record your hiking distances in a book there. Once you reach 100 miles, you get an award of some sort. I think it was a t-shirt and a certificate. Ive been wanting to sign up for it since I learned about it. But life gets busy. :/ Parking is plentiful but be warned; its a popular place, so there is usually a good amount of cars there at all time. But you shouldn’t have a problem most of the time finding a parking spot. If you are native to the area and haven’t been here, do yourself a favor and check it out. If yo are from out of town, also do yourself a favor and stop by for a quick hike. You won’t regret it."