This year, our goal is to walk to 4 area parks for a total of 280,000 steps!

Photos by JP Goguen

​Allerton Park & Retreat Center (26 miles - 55,000 steps)
Built as a private residence by artist and philanthropist Robert Allerton in 1900, .Allerton Park & Retreat Center is a historical treasure that was donated to the University of Illinois in 1946. The property contains 1,500 acres of woodland and prairie areas, a mansion and reflecting pond, a 10-acre meadow, formal sculpture gardens, hiking trails, and several lodging facilities. 

Middle Fork River  (32.5 miles – 65,000 steps)
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve contains 1,702 acres composed of old hardwood timber, reforested lowlands, grassy meadows, and in-progress prairie restorations. Rich in trails, Middle Fork contains one of the region's premier Waterfowl Management Areas, and it is also home to a favorite camping area, the Harry L. Swartz Campground. Illinois' first International Dark Sky Park!

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area  (35 miles – 70,000 steps)

Hiking trails throughout Clinton Lake Sate Recreation Area and range from easy to moderate in difficulty. Picnic areas and playgrounds are found throughout the site, while campgrounds feature 17 Class AA campsites, 277 Class A campsites and 14 Class B/S campsites. At 4,900-acres, Clinton Lake's offers fishing with accessible boat launches at the Mascoutin and West Side Access Areas, a fishing pier at the Spillway Access Area, and bank fishing at Valley Mill. 

Forest Glen Preserve  (45 miles – 90,000 steps)
Founded in 1968, Forest Glen Preserve is 1800 acres in size. It is located seven miles east of Westville on County Highway 5. It is rated number three botanically in Illinois and consists of beech-maple and oak-hickory forest types.