Top Things to do in Illinois
Top Hotels in Illinois
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10 Outdoor Activities in Illinois That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Illinois, United States including Great Rivers Scenic Route, Grand View Drive, Aikman Wildlife Adventure, Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, Great River Trail, Starved Rock State Park, Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, Centennial Beach, Rosewood Beach.
Restaurants in Illinois
1. Great Rivers Scenic Route
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 231 reviews
Reviewed By apkh0828 - Granite City, United States
AMAZING RIVER VIEW, LEAVES TURNING, QUAINT LITTLE TOWN OF Elijah, Bike Trail, Bird Watching, with many great shops in the town of Grafton. Nice wine tasting places, book shops, antique shops, ice cream parlor, and of course my favorite rock shop just as you enter Grafton on the right hand side of street. Beasley Fish and Find Inn our favorite places to eat. And for the bikers HogPit is the place to go! Head North to Pete Marquette State Park for great hiking and horseback riding. Spend a day or a weekend here, you will love it!
2. Grand View Drive
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 278 reviews
Reviewed By Gsc52 - Peoria, United States
Multi use area you can just take the drive which takes 10 to 15 minutes and it’s beautiful or you can take your bicycle and bike the drive. You can walk the drive You can take your kids to the swing sets at the bottom of the drive you can have a picnic on the picnic tables over looking the river.I live near here I see kids taking wedding pictures families having a picnic and people walking their dogs just enjoying the beautiful view not much you can do for free but you can do it here and you are welcome
3. Aikman Wildlife Adventure
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 92 reviews
Zebras in the midwest??!! YES!! Aikman Wildlife Adventure is a wildlife sanctuary located in Arcola, Illinois. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of life possible to all wildlife in need, while maintaining a family friendly environment through interaction, education, conservation and by creating an experience of a lifetime for all our guests. Come out to enjoy 200+ animals and 75 different species! Drive through our park in your own vehicle to see all of our bigger animals, then take a stroll in our Walk-Thru to visit our small animals, predators, and petting zoo. If you love animals and are ready for an adventure of a lifetime, come out and see for yourself why our place is so unique and special! Hours vary depending on weather, visit our website for the most up-to-date information.
Reviewed By 649angelar - Portsmouth, United States
Our family of four (daughters ages 8 and 10) had an amazing experience taking the Behind the Scenes Adventure. We enjoyed learning more about the story of how this place came to be and of course the animals that live there. My daughters love animals, as do I, yet I am often conflicted about animals living in zoo environments. However, visiting Aikman did not fill me with conflicted feelings. Although this family-run business doesn't label themselves as an animal sanctuary because that word means different things to different people, they take animals that need a new home - because they were previously privately owned pets and/or in need of better living conditions. Their animals are those who could not survive in the wild. All animals are "fixed" before coming to live at Aikman meaning that they don't breed animals. They only take on animals if they can provide them with a better life. We loved getting up close and personal with lots of different species of animals and of course the open air ride on a 4x4 through the drive through. The price may seem high but it's a sum that's easy to give knowing that it's going to the betterment of the lives of so many animals. As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm absolutely thankful for people like the owners of Aikman who dedicate their lives to provide a safe place for animals who can no longer live in the wild.
4. Lincoln Park Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,859 reviews
Established in 1868, this 35-acre, beautifully landscaped zoo is one of America's last free-admission zoos. The Great Ape House has one of the best assemblages of gorillas and chimpanzees in the world.
Reviewed By Susantoot62 - Munster, United States
The Lincoln Park zoo lights for Christmas are extremely beautiful. My family and I stroll through this magnificent park and saw the incredible display of beautiful Christmas lights. Some of the lights are actually in the shape of animals of course! There is ice carving also. You can stroll enjoying hot chocolate hot coffee and other refreshments. It is great for all ages! And guess what, it is free
5. Brookfield Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,176 reviews
216-acre Zoo With Over 400 Species Of Animals.
Reviewed By Shelliu - Hilton Head, United States
Not everything is open in the winter but on a 50 degree day like today, especially with free admission, it was the perfect day. Brookfield has a lot of indoor exhibits - for wolves, bears, penguins, snakes, amphibians, giraffes and monkeys (highlight of the whole zoo). It’s one of the best places to visit in Chicago if you have kids, no matter the time of year.
6. Great River Trail
7. Starved Rock State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,562 reviews
Known for its magnificent rock formations of St. Peter sandstone, this scenic park offers many hiking and horseback riding trails plus fishing and boating along the banks of the Illinois River.
Reviewed By tigrr49 - Chicago, United States
Took about 3 - 3.5 hours to hike from visitor's center down to LaSalle Canyon while hitting Starved Rock, French Canyon, Wildcat Canyon, LaSalle Canyon, Eagle Cliff Overlook, and Lover's Leap Overlook in that order. French Canyon is pretty (sunlight glistened off the water onto the canyon walls) and most accessible but it also crowded for that reason. The waterfall at Wildcat was a small trickle compared to the others but it's also very high which is cool. LaSalle Canyon was definitely worth the hike especially since you can walk behind the waterfall for some cool photos. I would not recommend for young children (mine are 8 and 10) to do the whole distance we did. My kids certainly enjoyed the hike, several photo ops, and lunch / snacks along the way. Lastly, visitor center is nice and clean with pretty decent food options if that's your fancy. Extra Tips: Make it a 2 day trip and hit Matthiesen State Park - Dells Area nearby on your other day. Also, I read St. Louis Canyon and Ottawa Canyon can be nice but we didn't have enough time to hit them.
8. Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By A4452CAbriant
You dont have to go to Napa to enjoy great wine, scenic beauty, musical entertainment and friendly atmosphere. Blue Sky winery on the Shawnee wine trail has it all. From excellent dry wines made from locally grown grapes to white and red sangrias that are sure please. In addition to some of the best wines on the trail there is a delicious selection of food. The seasoned oil blend and fresh bread are fabulous. I particularly love the chamborcin and chamborcin reserve dry red. The large spacious outdoor seating area provides an excellent venue while enabling social distancing. If you haven't visited the Shawnee wine trail I highly recommend adding a visit to your bucket list.
9. Centennial Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 162 reviews
Historic quarry-turned-swimming facility in 1931. Includes sand, grassy area for picnicking, shallow-end slide, water play features, diving boards and more.
10. Rosewood Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By 638linkl
Grew up swimming at Rosewood and lesser known Ravine Drive. Both are decent beaches to cool off in and Rosewood is fairly big.
