Location: Willow Springs
Top Things to do in Willow Springs
Top Restaurants in Willow Springs
Countries
What to do and see in Willow Springs, Illinois (IL): The Best Things to do
Willow Springs is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village was founded in 1892. The population was 5,524 at the 2010 census.
Restaurants in Willow Springs
1. Little Red Schoolhouse
2. Memory Lane Stables
3. Centennial Bike Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By Toyota1994 - Chicago, United States
Centennial Trail is one beautiful that runs through parts of three suburban counties from Willow Springs to Romeoville over a distance of 13 miles with no major road crossings. The asphalt pavement is pretty smooth the entire way; there is about a mile-long stretch in the middle near Old Lemont road where the trail is an industrial road. But this road is very lightly used, and during non-business hours it is basically devoid of traffic. Not to be missed are panoramic views of the river from the pedestrian bridge in Willow Springs and of the canal from the 135th Street bridge in Romeoville. The trail is on a thin strip of land between the Des Plaines River on the west side and the Illinois-Michigan Canal on the east. Running primarily through riparian forest, the trail is quite shady and is ideal for bird and wildlife watching. I saw numerous deer along the trail. And at one point, I ran over an unfortunate frog which jumped back right underneath my bike. We get good views of the river and the canal barges quite frequently through the trees. The fencing and barrier that runs the full length of the trail is there to keep Asian Carp from jumping from the river to the canal in heavy rains, and ultimately keep them out of the Great Lakes. Frequent signposts explain the purpose of the fence/barrier. The trail is well mile-marked and signs posted adequately. The Centennial trail connects up with other major trails – the Cal Sag Trail, the I&M Canal Trail and the Veterans Memorial Trail. Also, the trail connects at its southern end with the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail; though I wish the connection was better designed and better marked. The Centennial trail also goes through the Waterfall Glen Forest preserve, though there is no trail connection with the main trail in the forest preserve (will require a bridge across river). There is a man-made hill called the Centennial Hill along the trail which is about a half-mile hike; I walked my bike to the top for expansive views of the surroundings. All in all, the Centennial trail is a most enjoyable and one of the best trails in the Chicago area.
4. The Irish Legend Pub & Restaurant
5. Sarah's Pony Rides
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By BeachyKeen_9
I actually brought a work colleague from Hong Kong to enjoy a trail ride at Sarah's Pony Rides. We had the pleasure of riding Dexter and Sherman. Both horses were simply adorable, very gentle and well behaved and extremely smart (and easy to ride!) for 2 riders who were absolute beginners. Our trail guide was a young lady named Sarah and her beautiful horse, Goldilocks. Sarah was very patient with us as we timidly and nervously tried to help our horses stop eating snacks along the trail and always gave patient, helpful and encouraging directions to help us steer our horses along the trail. By the end, my face was hurting from smiling so much! A horseback ride was a last-minute idea as I was driving to work that morning, and I easily was able to call and arrange an appointment for later that afternoon for a trail ride. And after our ride, Sarah took us into the barn and let us meet the other horses and ponies in the stalls (and the other animals) on site. We were allowed to take photos and pet the animals and it was just a fabulous (and unexpected!) end to our trail ride. It especially warmed our hearts to learn that they specialize in the rescue of horses! It is so obvious that they are well loved now and well cared for now, regardless of where they have come from in their difficult little lives leading up to being rescued, saved and brought to Sarah's Pony Rides. Thank you, Sarah, Goldilocks, Dexter and Sherman! What a fabulous time!
6. John Husar l&M Canal Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
I met John Husar in 1971. He was the Chicago Tribune's golf writer, his first major assignment on what was to be a meteoric career in journalism. I was the Daily News' prep editor but I had been assigned to cover golf during the offseason. We flew to Philadelphia to cover the U.S. Open. After Lee Trevino beat Jack Nicklaus in a dramatic Monday playoff, we toured Independence Hall and other historic sites, enjoyed Bookbinder's soup and flew back to Chicago. Later, Big John, as he was known, was a Tribune columnist, covered eight Olympics, was one of eight journalists chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Seoul in 1988, was nominated for a Pulitzer Price and covered the outdoors scene for 16 years. He died in 2000 at age 63. One of his legacies is the John Husar I&M Canal Trail, which parallels Route 171 and the Des Plaines River from a southwest to northeast direction in Lemont and Willow Springs. The 9.1-mile paved surface, which starts at Route 83 and ends at Route 45, is available for walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, bicycling, inline skating and is wheelchair accessible. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. The Husar Trail is the northernmost trail developed for the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. Historically, the I&M provided the final link in the water route for the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico by connecting Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River in the 1800s. Big John would love the historical connection.
7. Saganashkee Slough
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
