Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights
Categories
Location on the map
Peoria Heights, Peoria County, Illinois, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Public toilet
Yes
Phone: +1 309-686-3360
Site: https://www.peoriaparks.org/fpnc/
Site: https://www.peoriaparks.org/fpnc/
Opening hours
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:9AM–5PM
- Wednesday:9AM–5PM
- Thursday:9AM–5PM
- Friday:9AM–5PM
- Saturday:9AM–5PM
- Sunday:1–5PM
Comments (199)
Very beautiful place. Peaceful and all the wildlife is protected so they dont scare off easy and you can semi get close to them. The flowers are blooming and the trails are amazing, the nature center is under remodel for even more interactive activities for the community fantastic!!!!!
My girlfriend and I just love this park. It’s so clean and quiet!! The wildlife is abundant! We walk and hike in this park all year long!! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful resource such as this and Thank you Peoria Park District for making it possible for all of us to enjoy!!!😃
There are many wonderful trails to explore without worries of getting lost. My five year old son really enjoyed seeing the animal tracks, picking his own trails to follow, and finding all sorts of other plants and critters.
I love this place. Clean Beautiful trails. Very calming. Not too crowded when I went. Definitely recommend checking it out for a relatively short hike.
I grew up hiking the trails here. Ive lived in a lot of places since then and I havent found another park that as successfully pairs convenient location with quality natural habitat. Seeing deer and/or turkey on the trails is as close to guaranteed as you can get with nature. In my experience, Deer Run Trail along the property line of the park seems to be the best place for seeing wildlife as it offers the mix of woods with corn field for animals.The Nature Center itself is a great place all on its own with unique A-frame architecture, a gift store, educational displays, stuffed and live animals, and a bird feeder observation room with one-way glass. There are great educational programs all year-round with the highlights being the Christmas Luminary Walks, Eagle Watch, and Herptology and Ornithology meetings.
I loved coming here! First few minutes in and I already had a herd of deer hanging out with me! Great place to get some exercise and not very far from downtown Peoria Heights which is beautiful❤️
I have always loved this place, and its always a great time taking the kids and getting away from the everyday hustle of life! Its easy to do a quick half an hour Trail or if youre brave enough, take a few hours and really soak in the scenery. Got to see a nice young doe, and a young buck. We absolutely love our city hiking spots!
Awesome as always. Great hike in the snow. Less than an inch right now on the trails, but great boots and/or Yaktrax make the trail not slick at all. I did 2.6 miles including hills today and saw several deer in 3 different spots. They are really easy to spot on a snowy day.
Been a favorite place for 40 years.Im always pleasantly surprised that - despite the profoundly poor reputation of Peoria Park District - the ecosystem and trails of this wonderful place have been preserved!Very few Peoria parks have anything ecologically positive happening... most are very badly managed/maintained by lazy, ignorant taxpayer-funded employees riding around on gas-guzzling, ecosystem-smashing, taxpayer-funded machines.So I can only guess that FPNC manages and maintains this lovely facility ONLY because they keep PeoriaParks at arms length, and because several very hardworking employees and volunteers keep this park going!
Had bluebird vs sparrow questions. Very knowledgeable people at FPNC working. Lady Thursday June 16th and Lady June 18 were very helpful. Will continue to visit the center as I have since 1970.
Forest Park provides a natural woodland preserve in a city area where nature can be hard to find. All the trails are dirt or mulch. You are sure to see wildlife. Being in the city it is not quiet with lots of road noise. A map is provided and features three levels of difficulty for trails.
Great hiking. Variety of trails from easy to moderate to difficult. Great scenery and you might even see some wildlife. We saw five wild turkeys.
The trail system is fantastic! They are very well maintained, but yet still allow for that rustic feel of actually hiking in the deep woods. There are animals galore if youre just quiet enough to come upon them. There are picnic tables where you can sit and take a break to just look around or eat lunch and multiple interesting exhibits inside the building.
Trail is very steep. Be sure to bring water. Its very shaded but very hot and dry today. Take it slow if you have knee or breathing problems. Young kids and strollers are a definite no here at this place unless you stay in the parking lot. Lots of cars parked but the trail was basically empty.
The trails are awesome and well-maintained. Lots of wildlife and great viewing spots! Grateful to have this space in the Peoria area!
Amazing are to go for a quick hike or a long hike. The choice is yours. Its so amazing that this land has been preserved in our community. There was also a few local critters to look at inside and a gift shop. The nature center was also featuring local artists which I enjoyed as well.
Nice trails. Can tell the small creek was recently washed out. Saw 8 deer, many chipmunks and squirrels, and a few turkeys. No dogs. Recommend for a quick 2+ mile hike.
It was awesome it was the first time Ive been there it was a lot bigger than I thought it had a lot of good hiking trails Im definitely going back when the flowers start blooming
Fantastic place to hike. Several trails (easy, medium and hard). Tons of wildlife.
Great place to stretch the legs and get a 3-4 mile hike in a forrested loop hike with some minor hills to get the old heart pumping. Not very crowded and the you will see plenty of deer.
Beautiful place to hike with well maintained trails. Only downside is no public toilet if the building is closed.
Definitely one of my favorites! I often see deer and turkeys, theres trails for all levels and abilities. Great for kids too. It can be busier on the main parts but usually isnt too bad. Even a short bit of prairie, though mostly forest.
Great park! Nice place to hike and get away in Peoria. The trails quickly dive back into the woods to make it tranquil without much traffic noise. There are some hills, but there are a little bit in before you have to start to climb. Most trials are nice and wide, but a couple can be a little narrower, but still easy hike! If you are lucky you can see some turkeys or other wildlife!
Great trails. Good workout on these trails. Saw deer and turkey.
This is one of the best places to hike in the Peoria area. The staff is very friendly and the trails are very well maintained. If you are looking for a great place to get out and enjoy nature. They have regular kids and adult programs.
Has really nice walking trails avoid walking in rain it very slippery
The trails are amazing and well maintainedGood guidance boards at all trails and intersection points
I have to give this place five stars. Ive been on trails from Rockford, Illinois to the southern tip of Illinois and not counting the history some places are known for, this place holds its own against the best of them. Whats best is, the very small children or the elderly dont feel left out. There are trails galore for all ages that will keep you mesmerized from start to finish. This is your perfect chance to get out and enjoy what nature has to offer.
Great trails and an amazing nature center. Take are well marked and maintained.
Nice, we saw Turkey, grey squirrel and numerous birds, lovely walk
Well kept trails.Deer wandering about.Great overlooks.
What an asset to have.. great trails and lots of birds and wildlife
So peaceful and the best hiking in the area.Love the wild life and the elevation of the trails.Trails are keep up and easy to follow.Favorite place.
Beautiful location!
From knocking woodpeckers, to roaming deer, to buzzing insects, the Forest Park Nature Preserve is a great place to hike while enjoying what nature has to offer in the Peoria area. This nature preserve has many trails that you can take that are interconnected and form a nice loop with two exits/entrances next to the parking lot and the nature center. The level of difficulty is quite mild and welcoming to people of all ages. Highly recommend if you are looking for a local place to take a natural stroll.
Need to see more, but it was a great little spot with miles of trails...Visitor center was closed
My husband and I have lived in Peoria for 5 years. We are both outdoorsy people and FPNC has been a great outlet for us. We have been hiking here now with our sons. We love winter hikes too. You should check it out.
It has HILLS.Yes Illinois is mostly flat and hikes are 30 ft incline over a mile of paved trails and I mean the majority but a few are actually expecting to walk like this one is. Come and enjoy it
Great places to get back to your inner nature lover, without getting full on Tarzan. So many different areas, the trail is extensive... So wear your good hiking shoes and bring water👍
WHAT A FIND! I dont live in the area, so I was amazed to find this wonderful nature preserve. Not much in the visitor center, but the trails are awesome. There are short, easy trails suitable for families and kids, and longer (1-2 miles) more rugged trails for the adventerus hiker. The terrain on the longer trails is varied and hilly, with interesting info signs throughout. The signage at intersections is perhaps the best Ive ever seen. And benches for resting are plentiful everywhere. Hills, ridges, ravines, meadows....this place has it all! And the longer trails were pretty deserted on the day I was there. Highly recommend for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers.
A park great for people with varying levels of activity, strolling even a few minutes will get you outdoors!
We popped in after driving by and it seems great! We only got 10 minutes into the trail before seeing 2 herds of deer, beautiful! It was below zero out and windy so we didnt stay long. Will absolutely come back in the spring to complete the trail!
A great place to introduce your children to nature. Nice trail system, lots of wildlife, and excellent programs make this one of our favorite places to visit.
Best hiking in Peoria. Great options for hills and very well marked. Friendly hikers. Safe. It should be noted that pets are not allowed.... so not a good place to take dogs.
Very nice and well kept property, and the staff there is extremely kind. I love it there.
Great place for a hike. There are many different trails so it is easy to pick one that fits your comfort level.
These trails are great and very enjoyable. Something for people of all hiking skill levels.
Great selection of hiking trails for all levels of walkers. Convenient in town location but seems like you are far away when on the trails. Even for being Memorial weekend it wasnt too nusy
Love this nature center! There are lots of trails for hiking. They are well marked so you cant get lost and very well maintained. There is a nice nature center with a small store and public bathrooms. We have seen lots of deer here and wild turkeys. This is one of our families favorite places to go hiking in the Peoria area. Highly recommended!
A great nature preserve just to the north of the city for a nice escape on the weekends. Was here numerous times for many hikes. Love it!The place has a good variety and is pretty well kept. The parking here is free.The hikes are decent with varying levels of altitude and toughness. Would recommend bringing young kids here. They also offer reservations for birthday parties and other group activities.
The trail system is fantastic! They are very well maintained but yet still allow for that rustic feel of actually hiking in the deep woods. There are animals galore if youre just quiet enough to come upon them. There are picnic tables where you can sit and take a break to just look around or eat lunch and multiple interesting exhibits inside the building. The mapping system along the trail is pretty good...it would take effort to get lost. I would suggest the bee tree trail for a nice hike, but keep in mind there are some fairly steep hills.
Nice, peaceful hiking through the woods. We saw a flock of wild turkeys.
Beautiful place, their renovating the place.
Great place to go on some quick hikes and enjoy some of Gods creations. Fairly busy during weekend and holidays. Nice close nature get away during the week. Natural park with plenty of widowmakers if you venture off the beaten paths. Stairs and heavy incline on paths, not stroller or weak knee friendly.
Great gift shop ... T shirts and. Some nice souvenir s..... Also crystals and small glass rocks.... Water & Gatorade to drink and nuts.... Nice trail for walking too....
Great place for hiking! Very beautiful well maintained trails
Absolutely amazing walk/run! What a delight to have this in the city. I was traveling so took an Uber to and back. Cannot recommend it enough.
Nice park with trails that range from hilly to flat. One is never more than a couple of miles from the Nature Center. Trails are well maontainef and marked. Probably will see some deer and if you are lucky, turkeys too.
The trails were distinct and clean. Not too busy. They had an event going on for a full moon hike later in the evening. There was plenty of parking available. Overall a good experience. Only complaint is I cant bring my dog
We hiked with 3 generations - age four through 63. Everyone enjoyed it.
Love the trails here always well taken care of. On this trip my son and I were followed out by a couple over curious squirrels. The animals dont have much of a fear of humans that make for some great photos.
This is a nice clean park/ wildlife preserve. You cant take your dogs for a walk on the trails. Make sure you get a map. Remember that the animals are wild so dont allow your children to get to close. You will see deer and turkeys up close.
I am an older person and if I do all the trails here I am completely wore out but generally I walk for 45 minutes or so and it’s really great exercise it’s a safe place to walk you can either walk the difficult trails uphill or you can walk around the bottom through the woods and avoid the hills and just get in some nice nature.Whatever exertion you want to do you can do it here I’ve even seen young military people run up and down these trails with backpacks on so you can pick your difficulty there’s plenty of parking it’s nice to see the trees and the Fauna. And you can really get an idea of what this area looked like before civilization got here it’s worth your time
Forest Park has quite a few trails to choose from so that hikers of any level can enjoy their time there. There is also a nature center with a gift shop that lends itself to learning more natural history. It is a family friendly hiking area. They host special event hikes there as well - in all seasons.
One of the best set of hiking trails in the area. Well marked. Various levels of difficulty. Regular animal sightings - deer, wild turkey, and birds.
I walked the trails on a Sunday afternoon. The trails were crowded and noisy with many families. Sorta killed the vibe I was going for. Please perhaps other trails at the preserve or a different time or day will be more peaceful. Didnt notice any significant features but that could be due to the trails I picked.
I regret not coming here sooner. The trails were challenging enough to be fun, but easy enough that my kids could walk on their own. When I think of hiking, this is what comes to mind. Well definitely be returning soon to check out the rest of the trails
Beautiful! Even though I was here during the transition period between winter and spring, it was a wonderful experience. Will be coming back when the leaves are on the trees. Cant wait!
Youll want to wear bug spray, but this is such a Peoria gem! Beautiful trails of varying distance and incline with tons of wild life: deer, turkeys, squirrels, foxes, chipmunks and lots of different birds. So relaxing and enjoyable!
Love to go here for hiking. We take our kids (age 2 through 7) and they have no problem with several trails. Well maintained. I highly recommend.
Great programming and wonderful staff. I havent walked the trails much because dogs are forbidden and if Im hiking I usually have my pups. But Ive gone to many events at the visitor center and have been impressed.
Driving in there was a big Doe on the right between the road and woods. She just stood there and watched us go by. We took the trail to the right of the FPNC building. As we got further back, we got to see 2 deer run across the path ahead of us. Then back. They playing! They did ut again, then were gone. Gorgeous evening. Beautiful walk!
Peaceful and beautiful as usual
It has well walked paths, beautiful scenery (when its not winter), and a lovely peaceful atmosphere. The center itself has clean bathrooms and is a fantastic place to learn about local wildlife!
Great Trails! Go here all the time!!
I had never been here before, a friend and I was at a chocolate walk in the heights and she wanted to stop by. I very much enjoyed the experience, and would say, its worth the stop! My only suggestion would be to get better lighting, not bright, necessarily... it was just too dark. There are several different artists with work on display, and for sale. I even purchased a piece. They also have other items for sale. Im definitely going back!
Forest Park is a bit of wilderness within the city. You can hike the bluffs, or stick to the valley path, and view all sorts of wildlife as you go. The prairie remnant is home to many birds, butterflies, and other critters. White tail deer frequent the area, as do wild turkeys. You can see animals up close in many cases, as they are used to many people hiking through the preserve.
Love this place. Forest Park Nature Center has been a part of my familys life for decades. Challenging and easy trails are available. No pets allowed
Great Local park. Ive been coming here for the last 30 years (Im 30). Great memories, great trails, and great wildlife. Definitely my favorite hiking park in Illinois
Super peaceful area! Beautiful trees and trails, miles of hiking, all hidden in Peoria! Totally recommend this park to anyone looking for a close place to hike; Get away from the busy life style and reconnect with nature!
The trails are well kept and the trails are rated by difficulty so you can easily decide how out of breath you wanna be! I ran across a decent amount of deer while out there so expect to see some wildlife. No dogs allowed though.
My wife & I attended the Magnificent Monarch Butterflies presentation today. Excellent!! Beautiful exhibits! Love the displays, and most especially the gift opportunities. The lady displaying and answering questions in Monarch Butterfly development was excellent in her knowledge!! Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!
A great location to go for a hike with a variety of well-maintained trails. All of the trails are sign-posted and easy to follow. There is also a small gift shop featuring works by local artists and a few exhibits.
It was a perfect day to get out and explore the trails! Not a lot of people there, the air was crisp and fresh. It was a truly spiritual experience!
Forest Park has varied trails, steep hills, wildlife, and a trailhead store. Everything you need for a great walk in the woods. It is a beautiful, peaceful facility. The park is free but there is a dropbox to leave a donation, if you want. They have activities and classes here so check their website to see what is going on.
Excellent hiking spot, Ive yet to see it all. Can be as easy or as hard of a hike as you like, the trails are difficulty rated, and vary in distance and terrain. Great place!
Wonderful place to hike! FPNC has ample parking and a nifty A-frame office/gift shop building with bathrooms, information, and events that provide a communal, supportive space to embark on your journey. They have listening area benches set up for you to pause and take in all the surrounding sounds (traffic can be heard more at peak times of the day). There are multiple trails that can be taken separately or combined to fit your time and level of difficulty. There is even a trail the hikes up the bluff to Grandview Dr. for a breathtaking view of the Illinois river valley, along with some architecturally amazing houses. When you get done, take a drive up the steep, windy Forest Hills Dr. which can get you to Grandview Dr. for more sightseeing or Peoria Heights for a rest and refueling.
Some of the best, well-maintained trails in the beautiful, hilly, oak, hickory and walnut forests of the Illinois River Bluffs. Many trails have been created, restored and renovated as parts of local Eagle Scout projects. Incredible bird-watching opportunities, including a large flock of wild turkeys. The nature center building and land was built and acquired due to the efforts and generosity of William Rutherford and his wife Hazel, many years ago.
Lots of areas to sit and just watch the animals roam. Very peaceful.
It is one of my favorite places to hike with a 3.5 mile outer loop and other trails from easy to hard difficulty. It is popular with hikers and school groups. The visitor center has nature exhibits and a gift shop.
Forest Park Nature Center is a beautiful collection of trails right in the middle of Peoria. It is one of the best places to get lost and find awe in the serene without making a long trip out of it. The Nature Center Building is a great park resource and has restrooms, along with a small shop.
A great place for beginning hikers with a couple of really good trails that are more challenging. The Pimiteoui Trail is a wonderful trail. It can be steep on places but mostly crawls the ridges. Theres a beautiful hillside prairie. The trail leads up to Grandview Drive. The Forest Park Nature Center building has activities for kids and examples of the flora and fauna as well as some live examples. Theres also a store that helps support the trails.
Always a great place for hiking, finding nature friendly items at the store, and informative events too! Peoria is so lucky to have this place!
This place is great for hiking. There are many different trails and wild turkeys. I hike here all the time, and Every time is a great experience. I reccomend hiking here.
Amazing trails... Old man trail guide says stay on the trail... Isnt that y we have sidewalks? What ever happened to Take only pictures, leave only footprints? What, for the last 600 years we do as we please and now as an experienced woodsman cant explore? How bout you people take a note from the Forest Preserves from Cook, Dupage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. Oh, what if a deer makes a trail? Are you going to ruin its day old man with 2 poles? Go get a hobby testing fireworks and leave me to my meditation...
The trails at Forest Park are great for their winding paths that climb up and down the bluff, offering gorgeous views of the river and local wildlife. The visitor center has small collection of wildlife displays, quaint gift shop, and a climate-controlled break from outside that makes it a good stop after a hike or run.
Trails were a little muddy, but expected after all the snow melting. Gorgeous this time of year💖 Very well maintained too😊
Spotted a deer while walking on the Pimiteoui trail.
One of the Best place in Peoria for Nature walk.
Lovely trail to walk awesome visitors center just wish I could bring my well behaved best friend with me.i hate leaving my dog indoors just to go outside and hike .I go more often if u could walk dogs there too.
So many great trails... Amazing wildlife!!! The A-Frame building has so much educational stuff for kids and adults... My favorite is the humming bird watching room!!! Also great gift shop!
The park was very well kept. There were trail markers everywhere, and the trails were fun to walk on. Also the visitors center was full of good information and exhibits to learn about the park. Great for kids!
Always love spending my time here.
Nice park. good place to hide from a hot day. neat nature center at the parking lot. if you are going for a trail run, outer loop is 3.1 miles and 550 feet of elevation gain; singletrack trail.
This is a great place for hiking. There are quite a few trails, and its very peaceful. We were there in the middle of the morning and even spotted a few deer along our trail.
Well maintained trails with maps and different difficulty levels. Ive only been inside the actual building once but it was pretty neat. Cool spot to go for free.
Its an asset to Peoria run by passionate people. A great place to hike, relax, and spend time with people. Their classes for kids have been heads and tails above other similar offerings.
The trail is the best part!
Dissapointed when I got there. Was looking forward to a nice walk with my husband and little dog. Dogs arent allowed on the trails. 🐶Ended up walking Grandveiw Drive. Even better. Had a nice walk there.
Plenty of trails of varying difficulty. You can often see deer and the occasional wild turkey. They have lots of events and there is a gift shop worth a walk through. Its the prettiest place in Peoria.
Peoria Drum Circle! Last Friday Monthly, 6:30-8pm - open to all!
Great place for hiking and nature.
This is my go-to place to hike. Great trails, always clean, friendly patrons, and a range between a leisurely or intense hike.
Beautiful trails of all difficulties, wonderful nature center with lots of resources for all ages. After you go by, drive the overlook road to get a great view of the river!
Awesome park... trails for beginners an hard core...I always stop there when I am in town....
I liked the place and it does have a lot of Pokestops on the trail. The hike was good and it was really a refreshing session for me. I went out there with my friend and the intention was to catch a lot of Pokemon since it is a trail and so we did catch em all. We caught a lot of Eevee, Nidoran, Venonant and Spearow apart from the usual ones. All in all the place was great and we saw a couple of gazelles and turkeys.
Great well maintained walking trails
My family and I love to frequent FPNC in the Spring-Fall season. The park provides ample trails to hike, a small exhibit area at visitors center, and a way to get some natural beauty in a reasonable distance from Peoria.If you are an outdoors enthusiast, you will not be overwhelmed with FPNC. However, it does provide a good reprieve form the business of the city.
The Forest Park Nature Preserve is the heart -pardon the pun- of my returning to health. Ive done treadmill walking and Bennett stuck with it. Ive done health clubs and never stuck with it. There is just something amazing about walking through Gods creation while working your way healthy. I started with just the easy trails. Now Im working on medium difficulty trails. They are getting easier the more I do them.
Great hiking trails from beginner to intermediate. Lots of wildlife. Very peaceful.
Come here often. They offer 4 or 5 different trails. Varying in lengths. Often see alot of deer here. Especially in the farther parts of the park.
Very beautiful ❤️ The lady in the nature center was nice and helpful. We will definitely come back.
Best marked trails and maps throughout! Great hiking! Saw deer and turkeys up close.
Lots of trails, they loop around so you can go far or stay close for a shorter walk.
The trails are well kept dirt. There are a variety of trails and difficulties, all clearly marked. No pets are allowed. I always see wildlife when I visit.
Excellent place for kids to learn about animals and nature. Good hiking trails with varying difficulty levels for e eryone.
A great place for walking on trails - its always clean and quiet, not too busy. The nature center is also neat, I always go say hi to the chameleon inside.
Beautiful scenery and nice trails,good place to spend a afternoon with the family
Had a rough day at work and stopped to take a short hike and re-center. Nature always has a way of calming stress. The trails are well maintained.
Great place to get outdoors for a hike or trail run. Easy, moderate and difficult trails make it a great choice for anyone.
Amazing trails, various difficulties and distances, very clean and well kept.
Stopped here to stretch our legs and break up a long drive. Perfect hiking spot! Kids enjoyed the indoor nature center as well.
If you like walking trails, nature, birds, wildlife, you will love Forest Park Nature Center.
Very nice...it has been years since my last visit to the park. I enjoyed my walk and loved the quiet except for the birds and chipmunks.
What can I say about Forest Park Nature Center? It is glorious. It was the most glorious place to be and Im so glad I was there. You should go there too. If you were thinking about not going there, just stop it and go there.
A beautiful place to explore anytime of year. Today the trails were empty and it was a bit cold, but totally worth it to get out of the office over lunch.
I love this place! Its like being transported to another world! This is a great place to unwind with a hike or take the family! Bring water and snacks!
I love hiking so this was a really fun experience. Theres plenty of trails to take.
Love coming here so peaceful always see deer and other animals. Take the hiking trails they are beautiful scenery.
Awesome place to explore!!
There lots of different trails making it a great place to go hiking. Unfortunately they do not allow dogs, but still highly recommend.
I love it, beautiful place to spend time with family hiking and we were lucky to see deers and turkey
The trails are beautiful to walk or run. There is a number or trails with different lengths and difficulty. The Earth Day fair is the best!
I attended the holiday/Christmas art sale in the lobby.
Well-kempt forest along the Illinois River. Large oak species and ideal place to understand how slope aspect and elevation change affects plant and animal species. This reins true in any season!
I love this place,the hiking is fabulous the scenery is wonderful,peaceful walking the trails will continue to go weekly.
The nature store is open until 5, but you can walk the trails later and they have night time events. A wonerful place to go for a family walk. Trails for all experience levels.
I hike here so frequently, beautiful, well taken care of, can see deer and wild turkeys very often!
This is a beautiful park! The trails are well marked, and there are a variety of difficulty levels.
Great trails to run or walk. Just a good place to go to get away and back in tune with nature.
Hiking trails From 15 to 50 minutes over the Illinois river bluff. Frequent activity calendar is great outing for your kids.
Wonderful, shady trails. Some flat and easy trails, several hilly and longer trails too that are a bit more challenging.
Good amount of maintained hiking trails. Nice nature center. Good spot for wildlife and bird watching. Mostly forest with some prairie areas
Went walking with my GSD was there for 3hours this place is absolutely beautiful if you enjoy nature this is the place to go!
I love it, beautiful place to spend time with family hiking and we were lucky to see deers and turkey
Great place to hike!
Fabulous local place to feel like youre escaping from city life for a bit. Abundant wildlife. I love watching the fawns grow through the year.
Well marked trails and they take care of the park. Nice range of difficulties on the hiking trails too, something for everyone.
It was a great local hike. It was easy enough for the kids but still fun for the adults. 😁
Its truly beautiful here, if you appreciate nature do yourself a favor and visit Forest Park Nature Center
I went here to do my eagle scout project, they worked with me through the whole experience and we made the Wake Robin trail useable again
We love the candle light walk at Christmas time. Great community event. Been coming since I was a child. Great memories made.
Great clean safe and informative place to have a day out with your family.
Wonderful scenery. I came at a time where they were celebrating Earth day and they had live music and a lot of booths outside with the various health and environmental organizations.
Great hiking trails, and excellent biodiversity of plants. You can also oftentimes see deer and wild turkeys.
A wonderful reprieve from the city.
Great place for a hike and to see wild life and plants
Enjoyed the concert, Will Maring and Robert Bowlin, very much. Excellent playing, singing and songwriting plus the great accoustics made for an enjoyable evening.
Beautiful trails with animals/deer running through pretty close!
Walked a few trails, explored a bit. Great place to hike, take in nature and explore the different environments in Illinois.
Great trails, some of the best in the area
The trails are clearly marked and it is the perfect time of year to go out and enjoy a nice hike.
The bluebells are in peak flower. See them before the snow
Great spot to relax see wildlife up close no fences i always see a lot of wildlife every trip down trail
Great place for a nature walk/hike. Also if you wanna work out its got hills. :)
Great place to walk and hike. Several trails and different difficulties!
Great trails that are well taken care of. Always find deer roaming or hawks in trees.
Great hiking trails. Especially the one up to Grandview Drive! Challenging and a good work out.
Little gem of a park in the city of Peoria. Wonderful place to take in nature and the trails are very family friendly.
Nice place, excellent trails.
Great birdwatching and nature center was cool. Will definitely be back to explore the trails.
Ahhh hello forest park its been a long winter im ready for some hiking.
Nice trails for hiking. We see wild deer and turkey sometimes.
Naturalist destination with native plant displays outside, butterfly plants and hummingbird plants and feeders. Miles of hiking through the woods.
Great park, lots of hiking trails with good hills. Hard to believe its right in Peoria.
Various hiking trails for all abilities, beautiful hills, wildlife, an interpretive center and gift shop.
Always a pleasure!
Beautiful area great trails.
Trails are well kept and clean! Always some sort of wildlife to be seen.
Total reviews rating 4.8
199 Reviews for Forest Park Nature Center 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-30Amazing 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. Robins 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 №2
2022-06-15This is a fantastic place to visit if you love trails! As a trail runner, I found the outer loop trail a fantastic workout with plenty of elevation changes and variety of terrain. It was almost exactly a 5K run around the park, and the route included some very challenging hills, but the trails are in terrific shape. Very well-maintained, with lots of signage and lines of travel (stairs vs inclines, for example). I wasn’t able to see everything on my run, so I’ll definitely be coming back again as a visitor from the Quad Cities.
Review №3
2022-04-30Review Date: September 29th, 2013I 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.
Review №4
2022-06-23I took my daycare kiddos to the Forest Park Nature Center for a free nature hike for young children which was organized by Susie (from the library). There we meet another Susie and Carrie. Carrie took us around the trail were we saw much wildlife and beautiful plants, she was also very knowledgeable about her plants too with was nice! During our hike we were in the shade alot so we didnt have to worry too much about getting overheated. Afterwards we went back to the center and Carrie pulled out a turtle so the kiddos have some one on one interaction. Found out that the beautiful tree (that is inside the building) was actually created by the same company that created the Tree of life at Disneyland which is beyond cool! There were also some very cool pictures and things to learn from inside! Thank you everyone for all the hard work you do and for providing this free activity for my littles!
Review №5
2022-06-09Went hiking, it was so beautiful. The trails are very well maintained and clearly marked. Would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys nature!
Review №6
2022-04-26Absolutely beautiful. I heard turkeys. I saw squirrels and deer. I went on the small 1 mile trail but Ill be heading back to walk the longer tails.
Review №7
2021-08-15This is a great place to go and spend some quality time outdoors in nature! It’s kid friendly (we took our toddler) but you’ll have to leave your dog at home. We went on a Sunday so the nature center was closed but we’ll be back to check that out too. Great place for a hike with the family!
Review №8
2022-05-03I brought my girls here when they were younger and now I’m bringing my grandkids! Family friendly trails and kind, friendly staff make this a fun day for all of us! Thank you! I appreciate this place very much!
Review №9
2021-06-24Only, literally only downside to this place is they don’t allow any pets. Which, totally makes sense because it is a serene, well preserve nature area. Great hiking paths of various difficulties, tons of wildlife, very peaceful. Plus the nature center itself is cute and education and sells some cool stuff.
Review №10
2021-09-06The best jewel in Peoria for hiking. Lots of trails to choose from...easy to hard and everything in between. Always be on the lookout for turkeys and deer and the occasional frog. Great for clearing your head and some quiet time.