Outdoor Recreation

Your paradise Awaits

Welcome to a Midwest gem offering tranquil landscapes and adventurous activities. We’re a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, featuring highlights that include the Great River Road, Mississippi Palisades State Park, Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Byron Forest Preserve, and Castle Rock State Park. Explore lush pathways, discover different species, and reconnect with nature in state parks, preserves, and forests across the landscape. Explore your limits with adrenaline-pumping adventure sports. With high-quality bait and tackle, cast your line into the sparkling waters for a thrilling fishing experience. Enjoy boating, sailing, or paddling on our waterways. Golfers of all skill levels can play on both outdoor and indoor courses, while horseback riders can bond with nature while riding through scenic landscapes. Birdwatching, a beautiful ballet of feathered beauties, will lift your spirits. The Blackhawk Waterways offer nature, entertainment, and infinite opportunities for beautiful moments. In the winter we offer cross-country skiing, miles of snowmobile trails, and some of the best bald eagle watching in the state.

Outdoor Adventure

The Great River Road follows the mighty Mississippi along Illinois’ western border and winds through our Carroll and Whiteside counties. As a visitor, you’ll be enchanted by its meandering path along the river, offering a perfect blend of nature’s beauty and recreational adventure. Rent a canoe and spend an hour or two on the Mississippi where Lewis and Clark began their famed expedition. You’ll experience towering bluffs, rolling hills, river communities, farmlands, and sweeping views. Along the way, you might just discover that there’s more to the road than just the river. In Northwest Illinois, the best memories are made when you’re just a little bit lost. Come find yourself in the wonderfully unexpected. After all, we’re the far-from-ordinary, near-enough getaway you never knew you needed.

Neighbor Notes

Dee Hudson

Whether you're into the outdoors or not, Dee highly recommends visit Nachusa. After being purchased and then protected by the Nature Conservancy in 1986, the area continues to surprise and delight visitors through the sheer wonder of nature. "I've been working here for 12 years, and in that relatively short period, I've experienced some wonderful nature moments. I was here the night the first bison arrived - a herd reintroduced to the preserve that now roams freely over 1,500 acres. I've had opportunities to see rare prairie birds like the grasshopper sparrow, bobolink, and the dickcissel. As wetland areas were restored, I saw rare and endangered whooping cranes stop to use them during migration. Every week, there's a new and surprising natural treat to enjoy. It's amazing."

Outdoor Recreation

Your paradise Awaits

Outdoor Adventure

Neighbor Notes

Dee Hudson

Explore!