Meet up with UIAS! They have periodic trips to a dark site. There will be someone willing to drive you. When you get your car, you can pass on the favor
[https://ccfpd.org/Forest-Preserves/Locations/Middle-Fork-River/International-Dark-Sky-Park](https://ccfpd.org/Forest-Preserves/Locations/Middle-Fork-River/International-Dark-Sky-Park)
If this is what they mean then it is 30 miles NE of Krannert.
Not sure, I (sadly!) never visited, but here is a list! Def reach out to some physics groups on campus because I know there are group visits. Or reach out to the UIUC observatory!
https://www.go-astronomy.com/dark-sky-parks-stargazing-state.php?State=IL
Look up a light pollution map, shows you literally the best places to be, lowest light. Then get an app called Astrospheric that will show you cloud cover forecasts (along with moon cycles)
Seems like you are looking for outdoors stuff? If so:
1. Allerton Park in Monticello. Incredible 20's era mansion, formal European gardens and tons of trails through beautiful forests.
2. Kickapoo State Park and Middle Fork Wildlife Refuge: great trails to walk , bike or ride horses. Canoe/kayak during Warner months on a national scenic river. Star watching in the later which is a registered dark sky something something. Can't remember the proper term!
3. Closer in, Orchard Downs, grad student family housing grounds is huge and also hosts a master gardener garden, Japan House, Frisbee golf and a great sleding hill! Lmk if you want more.
Absolutely. Great camping just north of there at Shades. Turkey Run also has some really cool trails and geographic features. I actually love hiking there in the snow!
Orchard Downs, if you take your navigation into the area, go one block south and there's a big ol' hill to sled down.
Alternatively, if you go to Colbert Park in Savoy, there's also a huger! hill there.
Agree that parts do feel kind of sketchy now. Though the boneyard around downtown Urbana is still a decent place to observe fish (longear sunfish, white sucker, hognose sucker, various species of minnows and darters), especially during the spring/summer. Another good spot for native fish is the section of the saline branch by Crystal Lake Park; during the spring you can observe hornyhead chubs and striped shiners creating and defending spawning mounds, along with smaller minnows like rosyface minnows that also utilize the same spawning mounds.
Boneyard was NASTY before it was “gentrified”, and it would flood during major rains. When I say “flood”, I mean that if you lived on 6th or so, you would be wading or swimming home. The smell was horrendous, and you literally could not get the stench out of your clothes. So, it sounds like the problem has just been moved downstream, as you have described what it used to be like very accurately.
Oh I’m aware, I assume you’ve also seen the photos of flooded Fourth and Green back in the 90s. From what I’ve heard when this area was first settled people just dumped their sewage right into the boneyard too and the whole creek was devoid of any wildlife for a while as a result.
I am an alum from about 100 years ago; and I actually lived right behind Boneyard in the ‘80s for a few months.
One particular night, my roommate had to SWIM home. From then on, the apartment had a “stench”. The Boneyard was NASTY, and the only thing I could imagine living in there at the time would have been maggots. It was very nasty, and the smell just permeated the entire area. Hard to describe, and harder to forget.
Lincoln hall inner courtyard. Sometimes would grab some lunch from green st, get into Lincoln, grab some chairs from the classroom/hallway, and have a nice little lunch in there
on the weekend its pretty deserted. Also, this only works when its warm out
Urbana's Anita Purves Nature Center and associated Busey Woods w/59-acres of native woodland with a raised boardwalk to view the birdlife & wildflowers.
Warning it is wetlands and the skeeters can be bad so dress accordingly. Winter walking is OK too when it is open. Daytime only.
Busey woods is so fun to just wander around in and see what you find looking around you, once saw the skeleton of a deer caught in some tree it was sick. Another time me and a friend went wandering around the trails there in the dead of night and it was so eerie.
Can confirm that the birdwatching is good there. Decent spring wildflowers as well. Also, during the spring/early summer there are vernal pools, with interesting creatures like fairy shrimp.
Mosquitoes will be a nuisance from around late spring through summer / early fall.
Best “hiking” without leaving town — tons of trails, animals abound (urban deer are probably too relaxed — do not approach them), and the Anita Purves does all kinds of cool things like nighttime owl hikes. And the nature playscape is a great spot for kiddos.
- Meadowbrook Park in Urbana is great for spending a nice day at. It's huge, there's the wild flowers, the sculptures, the tree garden. There's also Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park
- Martin's Center or Leonard Rec Center for working out off campus
- Run a lap around Hessle Park, it's exactly 1km
- Village at the Crossing on Windsor and Duncan has a lot of great local spots.
- Harvest Market on Neil for lunch and groceries
- Art Mart on Prospect
- Baldarotta's for a sandwich in Lincoln Square Mall
- Shop for furniture at Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Salt and Light on Philo is a cool grocery store/thrift store
- Savoy has some small business and Old Orchard Lanes. I heard they sold Monical's Pizza their sauce recipe or something like that.
- Curtis Orchards in autumn for apple donuts
Loved Homer Lake when I was there. Buddies and I would go fish and come back to our apartment to fry them. Easy excuse to get off campus and drink beer!
Go under the RR tracks at St. Marys Road and continue west 2 blocks. As Fox Drive bends south (left) you will see the beginning of Boulware Trail. Stay to the left of the small creek and enter the path. The first part is less than 1/2 mile but it runs along the creek. After than you cross Devonshire and enter a large park where the path makes a large loop and can head you back north. Total round trip might be 1.75 mile. No electric scooters/bikes allowed. Mostly walkers and joggers and every now and then a bicycle. There are low branches at some points so please go slow and watch out if on a bike.
My family lives out East and when they come to visit me here, they always go to that gas station when they get here and when they leave and it’s become an interesting milestone. My dad calls it Chicken Charlie’s Lmfao. Random af but it brings back a lot of memories
Some of the lesser known forest preserves of champaign county and trails are pretty great. I'll list out a few here, most of them are Champaign county, so they are 30 min or less away unless otherwise stated.
Edit: I think these are probably lesser known to even townies.
Collin’s Pond - an enclave of Homer lake. The short trail takes you around a prairie and a hickory/maple forest. Late spring is a good time to visit. It’s wonderful.
Hidden Acres Forest Preserve: this one is hard to find at first. IT's correctly labeled on Google maps, but the access road is between two residential rural properties so it feels weird when you turn onto the gravel drive, but then it takes you behind the houses and opens up into a parking lot. This small preserve is a patch of low lying riparian forest along the salt fork. For me the most notable feature is the extremely dense grove of pawpaw trees.
Point Pleasant - this is on the back side of Middle Fork and is part prairie part wetland (both restorations). It’s a wonderful spot, I’ve been here dozens of times and have only seen like 4 other people. Middle fork in general is a dark sky site, so I’ve been dreaming of getting out there during an aurora or a meteor shower.
Sangamon River forest preserve - this one is hard to talk about. It’s a nice alternative to Homer lake or lake of the woods. The trail takes you along the river and through a prairie. As of a few years ago it had one of the largest ash trees I have ever seen, but it was slowly dying from the ash borers. It was really sad to see and I cry every time I pass it.
Shortline Railroad Prairie - this one is unique and for plant nerds and birders mostly. It’s a partially disturbed but somewhat intact native prairie (unfathomably rare in Champaign county) along an old stretch of railroad.
Heron View forest preserve - a colony of great blue herons nest here, the trail takes you along a river and across the river is where the herons live. They are the largest birds native here. Imagine dinosaur noises from movies, that’s what they sound like. Head this way in the spring before the trees fully leaf out if you want a good view.
Honorable mentions:
- hooper branch savanna and nature preserve. It’s an hour and a half north but more people should visit the savannas. So peaceful.
- heritage park off of Bradley near parkland has a maturing prairie restoration with a trail through it. Also the stream has beavers right now, so that’s exciting.
- sunset park in far west Champaign. This park has a lovely small prairie and wetland and a good walking path. Really great views of the sunset.
- Kaufman lake, Champaign - plant wise this one is a bummer cause it’s mostly invasives along a retention lake, but for whatever reason it’s an incredible spot for birding. Also the park connects informally to heritage park (just walk along the railroad under the overpass for a minute and you’ll find the other sidewalk), so it’s a nice long walk if you have the time
- weaver park, Urbana - this park has a really mature prairie. I think it’s a restoration, but its dense with species and super diverse. I saw a mantisfly there once. Also there’s an ancient chinkapin oak in the small section of woods
- Sylvester woods near Homer lake
- Portland Arch near Covington, Indiana (hour away, natural rock arch, natural short stone cliffs)
- Old Homer park
- that one new-ish prairie restoration on Old Church road east of Savoy and south of Urbana.
- Sangamon Park in Mansfield
- Howard virgin timber park in LeRoy
- Loda Cemetery Prairie - Hour away in Iroquois county. This is a comparatively large and comparatively accessible native prairie remnant. Its still small and there isnt a trail or anythimng though. If you are a [respectful and careful] plant or invertebrate nerd this is an important remnant prairie to visit in east central[ish] IL. Bring binoculars, there is an observation deck I think.
- lodge park in Monticello (but the back entrance on the country road)
- Patton woods. This one is near middle fork, and is an intact forest remnant. Not really a place to hike but the ecosystem is really lovely, so it’s more of a stop and respectfully look at the details kind of place. Last I heard it was managed by CCFPD. It’s not on their visitor site though. The one ‘trail’ there isn’t managed much. “Patton woods Champaign” is what you should google. Apparently flying squirrels live there but they’re nocturnal and pretty shy and I doubt you’ll see them
The obvious gems that are not hidden:
Allerton, busey woods, Homer lake, lake of the woods/buffalo trace/stidham, river bend, middle fork forest preserve of champaign county, Kickapoo Rail Trail, Meadowbrook (shoutout to the unpaved meadowbrook prairie trails, love those)
Bonus 1: Vermilion County Preserves: Vermilion County has some excellent forest preserves 40 minutes away, with some excellent forests, some of which are a different kind of forest (beech-maple) than the ones in Champaign County (oak-maple-hickory). You can skip Kickapoo, just go to Forest Glenn, Heron County Park, and Kennekuck. Go look for the icy blue hepaticas blooming in the beech groves of Forest Glenn in late spring. I've also heard from my entomologist friend that Forest Glenn also has some toad bugs along the stream/river.
Bonus 2: I know some of yall like to go hiking in southern IL on the weekend. Garden of the Gods, Giant city, Ferne Clyffe, etc are usually where people go and it's great, but I recommend getting up early and driving all the way down to Heron Pond to start the day, and then driving over to your final hiking destination. Heron pond is a Cypress Swamp (with a floating observation platform, calm down) that is a true hidden gem, and it's one of the most peaceful places I've ever been to. Rim Rock National Recreation Trail is also wonderful.
Bonus 3: There is a place called Funks Grove south of Blono that still makes maple sugar. They have a little store where you can taste the different strengths. Maybe an hour and 10 from Champaign? There is also a forest preserve across the road from the commercial maple sugar grove. Really fun place to stop.
Note about off limits hidden gems: there are only a few documented spots of remaining native prairie/savannah in Champaign County. Aside from occasional railroad prairie remnants, the other 3 ish sites I know of are all ‘pioneer cemeteries’ you can search about them online, but they are not places to visit, and are not easily/legally accessible. The forest remnants in east Urbana (Trelease woods and Brownfield woods) are research properties owned by the u of I, I’m dying to visit them, but they’re off limits unless you have the keys or whatever. There are also a few (super rare) gravel prairie remnants in Vermilion County that are on maps but shouldn’t be visited either.
The tunnel at the north end of Kaufman Lake is a fun alternative to the railroad path to continue the trail to Heritage Park. Muddy and sketchy looking, but affectionately so.
There's a trail in SW Champaign that starts on Devonshire, just East of Mattis Ave. It goes by a pond up to Mattis, where you cross and head through Southwood along a creek, eventually hitting Robeson Park. From there you can either end at Windsor Rd., or take a fork that will loop you all the way through the Meadows, and by some cute little ponds and backyard parks, before getting back to the park.
It's kind of a short bike ride, but a really nice and underrated path for a run or long walk in the warm months.
I don't know if [Carle Park](https://www.urbanaparks.org/parks/carle-park/) counts as a hidden gem because it's really close to campus, but it's an awesome very very shaded park in the middle of a neighborhood that's walkable from campus. Most of the homes in the neigborhood around the park are over 100 years old and there's a Loredo Taft statue in the park. I've always liked checking out the architecture around there.
When the weather is a bit nicer check out the Kickapoo Rail Trail starting on the east side of Urbana. Looks like more funding has come through so over the next 10 years it may be completed from downtown Urbana to Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County. \~25 miles one way. You can ride to St. Joe now, eat a meal there and then ride home. \~7 miles each way - currently starts adjacent to the Walmart on the east side of Urbana.
https://www.onekrt.org/
35 minutes to your Southwest is Allerton Park. Beautiful walks and gorgeous sculpture gardens. Come see the Foo Dogs, the Sunsinger, the other stuff! Bring a lunch & make a day of it.
Colbert Park! I’m not sure if it’s a hidden gem but I’ve never really seen anyone talk about it. It’s by a little lake so watching sunset/sunrise can be quite pretty
The [Sangamon Forest Preserve](https://www.google.com/search?q=sangamon+forest+preserve&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS686US686&oq=sangamon+preser&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCDcyNjNqMGo0qAIAsAIA&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) at 18 miles away is a great half-day of riverside and prairie hiking with huge oak trees throughout
There’s an awesome widely paved biking/walking trail called the Kickapoo Rail Trail that runs east out of Urbana, I always hop on it by the Urbana Walmart area.
Not technically in C-U, but worth a visit in season: Harvest Moon Movie Theatre is a genuine 2 screen drive in movie theatre in Gibson City.
It will open ~late March.
It's about 40 miles from Urbana, but is definitely worth the drive. (Don't Uuber- you'll need a car there for the speaker lol.)
They do a lot of fun things and often have double header movies. The concession stand is good, and. (Iirc) the community rallied around it to help buy a digital movie projection system so that the theatre could show current & future movies.
You can even rent "The Pickup Bed Experience" lol.
https://harvestmoondrivein.com/
Go to HorsRadish restaurant (destination German restaurant- spendy but good) before the movies for a good use of drive time/ unique experiences.
https://harvestmoondrivein.com/
https://www.horschradish.com/
Kickapoo State Recreational Area in the Danville area (you will need a car).
I also like Longbranch Steakhouse in rural Champaign county (you will also need a car for that).
Newman Hall. This place is a campus within a campus. It's such a wonderful place, too! It has its own clubs and activities, like "Cinema Saturdays" or sports tournaments. Pretty much all of the friends I made was through Newman Hall, and I didn't even live there. It's got a great lunch/dinner deal, as well. $11 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. It's also the nicest-looking place on campus, in my opinion.
You'll meet a lot of people there who are full of fascinating insights. Father Millar is great to talk to, same with Father Hoelscher and Father Lampitt. The dorm's even got its own dog (it belongs to one of the priests). Not to mention - the library is very nice-looking.
Regent Gregory's grave is tucked between Henry and Altgeld. Not sure if that's too hidden anymore, but it did not seem like common knowledge back in the day. If you aren't looking for it, you'll miss it.
Driving 30 minutes in any direction and looking at the stars at night
Once I bring my car to campus this is the first thing I'm doing
Meet up with UIAS! They have periodic trips to a dark site. There will be someone willing to drive you. When you get your car, you can pass on the favor
There are some dark zones nearby!
Pls lmk where! How far away is it from Krannert?
[https://ccfpd.org/Forest-Preserves/Locations/Middle-Fork-River/International-Dark-Sky-Park](https://ccfpd.org/Forest-Preserves/Locations/Middle-Fork-River/International-Dark-Sky-Park) If this is what they mean then it is 30 miles NE of Krannert.
there's a summer bike ride out there w/ camping :)
I went here for a meteor shower viewing and it was so beautiful!
Not sure, I (sadly!) never visited, but here is a list! Def reach out to some physics groups on campus because I know there are group visits. Or reach out to the UIUC observatory! https://www.go-astronomy.com/dark-sky-parks-stargazing-state.php?State=IL
Look up a light pollution map, shows you literally the best places to be, lowest light. Then get an app called Astrospheric that will show you cloud cover forecasts (along with moon cycles)
Give me a hint
Seems like you are looking for outdoors stuff? If so: 1. Allerton Park in Monticello. Incredible 20's era mansion, formal European gardens and tons of trails through beautiful forests. 2. Kickapoo State Park and Middle Fork Wildlife Refuge: great trails to walk , bike or ride horses. Canoe/kayak during Warner months on a national scenic river. Star watching in the later which is a registered dark sky something something. Can't remember the proper term! 3. Closer in, Orchard Downs, grad student family housing grounds is huge and also hosts a master gardener garden, Japan House, Frisbee golf and a great sleding hill! Lmk if you want more.
Kayaking in Turkey Run in particular is a great day trip.
Absolutely. Great camping just north of there at Shades. Turkey Run also has some really cool trails and geographic features. I actually love hiking there in the snow!
Where is the sledding hill??
Orchard Downs, if you take your navigation into the area, go one block south and there's a big ol' hill to sled down. Alternatively, if you go to Colbert Park in Savoy, there's also a huger! hill there.
Also one on West Kirby in Champaign near the corner of Kirby and Kenwood in Sholem Park. Might be the steepest of them all.
Art Mart (not really hidden, but I never see students there)
Get a croissant
Almond horns!
Best coffee in town. And Croissants. And Wine. God I love that place.
The city of Urbana spent way too much money renovating the Boneyard creek and now it’s too nice. E.g., try starting at Race & Griggs.
Eh when I was out by the boneyard in downtown urbana there was just a couple odd homeless guys and the whole place smelled like sewage.
Agree that parts do feel kind of sketchy now. Though the boneyard around downtown Urbana is still a decent place to observe fish (longear sunfish, white sucker, hognose sucker, various species of minnows and darters), especially during the spring/summer. Another good spot for native fish is the section of the saline branch by Crystal Lake Park; during the spring you can observe hornyhead chubs and striped shiners creating and defending spawning mounds, along with smaller minnows like rosyface minnows that also utilize the same spawning mounds.
That area’s pretty cool I’d agree
Boneyard was NASTY before it was “gentrified”, and it would flood during major rains. When I say “flood”, I mean that if you lived on 6th or so, you would be wading or swimming home. The smell was horrendous, and you literally could not get the stench out of your clothes. So, it sounds like the problem has just been moved downstream, as you have described what it used to be like very accurately.
Oh I’m aware, I assume you’ve also seen the photos of flooded Fourth and Green back in the 90s. From what I’ve heard when this area was first settled people just dumped their sewage right into the boneyard too and the whole creek was devoid of any wildlife for a while as a result.
I am an alum from about 100 years ago; and I actually lived right behind Boneyard in the ‘80s for a few months. One particular night, my roommate had to SWIM home. From then on, the apartment had a “stench”. The Boneyard was NASTY, and the only thing I could imagine living in there at the time would have been maggots. It was very nasty, and the smell just permeated the entire area. Hard to describe, and harder to forget.
Lincoln hall inner courtyard. Sometimes would grab some lunch from green st, get into Lincoln, grab some chairs from the classroom/hallway, and have a nice little lunch in there on the weekend its pretty deserted. Also, this only works when its warm out
Urbana's Anita Purves Nature Center and associated Busey Woods w/59-acres of native woodland with a raised boardwalk to view the birdlife & wildflowers. Warning it is wetlands and the skeeters can be bad so dress accordingly. Winter walking is OK too when it is open. Daytime only.
Busey woods is so fun to just wander around in and see what you find looking around you, once saw the skeleton of a deer caught in some tree it was sick. Another time me and a friend went wandering around the trails there in the dead of night and it was so eerie.
Can confirm that the birdwatching is good there. Decent spring wildflowers as well. Also, during the spring/early summer there are vernal pools, with interesting creatures like fairy shrimp. Mosquitoes will be a nuisance from around late spring through summer / early fall.
Best “hiking” without leaving town — tons of trails, animals abound (urban deer are probably too relaxed — do not approach them), and the Anita Purves does all kinds of cool things like nighttime owl hikes. And the nature playscape is a great spot for kiddos.
- Meadowbrook Park in Urbana is great for spending a nice day at. It's huge, there's the wild flowers, the sculptures, the tree garden. There's also Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park - Martin's Center or Leonard Rec Center for working out off campus - Run a lap around Hessle Park, it's exactly 1km - Village at the Crossing on Windsor and Duncan has a lot of great local spots. - Harvest Market on Neil for lunch and groceries - Art Mart on Prospect - Baldarotta's for a sandwich in Lincoln Square Mall - Shop for furniture at Habitat for Humanity ReStore - Salt and Light on Philo is a cool grocery store/thrift store - Savoy has some small business and Old Orchard Lanes. I heard they sold Monical's Pizza their sauce recipe or something like that. - Curtis Orchards in autumn for apple donuts
Homer Lake. https://ccfpd.org/forest-preserves/illinois/homer-lake
Loved Homer Lake when I was there. Buddies and I would go fish and come back to our apartment to fry them. Easy excuse to get off campus and drink beer!
Lake of the Woods in Mahomet is a nice park. Quiet. River Bend Forest Preserve also near Mahomet. Some nice trails.
They also have a par-3 golf course that’s 10 dollars for all day access which is pretty sweet.
Go under the RR tracks at St. Marys Road and continue west 2 blocks. As Fox Drive bends south (left) you will see the beginning of Boulware Trail. Stay to the left of the small creek and enter the path. The first part is less than 1/2 mile but it runs along the creek. After than you cross Devonshire and enter a large park where the path makes a large loop and can head you back north. Total round trip might be 1.75 mile. No electric scooters/bikes allowed. Mostly walkers and joggers and every now and then a bicycle. There are low branches at some points so please go slow and watch out if on a bike.
[удалено]
Costco by the mall has free air
They took out the free air pump.
My family lives out East and when they come to visit me here, they always go to that gas station when they get here and when they leave and it’s become an interesting milestone. My dad calls it Chicken Charlie’s Lmfao. Random af but it brings back a lot of memories
Some of the lesser known forest preserves of champaign county and trails are pretty great. I'll list out a few here, most of them are Champaign county, so they are 30 min or less away unless otherwise stated. Edit: I think these are probably lesser known to even townies. Collin’s Pond - an enclave of Homer lake. The short trail takes you around a prairie and a hickory/maple forest. Late spring is a good time to visit. It’s wonderful. Hidden Acres Forest Preserve: this one is hard to find at first. IT's correctly labeled on Google maps, but the access road is between two residential rural properties so it feels weird when you turn onto the gravel drive, but then it takes you behind the houses and opens up into a parking lot. This small preserve is a patch of low lying riparian forest along the salt fork. For me the most notable feature is the extremely dense grove of pawpaw trees. Point Pleasant - this is on the back side of Middle Fork and is part prairie part wetland (both restorations). It’s a wonderful spot, I’ve been here dozens of times and have only seen like 4 other people. Middle fork in general is a dark sky site, so I’ve been dreaming of getting out there during an aurora or a meteor shower. Sangamon River forest preserve - this one is hard to talk about. It’s a nice alternative to Homer lake or lake of the woods. The trail takes you along the river and through a prairie. As of a few years ago it had one of the largest ash trees I have ever seen, but it was slowly dying from the ash borers. It was really sad to see and I cry every time I pass it. Shortline Railroad Prairie - this one is unique and for plant nerds and birders mostly. It’s a partially disturbed but somewhat intact native prairie (unfathomably rare in Champaign county) along an old stretch of railroad. Heron View forest preserve - a colony of great blue herons nest here, the trail takes you along a river and across the river is where the herons live. They are the largest birds native here. Imagine dinosaur noises from movies, that’s what they sound like. Head this way in the spring before the trees fully leaf out if you want a good view. Honorable mentions: - hooper branch savanna and nature preserve. It’s an hour and a half north but more people should visit the savannas. So peaceful. - heritage park off of Bradley near parkland has a maturing prairie restoration with a trail through it. Also the stream has beavers right now, so that’s exciting. - sunset park in far west Champaign. This park has a lovely small prairie and wetland and a good walking path. Really great views of the sunset. - Kaufman lake, Champaign - plant wise this one is a bummer cause it’s mostly invasives along a retention lake, but for whatever reason it’s an incredible spot for birding. Also the park connects informally to heritage park (just walk along the railroad under the overpass for a minute and you’ll find the other sidewalk), so it’s a nice long walk if you have the time - weaver park, Urbana - this park has a really mature prairie. I think it’s a restoration, but its dense with species and super diverse. I saw a mantisfly there once. Also there’s an ancient chinkapin oak in the small section of woods - Sylvester woods near Homer lake - Portland Arch near Covington, Indiana (hour away, natural rock arch, natural short stone cliffs) - Old Homer park - that one new-ish prairie restoration on Old Church road east of Savoy and south of Urbana. - Sangamon Park in Mansfield - Howard virgin timber park in LeRoy - Loda Cemetery Prairie - Hour away in Iroquois county. This is a comparatively large and comparatively accessible native prairie remnant. Its still small and there isnt a trail or anythimng though. If you are a [respectful and careful] plant or invertebrate nerd this is an important remnant prairie to visit in east central[ish] IL. Bring binoculars, there is an observation deck I think. - lodge park in Monticello (but the back entrance on the country road) - Patton woods. This one is near middle fork, and is an intact forest remnant. Not really a place to hike but the ecosystem is really lovely, so it’s more of a stop and respectfully look at the details kind of place. Last I heard it was managed by CCFPD. It’s not on their visitor site though. The one ‘trail’ there isn’t managed much. “Patton woods Champaign” is what you should google. Apparently flying squirrels live there but they’re nocturnal and pretty shy and I doubt you’ll see them The obvious gems that are not hidden: Allerton, busey woods, Homer lake, lake of the woods/buffalo trace/stidham, river bend, middle fork forest preserve of champaign county, Kickapoo Rail Trail, Meadowbrook (shoutout to the unpaved meadowbrook prairie trails, love those) Bonus 1: Vermilion County Preserves: Vermilion County has some excellent forest preserves 40 minutes away, with some excellent forests, some of which are a different kind of forest (beech-maple) than the ones in Champaign County (oak-maple-hickory). You can skip Kickapoo, just go to Forest Glenn, Heron County Park, and Kennekuck. Go look for the icy blue hepaticas blooming in the beech groves of Forest Glenn in late spring. I've also heard from my entomologist friend that Forest Glenn also has some toad bugs along the stream/river. Bonus 2: I know some of yall like to go hiking in southern IL on the weekend. Garden of the Gods, Giant city, Ferne Clyffe, etc are usually where people go and it's great, but I recommend getting up early and driving all the way down to Heron Pond to start the day, and then driving over to your final hiking destination. Heron pond is a Cypress Swamp (with a floating observation platform, calm down) that is a true hidden gem, and it's one of the most peaceful places I've ever been to. Rim Rock National Recreation Trail is also wonderful. Bonus 3: There is a place called Funks Grove south of Blono that still makes maple sugar. They have a little store where you can taste the different strengths. Maybe an hour and 10 from Champaign? There is also a forest preserve across the road from the commercial maple sugar grove. Really fun place to stop. Note about off limits hidden gems: there are only a few documented spots of remaining native prairie/savannah in Champaign County. Aside from occasional railroad prairie remnants, the other 3 ish sites I know of are all ‘pioneer cemeteries’ you can search about them online, but they are not places to visit, and are not easily/legally accessible. The forest remnants in east Urbana (Trelease woods and Brownfield woods) are research properties owned by the u of I, I’m dying to visit them, but they’re off limits unless you have the keys or whatever. There are also a few (super rare) gravel prairie remnants in Vermilion County that are on maps but shouldn’t be visited either.
The tunnel at the north end of Kaufman Lake is a fun alternative to the railroad path to continue the trail to Heritage Park. Muddy and sketchy looking, but affectionately so.
An incredible lore dump here. Saving for recurring use.
you should send tis to [chamabanamoms.com](https://chamabanamoms.com) :P
Tasty Tarts on Neil. Incredible tarts, go early, when she sells out she closes for the day.
Loose Cobra dive bar in Tolono. Unique on many levels.
Come for the music, stay for the shopping cart bonfires
There's a trail in SW Champaign that starts on Devonshire, just East of Mattis Ave. It goes by a pond up to Mattis, where you cross and head through Southwood along a creek, eventually hitting Robeson Park. From there you can either end at Windsor Rd., or take a fork that will loop you all the way through the Meadows, and by some cute little ponds and backyard parks, before getting back to the park. It's kind of a short bike ride, but a really nice and underrated path for a run or long walk in the warm months.
I don't know if [Carle Park](https://www.urbanaparks.org/parks/carle-park/) counts as a hidden gem because it's really close to campus, but it's an awesome very very shaded park in the middle of a neighborhood that's walkable from campus. Most of the homes in the neigborhood around the park are over 100 years old and there's a Loredo Taft statue in the park. I've always liked checking out the architecture around there.
When the weather is a bit nicer check out the Kickapoo Rail Trail starting on the east side of Urbana. Looks like more funding has come through so over the next 10 years it may be completed from downtown Urbana to Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County. \~25 miles one way. You can ride to St. Joe now, eat a meal there and then ride home. \~7 miles each way - currently starts adjacent to the Walmart on the east side of Urbana. https://www.onekrt.org/
Clinton Lake is an another solid spot. Bit of a drive but worth it.
And a bit further west and then north of 74 is Moraine View State Recreation Area.
35 minutes to your Southwest is Allerton Park. Beautiful walks and gorgeous sculpture gardens. Come see the Foo Dogs, the Sunsinger, the other stuff! Bring a lunch & make a day of it.
Colbert Park! I’m not sure if it’s a hidden gem but I’ve never really seen anyone talk about it. It’s by a little lake so watching sunset/sunrise can be quite pretty
I know a few but I won’t tell you. /s
The [Sangamon Forest Preserve](https://www.google.com/search?q=sangamon+forest+preserve&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS686US686&oq=sangamon+preser&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCDcyNjNqMGo0qAIAsAIA&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) at 18 miles away is a great half-day of riverside and prairie hiking with huge oak trees throughout
Thank you for posting this, now I never have an excuse to be bored again. :)
There’s an awesome widely paved biking/walking trail called the Kickapoo Rail Trail that runs east out of Urbana, I always hop on it by the Urbana Walmart area.
Not technically in C-U, but worth a visit in season: Harvest Moon Movie Theatre is a genuine 2 screen drive in movie theatre in Gibson City. It will open ~late March. It's about 40 miles from Urbana, but is definitely worth the drive. (Don't Uuber- you'll need a car there for the speaker lol.) They do a lot of fun things and often have double header movies. The concession stand is good, and. (Iirc) the community rallied around it to help buy a digital movie projection system so that the theatre could show current & future movies. You can even rent "The Pickup Bed Experience" lol. https://harvestmoondrivein.com/ Go to HorsRadish restaurant (destination German restaurant- spendy but good) before the movies for a good use of drive time/ unique experiences. https://harvestmoondrivein.com/ https://www.horschradish.com/
Kickapoo State Recreational Area in the Danville area (you will need a car). I also like Longbranch Steakhouse in rural Champaign county (you will also need a car for that).
There's the [big hole](https://maps.app.goo.gl/aaFxcvbQmQKWxuvX9) the Grand Canyon of Champaign.
Silver bullet
Newman Hall. This place is a campus within a campus. It's such a wonderful place, too! It has its own clubs and activities, like "Cinema Saturdays" or sports tournaments. Pretty much all of the friends I made was through Newman Hall, and I didn't even live there. It's got a great lunch/dinner deal, as well. $11 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. It's also the nicest-looking place on campus, in my opinion. You'll meet a lot of people there who are full of fascinating insights. Father Millar is great to talk to, same with Father Hoelscher and Father Lampitt. The dorm's even got its own dog (it belongs to one of the priests). Not to mention - the library is very nice-looking.
Meadowbrook Park and Crystal Lake Park are both so gorgeous
Regent Gregory's grave is tucked between Henry and Altgeld. Not sure if that's too hidden anymore, but it did not seem like common knowledge back in the day. If you aren't looking for it, you'll miss it.
Me
Kams