Pleasant Ridge Park — Attraction in Fairview Heights

Such a nice place! Just discovered this one and I'm so glad I did!

Coming from a small wooded area to a "city" can be rough sometimes and I like going here to get away from people.

There are usually people around, just not nearly as many as most parks.

The trails could be marked a little better, there are arrows at some intersecting trails but its not super clear what they mean. I think maybe a color coded system would work. The map needs to be updated, but you could just use colored markers or paint to show which trail you're on and which way to go to stay on or go to a different trail.

I could see people getting freaked out getting lost if they didn't grow up in the woods.

Bring a stick for spider webs! This is probably common knowledge to people who frequent wooded trails, but just a heads up for those that don't.

Also be careful on the road getting there, they are fairly bumpy and lots of blind turns

Over all, I like this...

So many trails and so many kind people. Some of the trails are deteriorating from the rain, so be careful near creek beds. Metal shoe grippers (idk what they're actually called) will save you from falling in thick mud if you go hiking after a rain. I've explored just about the entire park and I still find something new and curious each time I go here. 11/10 would recommend.

Although, as for the dog park, I think the leash and off leash areas should be switched. That hill is enormous and I am not about to walk my dog on a leash down there. To my understanding, a woman was bit by an off leash dog in the hilly/valley area. If your dog is aggressive, it should not be off leash in the first place. I miss letting my 12 year old dog run...

Pleasant Ridge Park is great for lots of activities- free leashing your dog, hiking, playing on a playground, enjoying a picnic under a pavilion (or just at a bench), taking in the fall landscape, and even sledding on the rolling hills. There's also a preserved historic cabin (that you can only view from the outside), called the Kinsella Cabin in the park that was built in the late 1800s.

There is one main hiking trail that takes you through the majority of the wooded area on the property and another five short trails that shoot off of the main one. The trails are well-maintained with bridges and steps along the way and well-marked with color-coded arrows to keep you on...