Forest Park Nature Center — Attraction in Peoria Heights

Review Date: September 29th, 2013

I 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...

First time hiking a trail here. We did the Pimiteoui trail (NOTE: IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PARKING LOT AT THE NATURE CENTER SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT) and it was challenging but stunning. It's not straight up. It's up and down in both directions. Very well maintained but keep an eye out for poison ivy. My watch calculated 640 ft of climb and a little over 2.5 miles round trip on the route we took. There appeared to be several side trails but we didn't explore them. Next time we'll try a couple and see where they end up. When the trees have leaves, 80% of the trail is shaded. Bring water no matter what time of year and make sure you don't need a bathroom. When you get to the top, you're on Grandview Drive which is where the photos were taken. Great spot to enjoy the view on a bench and chug some water. I wouldn't hike the day after a rain because the trail would definitely be slippery. We met a few other hikers going both directions but this was on a Friday around noon. I imagine you'll encounter quite a few others on the weekends or holidays. If you don't want something this challenging, they have several other trails that are rather flat but you won't get the reward of an amazing view of...

I grew up hiking the trails here.  I've lived in a lot of places since then and I haven't 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 a nice mix of woods with agricultural field for animals. The Valley Loop and Prairie Trails offer a leisurely stroll. On the opposite extreme, Wake Robin Trail is the longest and most difficult trail in the Park and can be accessed from Bee Tree and Deer Run Trails. Pimiteoui Trail will take you from the Nature Center to Grandview Drive.

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 windows.  There are great educational programs all year-round with the highlights being the Christmas Luminary Walks, Eagle Watch, and Herptology and Ornithology meetings. I'm proud to say that my edits are responsible for adding all the trails...