Let the Landscape Move you

Places to HIKE

Allerton Park & Retreat Center

Allerton Park in Monticello may be a country estate, but it also features fourteen miles of hiking, where you’ll discover wildlife and art in unexpected places. Don’t miss their fourteen formal gardens while on site.

Sangamon River Forest Preserve

160 acres of restored prairie alongside the Wildcat Slough and Sangamon River near Fisher make this an unexpected spot for a hike. You’ll spot 200+ year-old bur and white oaks with circumferences of more than 13 feet!

Busey Woods

Located within Urbana’s Crystal Lake Park, you’ll find 59 acres of woodland just outside the heart of the city. Go for a hike, bird watch, and take time for yourself.

Bruce Hannon Levee Trail

This 2-mile loop trail near Monticello takes you to the Sangamon River, where you’ll find shelter under the 25,000 towering trees that were planted to restore farmland to woodland.

places to BIKE

Kickapoo Rail Trail

A rail-to-trail that takes you through our agricultural ecosystem, prairie, woodlands, and wetlands. Travel 6.7 miles of completed trail from Urbana to St. Joseph, with additional trail segments to be completed in the near future.

Mahomet Bike Path

Weaving through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve and beyond, you’ll spot plenty of wildlife and discover numerous community hot spots.

Boneyard Creek Trail

Connecting Champaign, Urbana, and the University of Illinois campus, this trail will get you through all downtown districts, making it tough for you not to stop for that bubble tea or coffee.

places to PADDLE

River Bend Forest Preserve

Containing Champaign County’s largest lake, this paddling point near Mahomet is an ideal spot to watch the sunset over the prairie, or to get out and fish.

Crystal Lake Park

Don’t have a canoe, don’t worry. This Urbana park rents canoes and paddle boats for an easy, breezy afternoon on the lake. 

Homer Lake Forest Preserve

Surround yourself with the beauty of acres of woodland and prairie, with the lake taking center stage. Kayak rentals are available.

Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve

When “lake” is part of the name, you know it’s a good spot to paddle. With an accessible kayak launch, anyone can partake in the water fun. Paddle boats and kayak rentals are available.

Places to Stargaze

Middle Fork River Forest Preserve

By day, you’ll find miles of hiking trails composed of reforested lowlands and restored prairie. By night, you’ll find yourself in Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Park. Check the lunar cycle, pack a telescope, and get out on their accessible Dark Sky Trail created to give you the best view of the Milky Way. Stay in their campsite and select one of the “Dark Sky Friendly” campsites so you can fall asleep while counting shooting stars. Located near Penfield.

Our Community Parks

Did you know that 100% of the homes in Champaign-Urbana are within a half-mile distance of green space? In fact, we have over 1,200 acres of community parks all around the area. Learn more about our area parks and preserves through the listings below.

CU on the Trail!

Explore the natural areas of the Champaign-Urbana area with the CU on the Trail experience pass! Check in at each trail you visit and uncover some of the most vibrant spaces in our community. Hike 20 trails, and you’ll win a limited-edition t-shirt designed by celebrated local illustrator David Michael Moore.