River Trail Nature Center

Good experience of natural creatures. Perfect choice for family fun especially for kids.

This is a wonderful gem of a nature center just east of the Des Plaines river. A great place to spend a few hours walking the trails, looking at some caged wildlife (too injured to be released into the wild), and looking at exhibits in the nature center. The staff us really helpful and access is easy. I enjoyed my stay and will be back soon.

My two daughters and I love this place. The trails are so well kept and clean, and the fresh air and delicious forest smells take our minds away from city life. We locals are so fortunate to have a free place such as this to take our kids and create wonderful memories.
I love to go around feeding time, so they can hear the owls hiss at the ranger, the coyote whimper for his meal, and the hawk squawk in glee as he devours his prey. My oldest daughter loves the inside exhibit, and could sit and watch the turtles forever. Also, the Rangers are truly delightful and have a plethora of knowledge to share and seem to really enjoy what they do!

I used to come here with my mom when I was a little girl! It was even more fun to bring my little girl here and watch her face as we checked out the animals and then she got to play with all sorts of stuffed animals, run into a replica of an eagle’s nest, as well as a fox’s den. I’m so glad it is still around!

Great place to come and walk the trail look at the animals and relax. The nature center building is pretty big and it’s also a mini zoo. He trails are AWSOME. Can’t wait to bike on them. Definitely love this place and would come here instead of going to the movies. It’s like the north park village nature center but with more woods.

Very neat and FREE place to spend a little time enjoying nature. Came on a Sunday afternoon for the «What’s On the Menu?» presentation where the staff go into all of the pens to feed the animals. Almost all of the animals started eating their food right away. Great experience to see those guys chowing down!
The only issue we experienced was that there were lots of mosquitoes around. The staff leading the presentation was kind enough to share bug spray with the crowd, but if you are going to go, spray yourself down before walking into the woods to avoid any bites!
It sounds like this presentation takes place every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. Keep an eye on the website to confirm:
If you are going to visit the Nature Center, make sure you catch this activity!

I’ve been coming here for years. I’ve watched it grow and evolve, but it has always maintained it’s coziness. It is a peaceful place to get away from it all and just enjoy nature. There is local wildlife to see, both captive and for the observant, along the trails and in the woods.
There is an education center for kids to explore and learn. Just relax, breathe and enjoy!

This place is a hidden gem. I love to walk around the trails and peek around inside the main building. I also love that they have some critters there they care for which aren’t able to be out in nature on their own.
Springtime is fun to walk down by the river and see the little ducklings and goslings following behind their parents. I adore the beehives and their conservation efforts!
Keep up the wonderful work and thank you for this beautiful gift of a place to visit!

I have these random memories of my grandmother taking my sister and I to some forest preserve years ago. There were a lot of geese, a river, some kind of maple syrup thing going on, and a sort of winding parking lot. As the years passed, and I visited several nature centers and forest preserves in the area, I came to believe that the memories were made up. I just couldn’t figure out where this mystery place was!
…Until a few months ago on my mom’s birthday (HI MOM!!!). After brunch, we were trying to think of something local and free to do that afternoon. My mother mentioned the River Trail Nature Center. I had never heard of it before and and was down for exploring a new outdoor place.
When we drove through the woods towards the parking lots, memories starting flooding my brain. THIS was the mystery forest preserve that I had remembered all these years! It DOES exist! Only mere minutes from my parents’ house and down the road from another nature center that I love! Yay!
We parked and explored. Inside the nature center building, we found owls, squirrels, turtles, snakes, fish, and other small animals. They also have a ‘classroom’ for kids and a bunch of fun information all over the walls. Outside are several caged habitats for the fox, coyote, birds, etc. They even have a bald eagle! Most of the animals seemed to be blind in one eye or in need of some kind of rehabilitation. I’m not sure if this is some kind of project, but I like that the center was taking care of these animals that otherwise wouldn’t able to survive in the wild Beyond the enclosures is a little spot for people to gather and some bees. We also stumbled upon some strange pod structures on poles which were actually bird feeders (for Purple Martins).
After we finished looking at the animals, we went for a walk along the river and through the woods, which were almost kind of dark. I loved it. There were many different paths to take, but we took a short one that led us past a couple beautiful deer (and some kind of fence keeping the deer out or in???) back to the nature center just before they closed for the day.
All in all, it was a lovely afternoon of quality family time and exploring nature.
I’m so glad we came here. I can’t wait to come back.
And I hope my mom had a good birthday. :)

Sure respect for the American Bald Eagle. Beautiful bird, but it will rip you to shreds if need be.

It’s so cool that this little nature center is in the middle of bustling NW Suburbia, just off the North Des Plaines River Trail, and just south of the Milwaukee Rd. — River Road intersection in Northbrook.
Frankly, I’ve only ever «arrived» here by mountain bike (because it’s almost exactly 1-​hours fast ride north of my home in Des Plaines), and didn’t even know how to get here by car until the other day.
So much is packed into a relatively small area, so it’s pretty easy to cover in a short morning or afternoon.
First off: «I know why the caged bird sings.» It’s because it happily thrives at the River Trail Nature Center with all it’s differently-​abled buddies. OK, what you’ll notice is that all the birds are blind in one eye. Yep, they are brought to the preserve because they can’t survive the wild with just one eye.
But fortunately that means we get to observe them up close and learn about them! My fave and go-​to dude (I’m making a gender assumption here) is the little Screech Owl, inside the center. My son loves the low, open Jacuzzi full of turtles. And there are live snakes and fish galore.
Outside there are hives of bees, a fox, a skunk a bald eagle and a red-​tailed hawk to gawk at, as well as many many groomed trails and signs galore so the suburban-​slickers don’t get lost.
No, they don’t sell food, but there are about 5 – 6 Adirondack chairs out back, overlooking a long lawn and the Des Plaines River. A great place to relax. Also the staff is really friendly and nice here. A little gem of a refuge in the middle of suburbia.

4 stars cuz it closes too early like nina said. Otherwise 5 stars. Good quiet place to relax and walk around. I like it here. Especially when something is going on like an event and its crowded. Nice to meet people. I recomend.

I love this place but I hate how early it closes… I mean… it’s nature there shouldn’t really be a curfew. When you think about it if anything bad was going to happen in there whether there’s a curfew or not it’s gonna happen anyway…
Regardless I like to come here on some days off because it’s closer to my house than the botanical gardens + I bring my dog on walks and he has a blast. I would recommend this place on a beautiful, blooming, summer day. Bring snacks it’s a pretty long trail! :]

This is a great facility. It’s a really nice interpretive center with a clean and airy children’s area that separates it from another family favorite, The Grove, just down the street. What this facility lacks in live animals it makes up for in the play area.
But it’s the 1:30 Sunday nature hike and 3:00 animal feeding — all free of charge, that are really special. Our guide, Susan, was informative though it wasn’t clear why the forest is so much less plush than The Grove. There’s almost no undergrowth. Not sure why.
The guide who did the feeding was especially entertaining in an amusing way. He had scolded a mom earlier in the day while in the playroom because he said her kids were being too loud and I thought — Really? Cause they can get lots louder — thinking to myself, he is obviously in the wrong profession. So I was nervous when I saw he was going to be doing the feeding. Would my daughter annoy him? Alas, the feeding presentation he gave was not only very educational but also very funny. All is forgiven. I wil definitely be back to take advantage of this wonderful resource in our area.

I have been taking my kids here for years. Now with the remodeling it is even better. My kids love playing in the eagles nest and pretend fishing. The rangers are all friendly and knowledgable. The trails are beautiful all year long.

River Trails, true to its name, has some great trails near the Des Plaines River. They aren’t particularly challenging to hike, but you do get to see a nice variety of plants and (caged, rehabilitating) wildlife. Here, you can get about as close as you probably want to be to a wild fox or eagle. It’s also nice for birdwatching – on one hike, we spotted three species of woodpeckers just on one tree.
There are also events here pretty regularly. They range from child-​friendly, family-​oriented activities to more grown-​up stuff that might put your tikes to sleep. The FPDCC actually has a TON of great programs pretty much every weekend, so if River Trails isn’t a convenient location for you, check out the county web site to find something a little closer to home.
I recommend that you bring your bug spray and sunglasses, plus sunscreen, for any hike. Especially if there’s been a recent rain, some areas may be a bit swampy and mosquito-​friendly. I hiked the trails with Fly Swotter and came out with just one bite, despite having gone through what looked like a swarm of thirsty little bloodsuckers. Based on the frantic itching of the people on the trail further ahead, not everyone was so lucky that day. Also note that the nature center itself is not necessarily open just because the trails aren’t closed – for example, I believe the nature center is closed on Fridays. Check the web site or call ahead to make sure you don’t show up with a carload of kids and no nature center staff to let them into the «fox den.»

Was here today for the Maple Syrup Days festival. What a wonderful experience for adults and kids alike with free french toast and fresh maple syrup from their Sugar Maple Trees. They have an indoor nature center with local animals and plenty of educational material plus a kids play area as well. The staff is very knowledgeable and they have many educational events. Nice place for a 3 mile hike on trails covered with wood chips. Good place for a run in the woods or leisurely walk.

Great place! Highly recommend.
Be sure to jot down the address if you’re using a GPS to get there. It apparently doesn’t register as a park… at least not on mine. And you don’t want to miss this.
So many parks in the area are either just spaces that haven’t been developed yet, or overrun with people and specified outdoor activities. This is the first place I’ve found in a long time that’s actually dedicated to nature.
The nature center itself is quite interesting. Live animals inside and outside with interesting facts about all of them.
Great trails leading all over the river. There are interpretive guides for the trails nearest the center. Once we got away from the main trails, however, we saw very few other people on the trails — very peaceful!
We hiked, but biking is also allowed on some trails. I’m looking forward to bringing my bike next time.

This is a great place to spend a few hours with the family. They have a few lives animals such as a bald eagle and fox. You can also enjoy a picnic in the designated picnic grove.
At the River Trail Nature Center you can learn about native plants and animals that remain in the urban environment. Enjoy a walk through sugar maple woods along the Des Plaines River on self-​guiding trails, learn of the past and present in the exhibit building, and visit a few of the native animals.
Todor Krecu

Want to see some local wildlife, walk a trail and still have time to do more things later? River Trail might be right for you. It’s not an all-​day trip like a zoo, but it’s enough to do for about 2 hours. Right as you come in, you see signs about open food or drinks. No, they aren’t being bossy, they are saying it for your own good. Just outside the parking area is an active beehive. The bees get attracted to those things. Same goes for strong perfumes.
Anyway, don’t worry about the bees. Enjoy the rest of the place. They have a few walking trails that are not too long. My 3 year old was able to handle the trails just fine. The main building has exhibits with some small animals and specimens on display. Kids love seeing turtles and birds. There’s more animals outside too.
Stop here for an interesting afternoon and still get home in time to play in the backyard or hit a mall later.