| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Quick Escapes: 10 Trails Near Major Cities
The perfect metro-area trail: close, wild, uncrowded. Here are 10 major city options.
Your Daily Tread: Local Hikes Across the U.S.
What's better than hiking every weekend? Hiking every day. Here are the best big-city escapes from New York to Los Angeles. Plus: Bill Donahue explores the remote reaches of Portland's Forest Park and discovers secrets even locals don't know.
Ultimate Summer Escapes: The Best Dayhikes and Backpacking Trips Near You
Coming soon to your city: far-out adventures that are shockingly close to home.
High Points: Charles Mound, Illinois
Access is limited, but well worth the view.
Best Backpacking In Illinois
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Illinois.
Cache River State Natural Area
Not your laid-back summer holiday -- canoeing and hiking galore.
Illinois' Vermilion River, Kickapoo State Park
A pristine prairie river winds through a sea of corn and beans in the shadow of Chicago.
Illinois' Shawnee National Forest
Exploring hills and "hollers" in the Land of Lincoln.
Illinois' Trail Of Two Rivers
On its way from the Ohio to the Mississippi, Illinois' new River to River Trail takes you through a surprisingly wild side of the Corn Belt.
