Need the outdoors (Chicago, Aurora, Joliet: ski resort, best city, home)

[sdepauw8]

Hi, I'm thinking about moving to Chicago but am very concerned about the lack of outdoor activities. I want hiking, camping, canoeing, etc that's in remote areas, not surrounded by farmland or where I can see the city skyline. And I don't want to have to devote an entire weekend to these things--I would like to have the ability to go out for just a few hours. Is this possible or should I be moving to Denver instead?

[Patrick754]

Chicago is purgatory if you love the outdoors. Definitely move to Denver.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by sdepauw8

Hi, I'm thinking about moving to Chicago but am very concerned about the lack of outdoor activities. I want hiking, camping, canoeing, etc that's in remote areas, not surrounded by farmland or where I can see the city skyline. And I don't want to have to devote an entire weekend to these things--I would like to have the ability to go out for just a few hours. Is this possible or should I be moving to Denver instead?

Hands down Denver! Chicago is the last place to go if you want an active outdoors lifestyle. There are a few suburban towns that might be able to offer a few things, but nothing on the world class scale of Denver. The closest thing to Chicago would be places like Utica, Illinois. The town is indeed surrounded by farmland, but the state forest there is really nice. The only other place in Illinois that would even come close would be the state parks in the far corner of southern Illinois. Which, by the way, cannot be done in one day, so really, what is the poit. There is a ski resort area around Galena, Illinois. It is nice by midwest standards, but nothing to really write home about. If you want outdoors stick with Denver.

[Chinolala]

It's not the best city for outdoor activities, but there are good options. You can canoe or kayak in the city in the rivers - a friend of mine got a 4 year scholarship to a university in California for rowing and she trained with a team in the city, rowing in the river system. You can jog, run, bike, blade along the lakefront for miles and miles. Of course, we're not a great place for mountain biking. It's flat here. We don't have any good skiing, but we have State Parks to camp in. We have outdoor beach volleyball in summer and an indoor beach volleyball center year round. Outdoor ice skating in winter at various locations; one downtown. Camping trips would have to be weekend trips because you'll have to drive 3 hours one way to camp. Everything else you mention can be done in and around the city. There's TONS of golf and places to skeet shoot. Considering the climate and the fact that Chicago is a large urban environment, there's a good amount of outdoor activities. The bulk of our nature is comprised of the lakefront, large city parks, forest preserves and rivers.

[Drover]

There's a reason we all flood to Wisconsin and Michigan on the weekends. If you want quick access to outdoor amenities (as in "doesn't require making a weekend out of it") in something approximating natural surroundings, this isn't your town.

[NYrules]

Coming to Chicago for nature and the outdoors would be like going to NYC for the peace and quiet. Does that give you the idea?

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by sdepauw8

Hi, I'm thinking about moving to Chicago but am very concerned about the lack of outdoor activities. I want hiking, camping, canoeing, etc that's in remote areas, not surrounded by farmland or where I can see the city skyline. And I don't want to have to devote an entire weekend to these things--I would like to have the ability to go out for just a few hours. Is this possible or should I be moving to Denver instead?

Ok, I'm also an outdoor person and you can find great outdoor activities if you look hard. But it would probably take more than a few hours....

For canoeing, try the Fox River or Rock River. For camping, there are good sites to the west off the Rock River and also north on Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park. There are also good camp sites just over the border in WI (try Kettle Moraine State Park).

I frequently hike/ski in Lake and Cook County Forest preserves (Barrington area) without seeing another soul (just lots of deer, fox, birds). The Wilmot Ski Hill is just over the border in WI (but of course nothing like Colorado)

[Tex?Il?]

Check out the book

60 hikes within 60 miles Chicago (including Joliet, Elgin, and Aurora). Menasha Ridge Press. Author: Ted something.

NE Ilinois and environs has a lot of hidden gems, you just have to be willing to look.

Like others mentioned. Alll along the Illinois River valley you have great places like Starved Rock, Mathiessen. SW of Joliet you got Goose lake prairie and McKinley Woods.

Indiana Dunes are a gem. The state park portion feels a little more remote. The national lakeshore surrouds the state park. Berrien County, MI has some great places too.

What else: check out the Kankakee Sands on the IL/IN border.
Certainly southern unit of Kettle Moraine in WI. McHenry County has a lot of wonderful parks that feel a little like the Kettle Moraine.

Very close to the city you have the whole Palos Hills Forest preserve complex.

Obviously nothing we have compares to what you find out west, but you will be pleasantly surprised if your willing to look.

The main issue around northern Illinois, Chicago overwhelmingly consumes peoples attention. And because we don't see mountains in the distance people assume theres nothing to see. So another issue you run across is that a lot of people just don't do much outdoor stuff, so you have to put a little effort into finding people to do these things with.

I'm from the area, have lived out west, and came back, and I still enjoy the outdoors just as much as I did when I was living there.

Enjoy the outdoors here!

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

So another issue you run across is that a lot of people just don't do much outdoor stuff, so you have to put a little effort into finding people to do these things with.

That is so true... People don't do as much outdoor stuff, especially in the winter. That can be an advantage though as I've taken the family hiking, skiing, skating, fishing, etc. in the forest preserves and there is noone around. It's so quiet. It seems like you're a million miles away....