Thatcher Woods

Love our peaceful walks along the Des Plaines river. The deer never disappoint. Recycle your pumkins in the woods, the deer love them!

Beautiful woods, nice place walk & think enjoy atmosphere me & wife go walk together very peaceful nature at its finest ase,

Heavenly on a sunny autumn morning! Great place to take the dogs.

Nice place to fish but would be better if they trimmed some of the branches and fallen trees that have landed in the pond. I have caught several different kinds of fish. Due to the amount of traffic, if you want a peaceful fishing day, this may not be the best place to go.

A great place for a stroll, you will encounter deer!

Its an amazing view. You can get a great workout. You can be one with nature. Love it!

Lots of paths and nature at its finest. Plenty of deer. Can get a little swampy if its been raining or during the spring thaw but summer dries it all out and you can walk along the riverbank.

Decided to walk through one of the trails in Thatcher Woods. Was totally disappointed as the trail was not managed well. There were trees blocking the trail and part of the trail was full of mud holes. We did have sightings of deer which we all enjoyed.

Probably one of the most amazing places to visit and stay for awhile around here. Beautiful scenery, nature all around, and so much fun to be had in the open fields all around the forest preserve. Not only that, but the trails that lead through these woods are long and enjoyable to ride through .

Nice place for a walk with the fam.

Nice neighborhood getaway when in the area. Not a very large trail but is idea for picnic or hangout.

Great trials for hiking within the preserve, well marked with the trees providing shade. Numerous wildlife found on our most recent hike.

It was okay. Its a small parking area by Des Plaines river and it was pretty packed. Nice little place to just get away for the moment and Zen out.

Great place to jog, walk or bike!

A must check out! So peaceful and beautiful

There is some easy paced but fun trails back in the woods especially down by the river.

Quite fun actually!I recorded about 40 or 50 minutes of youtube content!Follow me on Twitter for DAILY giveaways @StreamsByQ

Its a lovely park! Sometimes the porta potty can get a little out of control, though.

Great local forest preserve. Lots of paved walking and biking paths.

Amazing for hikes or bike riding. Many different paths

Very nice place to walk around, quiet, not too many people. You need insect repellent spray.

Fun trails in the woods and lots of deer!

Beautiful trails close to home.

Usually a clean and quiet place, until some week ends when it seems the little bugs come out

This is a rather large woods right in the middle of the city. There is a museum with some exhibits for kids and the hiking is great for Illinois!

Super cool spot to have a picnic or rent out the pavilion for an event. Lots of picnic tables, lots of trails to wander through (so many deer!), and a nice break from city life. I havent been to the museum across the road, but it seems very kid-friendly.

Just dont take anything out of the ordinary home with you ye be warned

While its not the best wildlife preserve, its the best wildlife preserve in the area. For someone who is interested in becoming a survivalist as a side passion, it was great to go our and hike along the trails. Some of the trails arent really well kept, and near the railroad tracks it can get pretty hard to find the trails. But on one of the trails we had a pretty breath taking experience with some of the wildlife. Two doe came within 20 feet of us and some larger deer came within 100. Overall, I would recommend going to Thatcher woods.

Took a decent walk through the woods today. Stayed away from the pavilions though as blaring bumping bass just doesnt mix with a nature walk for me. Too much debris, broken glass and trash were evident....no matter how far off the trail or deep into the wood I traveled. Saw about 4 deer, cautiously peeking out keeping a watchful eye more towards the noise rather than me or my dogs. Ive seen the forest and worst conditions with far more trash. I have to say it looks better today than it did 5 years ago.

Great place to visit and spend time enjoying the great out doors.

Nice walking trails

Saw a redhead woodpecker and a big bluejay.

Great Place, a lot of deers and a lot of trails to follow, it is quiet and very fun.

I saw the deer and stopped!

Be prepared, the trails are muddy mess. Too bad, its a beautiful hike.

Schillers woods is a nice spot for a picnic or grilling. Theres some trails but this area seems like its best intended to meet up with people play a game or something and chill. Im the large trail theres a nice bridge and area where I sometimes find remains of rituals and stuff I presume were performed the previous night of my visits. But its a fun park or great spot to kill some time.

Its a nice outdoor space, with a large soccer pitch. I attended a wedding at the hall and it was a nice space for the reception.

Good place for picnic or a walk

Had my wedding here. People at the office were very helpful throughout and the maintenance people the day of were very accommodating. I highly recommend this venue.

Nice little pullover park and picnic

Broken glass everywhere not very kid friendly.

Friends wedding was in the Pavilion. Very nice set up. Helpful staff. Clean!

Ive always loved visiting these woods, they have wonderful trails and in the fall the colors are breathtaking

Lovely venue for a wedding! Thankfully the weather cooperated. You can make it your own space.

Had my wedding here. It was beautiful

Really nice woods for a short walk. Canopy of trees help for shade. They also have a nice pavilion.

Looks great - i just drove through.

Nice atmosphere. Great place to have for a family event!!!!

I Really REALLY enjoy Thatcher Wood. It bring back many memories from 10+ yrs. I think all the options @ and open space to have any type of functions: ie....work, friends, family reunion, any type of birthday or company invite. Thatcher is 100% the place to entertain & enjoy yourself. I almost for it has some good fishing!!

Thatcher woods is a great place to go and look at animals

Beautiful woods

A great place to trail walk and relax

Secluded park,nice for family picnics or a lunch date.bike trails also

Beautiful park that has nature trails.....very popular for soccer practices and picnics

Great place to see fall leaves. Fantastic!

Excellent rustic venue. It was a perfect location to host a Rotary celebration.

Had a very nice time beautiful plave for evens

The pesto cavatappi I ordered was really good but the size is on the small side. Judge for yourself with the attached picture.

Great for deer watching. They come very close to the cars.

Excellent forest to enjoy some solitude.

I always love this place. It brings me back to peace.

Thatcher Woods is nestled within the community of well manicured family homes on the museum entrance side of the park. We saw a Turkey buzzard resting and the fox next door hiding among hay in its contonement area while being cared for. A large deer was not phased as we stopped within 20 feet of it to snap photos. It continued to snack on grasses and wag its tale without fear of humans. Across the street on the water side was a separate entrance that led to a community facility available for gatherings of family and friends celebrating life.

Nice park to host events. Nice amount of space, great parking area, and wonderful shaded gazebo. Only downfall is no bathrooms, so you have to rent a port-a-potty

This is a great place to hike, and do picnics. My favorite season to visit Thatcher woods is when its snowing. Ive got gorgeous pictures in that time and have been lucky enough to capture multiple deers. All the times I have been there with my family, it is a little lonely besides a few hikers or visitors, Id recommend to come accompanied.

Beautiful, tons of deer activity in the warmer months and quite easy to navigate. The river runs right through it so it just makes a great trail to walk on a good day.

A natural oasis in the urban jungle

Beautiful, good walking place.

Love this place but i just wish they had pavements so we can walk without getting our shoes dirty

A beautiful relatively untamed section of the Cook County Forest Preserves awaits behind the meadow and shelter north of Chicago Avenue. An unmarked path leads into a tree filled valley. Another, gentler walk winds through the woods eventually leading to the river where a trail along the river invites you.

Stop by cook county forest preserve picnic

A Gorgeous day in the Enchanted Forest...

Is nice place to walk or just being chill

This is a very nice clean off the road forest preserves Fieldhouse. The restrooms are nice and clean the facility was nice and clean. I appreciate it a wedding there it was very nice

Its nice because its a Forest preserve

Good place to see deer...

Great environment. Good trails to keep you occupied. A lot of wildlife. The deer are everywhere. Keep an eye out for them. Nice time and good hike. Huge

Good place to rent for parties

I had a peaceful walk and time to relax.

Nice place for your family

This forest preserve is a diamond in the rough in Chicago - quiet trails and a lot of them. Totally worth the drive.

Always a great spot to relax.....

Nice place to have a event at

Family reunion love the location

Great place for the whole family, it was updated about a year ago. Lots of space for the kids to run and play,

A great forest place to go in the city for a jog, relax or just read a book.

My family have been enjoying this area of Thatcher Woods & all other areas since before I was born, and we continue enjoying it with my children. Its quiet and serene here. Weve had partys and BBQs here over the years, and Ive come here just to decompress, think, walk the trails and take in all the sights and sounds of nature. Im a big distressed architecture & bridge and graffiti junkie and this is a great place to capture raw shots of these things; gives a great atmosphere to write and sketch.

Nice deer and trees

Deers everwhere

Love the outdoors....the nature center is great

Its a nice place to go have lots of fun

Watch your speed!

Beautiful place to walk through the woods, we will often see deer. A bit too buggy in the summer and can be muddy. Just find a trail and start walking!

Nature at its finest!

Make sure to have your dogs on a leash because of the coyotes.

Small, quaint location. Nice!

Nice walking area!

It is a large park. I enjoy hanging out there with my family.

Good space for a little riverside hike or running a dog. Never crowded Not a lot to see but great exercise space.

Very serene, clean, animals to see, good trails, overall very nice place.

Nice park for the middle of the city