Have the Ultimate Outdoor Fall with Kids in the Champaign-Urbana Area

Outdoor fun continues to reign supreme this fall for Champaign-Urbana area families

Throw on a hooded sweatshirt, shuffle your feet through the leaves and get ready to enjoy everything outdoors with your kids

Champaign-Urbana is filled with and surrounded by picturesque nature escapes. Spending time together in nature as a family is great for mental and physical health, and we think you will experience the benefits first-hand rather quickly as you head out with your family. So pick those apples, take those walks and enjoy the crisp fall air.

Chambanamoms thanks the Allerton Park & Retreat Center for presenting our ultimate guide to outdoor fall fun in Champaign-Urbana

Help send off the season with Allerton Park’s Summer’s End Concert on the Gatehouse Lawn at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. It will feature the music of Stone & Snow and Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes as part of the Allerton Park Concert Series presented by The Ayers Family.

A donation of $5/person or $10/family is suggested, and will be collected at the gate. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets. Food will be available from food trucks, and the Greenhouse Cafe will also be open until 6 p.m. for pre-concert food purchases. You can also bring your own!

For More Information: Website or Facebook

Enjoy the Fall Colors

Go Leef “Peeping” in Champaign-Urbana: 10 Places to See Fall Colors

It’s one of our favorite fall activities: heading out to look at the beautiful changing colors. We give you some ideas on where to head, but really if you have any trees in your vicinity, you can’t miss the fall colors.

Walk, Bike or Hike

Walk Your Way Through Champaign-Urbana

Start with the basics when you take a walk as a family. We round up all our favorite walking paths in Champaign and Urbana and give you the distance of the path in most cases.

Family Friendly Bike Trails in the Champaign-Urbana Area

When you’re biking as a family, you probably have two goals for your journey: somewhere out of the way of major traffic, and somewhere that’s not too strenuous for little peddlers. We take you to some of our favorite riding spots in the area, including the Kickapoo Rail Trail. Fall is great biking weather!

Hiking Trails for Families in the Champaign-Urbana Area

Different than a walk, hikes will take you into the woods and off the beaten path, so to speak (though near Champaign-Urbana, we have a lot of beautifully paved paths you can hike). Nonetheless, find out how and where to start hiking near town with a handy legend showing you the varying levels of difficulty you’ll encounter as you tackle the trails with your kids.

Play at a Park

Visiting Champaign-Urbana Area Parks and Playgrounds with your Family

Champaign-Urbana has so many wonderful playgrounds! We provide a round-up of the ones we love to visit.

Carle Park in Urbana is one of our favorite playgrounds to enjoy during fall.

Outdoorsy Fun for Nature-Loving Families

Apples, Pumpkins, Corn Mazes in Champaign-Urbana and Beyond

Generally speaking, we’ve got the cream of the crop to choose from when it comes to fall fun nearby. Check out the BIG list of where to find apple picking, pumpkin patches and corn mazes nearby (and scroll down to get a closer look at a few of our favorite attractions for these activities).

6 Places to Experience Nature with Children Near Champaign-Urbana

Sometimes heading outdoors is simply to enjoy and experience nature. Falling leaves and changing trees make it all the more enjoyable. We give you the scoop on the closest places to C-U that have you feeling like you’ve retreated to a nature oasis.

Go Stargazing: Dark Park

Did you know that autumn is one of the best seasons for stargazers? It’s also more family friendly as the night skies get darker earlier. For optimal star gazing away from city lights, head to the Dark Park at Middle Fork Forest Preserve.

Fishing Fun for Families in and around Champaign-Urbana

Fishing may sound intimidating but it’s a fairly easy family activity to pick up and start to do together. Spending a little to get a fishing rod and reel and making sure you have an applicable fishing license pays off rather quickly when you see how much fun you can have casting into the water at convenient locations close to C-U.

Where to Go on a Picnic With Your Family Near Champaign-Urbana

If we’re being honest, picnicking in the fall is grand. Better temps, (typically) fewer bugs, and not as much demand for picnic tables. Add in some yummy fall foods (pumpkin, anyone?) for good measure.

Camping with your Family Near Champaign-Urbana

Fall is our favorite season to go camping; bonfires, warm sweatshirts and hot dogs. So make it a night or two and dodge the summer heat and crazy bugs by camping during the fall. There are a number of spots to camp as a family throughout Central Illinois, so choose the location that sounds most ideal for you.

Fall Traditions: Champaign-Urbana Area Attractions You Don’t Want to Miss

Apples, Pumpkins, Donuts and Kittens at Curtis Orchard

When we think of enjoying the outdoors during fall, we think of some of those annual family traditions that we just can’t wait to do this fall … like apple picking! Head to Curtis Orchard (the closest place to C-U to pick apples) or venture a bit farther if you like to one of the other locations on our “where to pick apples” list. We love strolling around Curtis Orchard while kids chase kittens and warm up with apple cider. There’s no admission to enter the orchard so you can stop by just to wander.

Get Lost in a Corn Maze at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch

Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch near Rantoul has long been a Champaign-Urbana destination for all things fall. Plan an outing to do the corn maze (super popular with older kids and teens); this year’s theme is “Mythical Maze.” Experiencing the maze under the moonlight (after 5 p.m.) is an adventure to remember, too! Climb on the massive stacks of hay and wave to the reindeer. There’s no admission fee.

Pack a Whole Wagon Full of Pumpkins at Negangard Pumpkin Patch

There are tons of places you can pick out a pumpkin throughout Champaign-Urbana. A “best kept secret” we want to make sure you know about is Negangard Pumpkin Patch. Located in rural Sidney, this pumpkin patch is all about the pumpkins — and pumpkins there are! The prices are pretty awesome and families are known to load up a wagon for a great price. Don’t miss the GIANT pumpkins while you’re there and take a picture on your way out. This is close to Sidney Dairy Barn, so if you’d like to grab some ice cream before heading back to Champaign-Urbana, you might even find pumpkin ice cream on the menu.