Find the Ultimate Outdoor Adventures with Kids in the Champaign-Urbana Area

It doesn’t matter if you own a pair of hiking shoes, can’t stand bugs, or spend every waking minute soaking up the fresh air and sunshine. No matter what time of year, find outdoor adventures with your family around Champaign-Urbana

Families with kids of all ages can get outside and have fun in the great outdoors all year long, from hiking to kayaking to sledding and more

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 hike, fish, bike, camp, sled and walk your way through the outdoors all year long!

Chambanamoms thanks the Champaign County Forest Preserve District for presenting the guide to Ultimate Outdoor Adventures.

Find a collection of all of our visits to Champaign County Forest Preserve locations here.

Walk, Bike or Hike

Walk Your Way Through Champaign-Urbana

Start with the basics when you head outside and 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.

Entrance to path at Lake of the Woods for walking and biking.

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.

Riverbend Bike Path — Bike path at Riverbend Forest Preserve.

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 roundup of the ones we love to visit. Click on the details of each park to get an in-depth look at its features.

Centennial Park, Champaign — Centennial Park in Champaign.

Avoid the Muck and Mud with Mulch-Free Playgrounds in Champaign-Urbana

When the weather finally breaks and we just HAVE TO get outside in the spring … but everything is muddy and mucky and we just aren’t in the mood to trudge through it all … find a mulch-free playground! Rubberized surfacing makes play safe (and mess-free) and you’ll find it on many of our playgrounds in Champaign-Urbana.

Great Places for a Picnic in the Champaign-Urbana Area

We’ll give you a hand and show you the best picnic locations in and around Champaign-Urbana to make sure you can enjoy a timeless tradition. Whether you pack your own or pick up a local delight on your way to your picnic, we know that picnics make for the “best day ever” when it comes to fun on a budget.

Fish, Stomp, Canoe and Camp

Fishing Fun for Families in the Champaign-Urbana Area

Fishing might 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. You can fish about nine months a year in Champaign-Urbana!

Kids Playing in Natural Playscape at Homer Lake — Homer Lake Natural Playscape

Creek Stomping Your Way Around Champaign-Urbana

You didn’t know this was a thing? Creek stomping is an absolute blast and requires absolutely nothing to “do” other than a parent’s permission to get muddy, wet and dirty. We round up where you can take your kids to stomp around and have a blast in local creeks.

creek stomping buffalo trace — Creek stomp at Buffalo Trace Prairie.

6 Places to Experience Nature with Children Near Champaign-Urbana

Sometimes heading outdoors is simply to enjoy and experience nature. We give you the scoop on the closest places to C-U that have you feeling like you’ve retreated to a nature oasis in an instant.

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. Of course you can go camping year round, so choose the location that sounds most ideal for you.

Where to Go Boating with Your Family Near Champaign-Urbana

Don’t scoff at “boat rental” as being out of your budget. Renting a canoe or kayak for a few hours is a special summer outing you can plan with your older kids and teens. We’ve got options within an hour’s drive of Champaign-Urbana that will make it possible. Most options are seasonal and are available between Memorial Day and Labor Day, though you may find some boat rentals that start earlier and end later in the season.

Kayak rental at Moraine View State Park.

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.

Winter Fun Outdoors

Best Sledding in Champaign-Urbana

Kids big and small will love the thrill of careening down a hill on a piece of plastic, holding on for dear life. Just try to make it down the hill without smiling — we double-dog dare you. And when you’re done, you can go home and have cookies and hot chocolate. There are plenty of options in the Champaign-Urbana area for this classic winter pastime.

Want to sled on this snow day? Here’s Morrissey Park in Champaign, a great hill for the smaller set.

Where to Ice Skate in Central Illinois (Outdoors and Indoors)

In addition to our favorite ice rink at the University of Illinois, we point you toward all of the ice rinks a short drive from Champaign-Urbana and tell you where you can find a true outdoor ice rink.

Slide on your Snowshoes in Central Illinois

Anywhere you could go for a walk or a hike proves to be a great place to try out snowshoeing. No hills required, no road-tripping necessary — unless you decide to seek out state parks or forest preserves.

Want to break it down by destination? Here are our top spots for outdoor recreation near Champaign-Urbana:

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