Sand Ridge Nature Center

If you love to be next to nature, Sandridge nature center is a place to do it. They have beautiful walking trails and you get to see wildlife in it's natural surroundings. The building has some interesting artifacts, the staff is friendly, helpful and informative and it is very clean, including the rest rooms. It is a delightful experience and a beautiful piece of property that God has done some inspiring handiwork

Inside the nature center they have turtles, snakes and other creatures. Outside there are settler cabins, bird cages, and low impact nature trails threading through the wetlands. This is a great area to see butterflies, dragonfly’s, and damselflies living among native prairie flowers and grasses.

Great trails! Well maintained. You can easily spend hours here alone or with groups. I saw deer, snakes, birds, turtles, and frogs in the hour and a half I was there on the trails. The nature center also has a few reptiles on display that are pretty cool

I am a local fifth grade teacher whose school has been in the Mighty Acorns program for the past two years. This program (that we attend in the fall, winter, and spring) connects our students with nature by providing an outdoor activity (such as removing invasive plants) an educational game, time in the nature center, and an explorational hike. Nate, Laney, and other trip leaders have been so good with our children!

I highly recommend nature lovers of all ages to visit the Sandridge Nature Center.

If you would like to learn to identify more native prairie plants, this is the place for you. I met 2-3 new-to-me flowers that I will need to introduce to my butterfly garden at home. With several different ecosystems on the property, there is fantastic variety. We saw no fewer than 4 monarch caterpillars on the milkweed outside the front door of the lovely nature center. There is a classroom in the nature center that acts as a perfect "bird blind" to watch the hubbub in their "Bird Garden". The trails are well maintained, the boardwalk is a GREAT way to view the marshy areas. The staff in the Nature Center is very friendly and knowledgeable, and invited us to an upcoming free program.

This nature center is a gem. There are 3 walking paths that you can take (2 short ones, 1 longer one). It's beautiful in the Fall. The folks who work there are welcoming and very helpful. It's one of my favorite places to walk. You feel like you're far away, but you're right outside of the city.

I absolutely loved coming here, my family had wonderful time. The staff was so patient and gentle with my rambunctious siblings. Shout out to Ms. Lanie, she showed us so many cool birds and things and went out of her way to give us a tour, and she was extremely knowledgeable and cared for our safety on the trails. The trails are beautiful and I would highly recommend for people to come and interact with the staff and animals!

Very good trail, if ur on this part of illinois…mix of paved and bare trails…

The staff is so attentive and wonderful.
There was an event going on and the staff was so concerned about the animals it made me feel loved.

Great nature center!! The nature playground was a lot of fun for my daughter. Will definitely be back.

Had a great time at the wee wonders today learning about the cocoa bean

Always a very lovely walk. They are still doing programs outside!!

I grab many lovely photos from here. See attached. Been going here for 40 years.

I absolutely love it here and go weekly
They have several walking trails
I also take my grandson when I can. They have a nice play area, all natural materials. They also have a few animals. A great place for him to freely run around. The staff is very friendly.

This is a place to go and forget about your worries. Go for a walk, and just feel the breeze, smell the falling leaves in the air. The birds singing in the tall trees. You'll spend a good amount of time out there so bring plenty of water.

This nature preserve has miles and miles of diverse trails! From leafy paths to boardwalks, there's something new to see in every visit! The nature center has animals inside, as well as an active honey bee hive. there are many different activities and programs to participate in. I've been going here since i was a young child and I'll be going back to visit with my children for years to come!

It's a very scenic and absolutely beautiful escape into the woodlands that is right near civilization, but once you are there, you feel like you are far away in a timeless forest. Once you take off down one of the paths into these woods, you can truly escape everyday life and have a nature adventure that will really bring magic into your soul.

Had a wonderful with my wife Lisa. Thanks Edward for educating us on the history of the cabins from 200 years old.

Beautiful trails, friendly and helpful staff. They have native species on display and some nice fishing spots!

The staff here is always helpful there is so much to do and see here the trails offer a serene getaway although they've recently thinned the trees so you can now see the surrounding roadways which takes away from the serenity but still a nice place. Should definitely take your kids.