Franklin Creek State Natural Area

Always clean. Good spring water. Peaceful. Pretty. Quiet. Creepy at night. Good place for a painting date with your significant other. Parks. A pond. Trails that are pretty simple to a point.

Beautiful creek and trails! And the spring is just magical looking! 😍👌🏽🏞💧🌳🌲🌿🍁🍂⚘🌼🐞🕸🪱🦗🕷🐜🐝🦋🐿🐸
Oh and the long path for the handicapped is a huge blessing for them!
We brought our group home guys here a couples years ago and the walk on the path with the picnic tables to rest on at the end near the creek was just Perfect! 👌🏽🙏🏽😊
Gracias state park system!

A very nice place to be by yourself or family/friends. There’s shelters with electricity, plenty of tables at the shelters and out in the open. Natural spring water that’s accessible in a few areas along with many trails. Restrooms are available/accessible for wheelchairs.

Definitely bring good supportive hiking boots! In hindsight long pants would be ideal. So many birds and the sound of the creek was so calming. Very good exercise! We did the Pioneer Pass- just under 4 miles round trip.

Handy cap accessible, bathrooms were clean, the park is small but very well taken care of. Nice shelter for birthday party's as well

Loved this place, beautiful winding trails through the forest, along the creek. Really private picnic spots in the middle of the woods. Great bird watching area in the designated prairie.

It’s a two hour drive from Chicago, but very worth the schlep. Having explored most of the hiking areas here, and also off-trail, I can attest to how diverse the areas are — its really a treat of a place to spend a whole day, exploring nature and maybe having a little picnic! The grist mill is also an interesting little museum and worth stopping into. Maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll be demonstrating how the mill works. Highly recommended all around.

My absolute favorite place to be while I'm staying here in Northern Illinois. I hunt here, I run here, and I chill here when I get some free time. You have to visit the grist mill if you have time. There are trails for horse riding and walking alike, with several natural springs along the way. Must see!!

Long sidewalk style trail excellent for stroller, wagons and wheel chairs, including a covered scenic pond over look. Many other trails. Sparsely equipped playground. Walking creek with ground spring feeder.

My family visited here for the first time this weekend and found it to be really kid friendly. The trail along the creek is concrete for several hundred feet before switching to a regular old dirt trail. Easy to walk on with two four year olds.

What’s neat about this place is the variety of plant species and the geology (they often go hand in hand). Along the concrete portion of the trail you will find tall bellflowers in bloom mid-summer in the drier soils and skunk cabbage growing in the wetlands. As you wind further along and venture onto the dirt path you’ll start finding ferns growing out the shaded sandy cliffs of St Peter Sandstone. The park also contains the oldest exposed geologic formation in Illinois - The Richmond Formation.

This place was a great little walk with a small beautiful water fall at the end of the path. Check out my IG @annaforeverwandering to see all the photos!

The size and geography of this park always guarantees you will find something new to see. The wildlife is wonderful. Bird watchers should find plenty to keep them busy. If flora is your game, there are beautiful, mature documents of many trees and the understory is rugged, but generally walkable off the trails. Watch for poison ivy. The nature of the trails is a mix of level walking with modest hills following the creek. The creek itself is flowing the entire year, with slower current in the drier months. There are a few required creek crossings, not deep, but generally ankle to knee deep. Plan on water shoes and extra dry socks in the car. The most rugged of the trails are assisted with stairs or wooden bridges to assist the hiker. Usually not a problem for children if they are assisted. Don't pass on this beautiful property and respect the few private property markers off trail.

I've been going here for about 13 years. It's always a beautiful place and brings back my inner peace.

Beautiful, peaceful, worth going. Spring wild flowers blooming all over. Great time to go.

Gave this park 5 stars 5 years ago, i grew up near here and always loved it. In 2023 I got engaged here at the spring and now i love it even more!

Love going fishing at the pond. Lots of bass and sun fish usually. The path next to the creek is nice to hike on. Great little nature area.

The equine trails are great. They have cleaned up some areas of the park for some great views while riding. Good standard amenities at the camp site. Very enjoyable.

I love this park, I've been frequenting it as I've grown up and I always seem to explore a little more when I go. I love it and am so thankful that we have this little treasure so close.

Nice trails for hiking. Fishing is OK, mostly suckers taking the bait.

We go every year and walk down to the creek and enjoy a cup of fresh water.