Outdoor Fun

Golf | Parks & Wildlife | Lake Decatur | Biking & Hiking Trails

Parks & Recreation

Hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, sledding, ice skating, horseback riding, natural trails, birding, golf, boating…our great outdoors offers something for everyone!

If you though that “acreage” referred only to the farm fields throughout central Illinois, you’re mistaken. Just wait until you explore the more than 2,000 lush acres – or 39 public parks – throughout Decatur and Forsyth!

With 30+ miles of scenic shoreline and many convenient public access points, Lake Decatur is a year-round lure for fishing, boating, water sports, bird and wildlife watching, or simply relaxing!

Golf

Golf Digest Magazine rates the Decatur area # 18 in the nation,, for accessibility and affordability. Offering four award-winning public golf courses, the Raymond Floyd Signature Golf Course, Red Tail Run, was completed and opened in the spring of 2006.

Red Tail Run Golf Course by Raymond Floyd

520 West Grove Road
Decatur.IL.62521 – 217.422.2211 for Tee Times

Designed by legendary hall of fame player Raymond Floyd, this signature course features large undulating greens, wide rolling fairways and native grasses. Located on Decatur’s south side, the Park District’s newest course is designed for players of all skill levels. Each hole has five tee boxes at multiple angles and distances, making this signature Floyd course challenging for everyone from championship to novice golfers. Greens fees $21.50 M-F; $23.50 weekends & holidays; $12.00 per person cart fee. Discounts available to juniors and seniors.

Hickory Point Golf Course

727 Weaver Road
Decatur.IL.62526 – 217.421.7444 for Tee Times

Hickory Point Golf Course is a course for the beginning golfer as well as competitive golfers. The flat, wide fairways are perfect for learning, while the long distances and ever-present wind provide challenge for more experienced golfers. Hickory Point hosts the Decatur Duramed/Futures Players Championship, a charity golf classic which is a qualifying tournament for the developmental tour of the LPGA. Designed by Roger Packard, this course features a lighted driving range. There is also a special 6-hole short course designed for beginning and youth golfers. Greens fees are the same as Red Tail Run and Scovill Golf Courses

Scovill Golf Course

3909 W. Main
Decatur.IL.62522 – 217-429-6243 for Tee Times

Sometimes called the shot-maker’s course, Scovill Golf Course is hilly and tree-lined. Decatur’s only Audubon-sanctioned course features manicured fairways surrounded by natural plantings. Originally designed by Tom Bendlow, the course was redesigned by Dick Nugent. Greens fees are the same as Red Tail Run and Hickory Point Golf Courses.

Nelson Park Golf Course

200 Nelson Park Blvd.
Decatur.IL.62521 – 217-422-7241 for Tee Times

Nelson Golf Course was built in 1916 by Tom Bendlow. It is a short, hilly, executive-style facility, situation above the shores of Lake Decatur. The course provided golfers with beautiful views, and is the home of the Decatur Park District’s junior golf program. Greens fees are $11.00 daily, with a $7.50 per person cart fee.

For details yardage information and other statistics on Decatur’s public golf courses, go to www.decatur-parks.org/golf

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Parks & Wildlife

Birding

Many species of birds thrive here, thanks to protected areas like the Macon County Conservation District’s sites, as well as the existence of Lake Decatur. The Macon County Conservation sites (listed above) are brimming with tall prairie grasses, woods and streams. The lake attracts various species of waterfowl as well as herons, hawks and eagles. Grab your binoculars, your birder’s field guide, and go!

Another great site for avian observation is Sportsman’s Park, located on South Lost Bridge Road, on Lake Decatur’s Basin 1. There you’ll find waterfowl, water lilies and opportunities for bank fishing. This is also the location of the Decatur Park District’s Schaub Floral Center, which houses spectacular seasonal floral displays.

Wildlife

Opportunities to observe wildlife up close and personal abound in and around Decatur and Forsyth, but no more so than on the grounds of the Rock Springs Nature Center, located at the Rock Springs Conservation Area.

Because the center has everything from prairies and woods to rivers, creeks and ponds, you will be able to spot a wide variety of birds and mammals native to those habitats.

Horseback Riding

If you’re tired of your own two feet, you can saddle up to ride on trails through oak-hickory and flood plain forests, restored prairie and open grasslands. Sand Creek Recreation Area offers trails to those who have their own horses.

Trail access is free to residents, and there is a $2.00 daily tag fee or $15.00 yearly tag fee for non-residents. Call 217-423-7708 for additional information.

Lake Decatur

Spend a sunny day or two, or a whole summer, enjoying Lake Decatur. With residences, 2,000 acres of unspoiled land, parks and wildlife vistas surrounding the lake, the scenery’s grand, too.

Fishing, water sports, sailing and recreational boating opportunities abound on Lake Decatur. Use the courtesy docks at Nelson Park Marina to take a break and grab a bite to eat at one of two lakeside restaurants, replenish boat fuel or your bait box, enjoy the park for awhile and then hit the water again!

For watercraft licensing requirements, contact the City of Decatur Lake Management Office at Nelson Park Marina, 217-424-2837.

Decatur also offers opportunities for anglers to participate in fishing tournaments. See our Sports and Events page or check the Sports Calendar for scheduled tournaments and registration information. Fishermen are required to have a valid State of Illinois fishing license. Visitors can obtain written bag and size limits and restrictions from the Lake Management Office, in addition to maps of the lake.

Families looking for additional lakeside fun will find a miniature golf course and batting cages adjacent to the Marina area at Nelson Park near the Lake Management Office.

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Biking & Hiking Trails

Walk or ride on the wild side. Our network of easily accessible nature trails will take you miles from streets and traffic to tranquil areas of natural flora and fauna.

Fairview-Kiwanis-Rock Springs Bikeway

This bikeway connects three area parks with a 3.2 mile, 10-foot wide, handicapped accessible trail for hikers and bicyclers alike. Take a snack or picnic basket along to enjoy the designated picnic areas along the trail. Call 217-422-5911 or 217-423-7708 for additional information.

Friends Creek Conservation Area

This park is located 18 miles north of Decatur on Route 48 near Argenta, and features three nature trails: the quarter-mile Friends Creek Trail, the 2-mile Woodland Trail, and the 2.5 mile Sun Trail. Each trail varies in difficulty and meanders through topographies ranging from open meadows and floodplans, to towering oak & hickory forests and undulating hillsides. Friends Creek is open daily from 7 A.M. until sunset, year-round. Call 217-423-7708 for more info.

Griswold Conservation Area

Located 14 miles southwest of Decatur off Route 48 near Blue Mound. Hike the trail up the glacial kame to the lookout tower for sweeping views of the surrounding prairie. Griswold offers picnic facilities and a playground. Call 217-423-7708 for more information.

Rock Springs Nature Center

Hiking trails are rated easy to difficult, with varying distances. All trails offer frequent opportunities to observe prairie wildlife. Be sure to walk through the Pine Forest, or seize the opportunity to schedule a nature walk with one of the Center’s resident naturalists. The entrance to this park is off Rock Springs Road. The park is open daily from 7 A.M. to sunset, year-round. Call 217-429-7708 to schedule a guided walk. To obtain additional information on the Center’s varying year-round programs, presentations and events, go to www.maconcountyconservation.org

Sand Creek Recreation Area

Hike the trails to the bluff overlooking Sand Creek for panoramic views of the countryside. The park offers over 7.5 miles of trails with varying difficulty. The park is also the site of a section of the historic Paris-Springfield Road, which the Thomas Lincoln Family traveled with their oxen and wagons when they relocated to Decatur from Indiana in 1830.

The Forsyth Trail System

Nestled throughout the Village of Forsyth on the northern boundaries of Decatur are public parks, open fields and playground facilities tied together with miles of paved biking and hiking trails. Near the fishing pond in Forsyth Village Park is a wildlife observation stand. Call 217-877-9445 for additional information.

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