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,
skateboarding, fishing, boating…our
great outdoors offers something for everyone!
If you thought 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
Club, Red Tail Run, was completed and opened in the spring of 2006.
Red Tail Run Golf Club 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.
Hickory Point Golf Club
727 Weaver Road
Decatur, IL 62526 – 217.421.7444 for Tee Times
Hickory Point Golf Club 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 Club
3909 W. Main
Decatur, IL 62522 – 217-429-6243 for Tee Times
Sometimes called the shot-maker’s course, Scovill Golf Club 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.
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Parks & Wildlife
Fairview Park
1455 W. Fairview Park Dr., Decatur
Fairview
Park, located in Decatur’s historic West End, was
established in 1857 by the Macon County Agricultural Society for
the purpose of holding county fairs. The name “Fairview Park” was
created from the merger of “fairgrounds” and “review” in
recognition of the Decatur Review’s contest to name the
park. The Decatur Park District
acquired the land in 1924. Over the years, Fairview Park has
grown to 181 acres and includes the Fairview Family Aquatic Center,
Dreamland Lake, Mary Seaman Wildflower Garden, Rose Garden, Ursula
K. Beck Tennis Facility, D-town
Skatepark, and Fido
Fields Dog Park. Fairview
Park also is home to a 1.5 mile paved bicycling/walking trail,
which is part of the Park District’s larger trail system that extends
north to the community of Forsyth and south to the Macon County Conservation
District’s Rock Springs Environmental Center.
Nelson Park
200 Nelson Blvd., Decatur
Established in 1912, Nelson Park is nestled along the shores
of Lake Decatur and is the community’s largest park. It was
named in honor of William E. Nelson, a longtime Decatur resident
and Circuit Judge. With 187 acres, the park is home to
the Anna Bethel Fisher Rock Garden, Paul’s Puttin’ Place & Dunn’s
Dugout, the Nelson Park marina, and Dockside and Beach
House restaurants.
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 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 Conservation 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.
Big Creek
4961 E Lost Bridge Road, Decatur
(217) 422-5911; (217) 864-3436
The Decatur Park District's Big
Creek Riding Center features horse
boarding (50+ stalls) and indoor/outdoor show facilities,
as well as picturesque, wooded riding trails. Over the
years, the Center has offered trail rides, riding lessons,
Special Olympics events, lead-arounds, birthday parties,
and field trips for visitors of all ages. The District
has expanded the number of shows to include rodeos, open
shows and team penning.
Rates for Self Board:
$170 for A Barn
$150 for B Barn
Riding lessons for small groups (3 – 4) are available
for $20.00 per half hour and include the rental of a horse. Reservations
must be made 1 week in advance.
Rental of the arena is $10.00 per half hour.
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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