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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