Sycamore has a beautiful rural landscape, filled with farmer’s fields and wooded trails.
Adee’s Woods provides an area for a picnic and a walk through the woods. If biking or snowmobiling is your interest , try the Great Western Nature Trail, which starts in DeKalb County and extends through Kane County to the Fox River Trail. The DeKalb/Sycamore Traillinks the DeKalb Park District Trail from Lions Park on DeKalb’s south side to Sycamoreand the Great Western Trail. County Farm Woods links the DeKalb Sycamore Trail as a great rest stop along your way. Merritt Prairie offers 56 acres of rolling terrain with native prairie and wetland restorations as the outstanding features of this park. Wilkinson/Renwick Marsh preserves wetland habitat and is an excellent area to listen to and view wildlife.
The Great Western Trail is in North Central Illinois and runs 18 miles from St. Charles to Sycamore. It is a Rails to Trails trail originally part of the Great Western Rail Line and built by the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad in 1886. The trail is flat and you roll through the countryside past numerous small streams and wetlands. Continuous wild shrubs include Dogwood, Blackberry, and Hazelnut and merge with a few remaining patches of native prairie.
The trail parallels route 64 (North Ave) almost the whole way. This was an enjoyable trail if not the most exciting I’d ever been on. Monarch butterflies flutter around your head as your tires crunch over berries. You get a good sense of Illinois prairie and flat farmland. I was surprised that the 1st half of the trail was mostly shade covered, however the last half was mostly open farmland
The beautiful 63 mile long Kishwaukee River runs straight through Sycamore. When the weather is nice and the water is high, the river is always streaming with canoes. Wildlife such as rabbits, white-tailed deer, woodchuck, skunks and over 260 types of birds can all be found commonly along the riverbed.
17 Miles of beautiful paved bike/walking/running paths through Sycamore, DeKalb that ultimately connects to the Great Western Trail on the East side of Sycamore.
The Park District, established in 1923, is in the process of acquiring and developing a number of park sites and open spaces to serve a growing community. Park sites including; neighborhood parks, community parks, athletic fields, wetlands, woodlands, and high-quality natural areas.
In total, our Park District owns or manages hundreds of existing acres of park land where you and your neighbors can enjoy leisurely walks, running, bicycling, golfing, picnicking, fishing, skating, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, swimming, and plans to develop other sites that have been recently acquired as our resources permit.
Additionally, experience the joy of learning and sharing along with the thrill of adventure and discovery. People of all ages are encouraged to enjoy their local parks and participate in a variety of social and educational programs.
Opportunities include spending quality time with family and friends, being creative with arts and crafts, wandering the wetlands and prairies, visiting unique places on trips, competing in sports, joining a fitness class or educational program, golfing, and/or exploring the wonders nature provides. We are growing and proud to be part of Sycamore, where we want life to offer much more!
Sycamore Family Sports Center has everything you need for a day of family fun. The 18-hole mini golf game has many surprises including a small artificial river to put over! For those looking to practice their striking, the golf range includes Wilson super range balls and is lighted for evening use. There are also batting cages with six pitching machines that range from easy softball pitches to major league baseball pitches. You can also find a fast-track go-karting ring and a soccer-kicking cage.
Runaway Ranch Inc. is a family oriented farmette located in Sycamore which offers Western Weddings, Kids Camps, Shows, and Field Trips. We have been in existence since 2002. We also host birthday parties, group events, horse shows, and summer horseback riding camp. Another one of our most popular services is a personalized professional photo shoot with one of our horses. Please call or visit our website today to schedule your Runaway Ranch getaway!
