Top Rated Parks to Visit in East Hazel Crest

"Covering an area of over 60 acres, Rainbow Beach and Park is a huge beach and one of the prominent public park areas in Chicago. Meander along the expansive lush green area of the park, choose from the varied sports options on offer which include basketball, tennis, baseball, handball, and take pleasure in the unparalleled views of the lakefront along with the skyline. Rainbow Beach and Park hosts holiday-themed events throughout the year and also organizes summer camps for adults and kids alike."

"Rainbow Beach Park boasts beautiful views of the Chicago skyline in the distance and is located in the southern part of Chicago. This park is one of the few that offers visitors free WiFi. Whether you want to work on the beach or simply relax, you’ll be connected."

"Burnham Park stretches six miles along the shores of Lake Michigan's Oakland Shoal from 14th Street to 56th Street, covering just shy of 600 acres of waterfront. The large Burnham Harbor takes up the shoreline from the park's northern end to 22nd Street, well-protected by Northerly Island. Burnham Park starts at the southern end of Grant Park, and is home to numerous attractions including Soldier Field, home of The Chicago Bears."

"Burnham Park runs for 6 miles (9.7 km) along Chicago's lakefront from Grant Park in the north to Jackson Park in the south, through the neighborhoods of Near South, Douglas, Oakland, Kenwood and Hyde Park."

"At 280 acres, Big Marsh certainly lives up to its name, but this far southeast side public park—opened in 2016 in the Calumet Area Reserve—is still a relative secret to most locals. The park includes 45 acres of recreation areas designed specifically for mountain and BMX biking and casual trail riding. The rest (234 acres) is a nature preserve great for hiking and bird-watching."

"Whether you want to relax with a nature walk or go on an adventurous hike, this park is a great place to check out. Forty-five acres of the park are dedicated to more intense endeavors, such as hiking, adventure courses and off-course biking. The other 235 acres is devoted to more passive activities like bird-watching and nature walking."

"Located in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago, Marquette Park is the largest park on the southwest side totaling 323 acres. In addition to two gymnasiums, an auditorium, woodshop, Martin Luther King, Jr. kiosk and multi-purpose rooms, it's also home to one of the most affordable 9-hole golf courses in the city. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy a community garden, rose garden, prairie and 500 newly planted trees."

"Chicago Lawn is home to this huge 323-acre park, featuring two gymnasiums, an auditorium, four sports fields, a nine-hole golf course, fishing area, running paths, and a community garden. Don’t miss seeing the rose garden, prairie, and lagoon. A Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sculpture and an Art Deco Darius and Girenas Memorial are worth viewing as well."

"Known simply as the Midway, this mile-long natural stretch on the South Side connects the east end's Washington Park to Jackson Park on the west. Once the site of amusements during the 1893 Columbian World's Exposition (AKA World's Fair), the Midway is flanked by Hyde Park's noted gothic architecture, particularly the University of Chicago campus, and tree-lined boulevards, as well as outfitted with an ice skating rink and other facilities to keep folks visiting year-round."

"This slag-filled site at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Calumet River was once home to the massive South Works U.S. Steel manufacturing plant that employed 20,000 workers at its peak. But the steel giant closed in the early ‘90s and the Chicago Park District acquired the vacant land. In 2014, it re-opened as Steelworkers Park—a 16.5-acre lakeside landscape dotted with pleasant walking paths, artifacts of the old U.S."

"Explore all 60 acres of Chicago’s historic Sherman Park on the city’s South Side. A big, circular ring-like pond encompasses the whole park, so you will never be far from views of the water. This historic park offers multiple baseball fields, a tennis court, and a basketball court."

"The Burnham Wildlife Corridor is a 100-acre area of urban wilderness running through Burnham Park. There is a bird sanctuary, a bioretention basin, nature paths, and a centennial prairie. Native prairie grasses, savanna, and woodland ecosystems create the largest natural area along the lakefront, according to the park district."

"Visitors learn about the Chicago Race Riots, the role of the African American soldier and the history of Harold Washington. TIME Studios selected DuSable to open its virtual reality program “The March” about Martin Luther King’s speech in Washington, D.C."

"Every Tuesday throughout the year, The DuSable Museum of African American History offers free admission to its Chicago museum. Children under 5 and DuSable members are also free."