Buffalo Viewing Trail

Didn’t see any Buffalo. Trail was well maintained.

This is an enjoyable trail- always crowded at the parking lot and Buffalo viewing area and then wide open and peaceful. Was very icy in the more heavily trafficked parts of the trail but became easy to walk further along the trail. Always a treat to see the buffalo and the military remains are interesting as well.

Nice trail. Easy and nice views of the grasslands

gym shoe trail

Well marked. Easy walk.

This is one of my absolute favorite trails I've discovered on the app. This was my second time going and I loved every minute. It's the gorgeous expansiveness of the prarie grounds, the serene quiet, and the sunsets visible here that are purely life affirming. Also, I saw the bison this past week!! It's a little scary if you do the loop alone but I find it to be an adventure nonetheless.

The map is deceiving. No bison. Boring dirt road walk. I believe we went the wrong way, but all poorly marked. The first couple of bunkers are cool. After that it is just one after another bunker with graffiti all over it!

Always a new experience at this trail.

We were disappointed to discover the trail was simply a straight line, considering much of it was alongside the highway and it was basically a paved trail, however, the grasses were a beautiful gold and we did get to see four bison.

I did this trail on a chilly weekday. There were just a few other hikers and a handful of bow hunters in the parking lot. The trail is wide, flat, and easy to follow. I was lucky to see one buffalo out in the distance! Other than that, it’s too late in the season for fall colors or any other foliage. I bet this trail would be beautiful in the spring and blazing hot on a summer day because there is very little tree coverage. Overall, a nice walk and an easy drive for me from the city.

A perfect afternoon for a walk around the Group 63 Loop. Didn’t see any bison, but lots of other wildlife. A nice easy walk on a sunny fall day.

Simple walking- army ammunition bunkers were weird and cool to check out

I didn’t do the full loop, just one side of the loop out and back. Pretty view, saw some bison and a lot of birds. It was raining but I’d def come back when it’s better weather.

Beautiful! Did not luck out and see any Buffalo, but it is beautiful as always.

Uncrowned

Beautiful paths, great for kids, picnics, dogs. High traffic on a Saturday afternoon

Kind of underwhelming. Very little shade and crushed gravel trail.

Seeing a herd of bisons was truly the highlight of this trip. Luckily for us, less than 5 minutes into the hike, these magnificent giants were right on the fence line and chilling! Bisons were brought in the park in 2015 in an effort to restore the prairie. There are a handful of bison observatory areas along the trail. We also encountered many monarch butterflies, along with a garden baby snake passing through the trail. Some grassland birds like Eastern Meadowlark were spotted during the hike. I presume Spring would be a good time to visit here with beautiful prairie flowers blooming. We started the hike at 3:50 pm, and the weather was fit for hiking. As the park is designated for tall grass prairies, minimal shade is to be expected. If you are interested in exploring this trail, come in early morning or later in the evening with less sun exposure. If we were to return to this trail, we would be biking instead of walking. This trail is flat and also suitable for horseback riding. You will see old ammunition bunkers built in the 1940s, also referred as "igloos" by arsenal workers at former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, along the Group 63 Interim Trail.

Saw buffalo at a distance. Uncrowded away from the buffalo

I completed this trail years ago when I was living in Chicago. It’s a pleasant nature walk and gives the hiker an idea of what the prairie looked like.