Carpenter Park

A small hidden gem in central Illinois. Perfect to take a hike, walk your dog, and revamp by the river. I love the mix here of the beautiful trails the rocks and river.

I used to come to this park very frequently when I lived in Springfield to walk the trails. It's so peaceful. I especially enjoyed the trails on the side of the parking lot toward the Sangamon river. I enjoyed sitting on the cliffs overlooking the river on a nice spring or autumn day. It's a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Lovely park. Nice if you want to really feel like you’re in nature! Only bummer is some of the pathways are a bit overgrown, so you may want to wear pants - definitely need to wear tennis shoes.

Beautiful park but pretty neglected by the Park District. Many times I see folks having photography sessions in and around the sandstone shelter, but the stone shelter doesnt seem to get much love and has lots of graffiti that needs removed. The wooden stairs on the trail are an accident waiting to happen. Trails need cleared both here and in Gurgen. Many spots on the trails also need rerouted as erosion happens. The invasive honeysuckle needs removed or it will dominate the woods and choke out native species. The woods also probably need to have a controlled burn done at some point, the fuel loads out here are dangerous in the dry windy spring/fall.

Carpenter Park provides hiking trails for various levels of experience. You could easily fill a day exploring. The grounds are fairly well maintained. I visited in the evening hours and there was very little foot traffic. A nice location if you want to feel secluded without really being secluded.