Independence Grove offers outdoor recreation and education opportunities centered on a 115-acre lake. Surrounding prairie and woodlands provide a picturesque backdrop for hiking, biking, picnicking and other fun activities.
Children's Grove Playground is a sensory-rich play environment with state-of-the-art handicap-adaptable play equipment and wide paved pathways make access comfortable and enjoyable for all visitors. Located adjacent to the Visitors Center.
Also available are hiking/jogging trails; swimming beach; canoe launch; marina, boat and bike rentals; cafe; Millenia Plaza & Native Garden; visitors center; ice skating and fishing. The designated skating area is on the southern end of the lake, west of the main recreation area and the Marina. To access, bear right on the preserve road after the gatehouse and park in the first lot.
We live for Independence Grove-it is so great for all ages. My oldest son and husband take the 2 mile loop around the whole park (hubby running and son riding his bike) while me and my two younger sons play on the playground and wait for them. Then we all play and then we bring our picnic lunch and have a big picnic on the wide open grassy area. It is so wonderful for playdates, spring, summer and fall outdoor play. I would recommend anyone with kids that have energy to burn to hit up IG and you will be there for hours!
One of our favorite summer time places. We play at the playground and head up to the cafe for lunch. My kids love watching the huge fish & ducks swim around. We'll be on the paddle boats when my kids get older. Just a beautiful setting. They also have concerts on Tuesday nights during the summer.
We went here for the first time today and loved it. Thank you, kidwinks members, for letting us know about this place - I had not heard about it before everyone started reviewing it. This place is very picturesque and lots of fun. We had a picnic on a hill overlooking the beautiful scenery and then took a bike ride. After that we rented some 2-person kayaks (which we had never tried before) and paddled around the several lakes. We all thought it was a lot of fun; but I think I'm going to have very sore arms & wrists tomorrow! We then bought ice cream at the cafe and ate it on the beautiful stone terrace, then headed to the playground where the girls had a blast hiding in the "cave", climbing on the rock wall, and trying out the rest of the playground equipment. The floor of the entire playground is shreded tire, so it is very soft. We did not use the beach (with a fee), but we did have to pay a parking fee to enter (generally $5 but since we went on a holiday it was increased to $10, which I didn't like). Lake County residents get in free, but still have to pay for the beach. The whole, huge, area is stroller accessible and a really wonderful place to enjoy with your family. The kayak rental fees were reasonable. There's also paddle boats, canoes, row boats, and bicycles for rent. There's even a very cool 4-person bicycle you can rent; they have around 6 or 7 of them available. There is a weight limit of 100lbs. combined for the front 2 seats on this bike.
Absolutely love this place. It is so beautiful. The kids love the unique playground and love to feed the fish off the pier. The hiking and biking are great too. The also have special events and concerts that are fun for the whole family. Also, free for Lake County residents!
This is such a wonderful place in the summer or winter. They have the most amazing play area and is safe for all ages. They also have great walking paths that kids can ride bikes or scooters on.
Some friends of our did their wedding pictures here and they came out beautiful! The scenic design really delights the senses and made a great spot for a wedding photo shoot!
This place is awesome. It is so beautiful; the paths are so picturesque and there are spots where you think your in the Botanic Gardens. There is a very fun and unique playground, beach for swimming, paddle boats, lots of fun activities. And best yet, free for Lake Co. residents. Highly recomended!!
SO much here - FREE pier to feed these GIANT fish, 30 lb catfish and carp, FREE playground, very cool, large, with rubber chips, and a very nice beach that you DO have to pay to get into. We go here all the time with stale bread and crackers for the fish. The beach is large, there is food in the cabana, lots of room to cook out and just hang out as well. Beautiful place.
