Take a walk around ponds in the woods and let your kids explore nature-themed playgrounds at Bicentennial Park in Belleville, Ill.
This hike is .8 miles long with 56 feet of elevation gain. The 43-acre park is not far from the Belleville Crossing Shopping Center and Illinois Highway 15.
BICENTENNIAL WALK
At the Trailhead
My son joined me on the walk and we started it from the parking lot off of Belleville Crossing Street.
First, my son headed to the timber-themed playground to swing and then climb up the evergreen-topped tree poles.
Nearby is a plastic centipede that he crawled through.
A blue roof gazebo and a metallic windmill with rainbow blades are to the left of the play area.
A wooden sign here includes a map of the trails and disc golf course.
Signs warn to be watchful of the frisbees since the course is spread out among the trails.
By the Ponds
We headed to the left to start the Bicentennial Walk Trail along the lake. If you look in a small ditch by the lake you can see a brown fox on an arch.
Next, we came to a pier where we stopped for a moment to look out onto the lake. After the pier, the route becomes a natural surface. To the left is a small creek.
Then we crossed the dam with reeds on the left and a full view of the lake on the right.
Cross the lake we came to a yellow arrow that pointed to the left.
Now we walked deeper into the woods making a left up a hill and coming back to a paved trail that leads back to parking between the lakes.
Second Playground Area
I decided to go straight ahead following a paved trail to another playground.
One play area includes a fish that you can climb.
At the front of the frog sculpture, is a sign with fun facts about pond life such as frogs don’t drink water, they absorb it through their skin.
A treehouse-themed climbing structure includes a tunnel slide, climbing structures, and a cart that moves.
My son enjoyed the zipline that goes up and down since it is not a straight line. A second line here includes a chair for younger kids.
After trying it out myself, we headed back onto the trail that crosses another dam over the nearby lake.
This path leads back to the parking lot.
Final Thoughts
This walk does include some short hill climbing, but for the most part, it is easy. This is a good park to bring your kids with the zipline and multiple playgrounds along a trail.
WALKING TRAIL
Start of the Hike
I also hiked the Walking Trail. This natural surface trail is reached by crossing the bridge on the road that enters the park.
This is a .6-mile hike with 52 feet of elevation gain.
Before you come to Belleville Crossing Street and to the right of the pond is this natural surface trail leading up a hill.
The trail stays in the middle between the disc golf goals. On the right is the lake and on the left is the pond.
This hike goes up the hill and ends at frisbee golf goal number four.
Heading Back
Instead of walking directly back, I made it a loop by taking a side trail closer to the pond along the disc golf course.
Along this route, I found a muffler with wood pieces maybe a folk art piece.
Once at the bottom of the hill I looped back to the main trail.
Final Thoughts
If you want to spend more time exploring the area and checking out a pond then this is a good hike.
DETAILS
Nearby the park is the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows and stores along Illinois Highway 15.
Drive: Take Interstate 55 across the Popular Street Bridge then take exit 3 and go east on Interstate 64. Next, take exit 7 for Interstate 255 south and then take exit 17A and go east on Illinois Highway 15. Then make a left onto Belleville W. Parkway and then a right onto Belleville Crossing Street and then a left onto the park road at the park sign.
Hours: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Address:
4811 Belleville Crossing, Belleville, IL 62220
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