Red Oak Nature Center

I probably passed this place a million times while biking and likely stood on one their riverside balcony a few times. It wasn’t until I took my son here for scouts and other events that I really started to appreciate what they have to offer though.
Last month I took my son to ‘Bugfest’ on a Saturday morning. Free event, basically kids have a checklist of items they get to see and more importantly DO, which lasts for hours.
We’ve also been here twice for Cub Scout walks & events. Both have gone well and the people who work here do a nice job keeping the kiddo’s entertained. The Nature Center itself has informative and educational displays and animals specific to the area. Red Oak also has several wood chip paths and the Fox River Trail dissects it for access to nearby areas and other parks. Children of all ages will like the riverside cave and views of the Fox River. If you’re interested in more, be sure to check out all of the programs they have to offer.
Happy trails!

The forest around Red Oak is magnificent. The trees are so beautiful.
Attended an event here with my family to watch the Maple trees get tapped and then took a stroll through the woods and down to the dock. The sound of the birds and watching the fox river, was so relaxing. We can’t wait to get back.
Free and Fun for Kids, and Adults.

My biker gang and I stopped in here mid-​ride on our Memorial Day cruise down the Fox River Path.
We viewed some bees in their honeycomb, some turtle shells, wasp nests, snakeskins, and pelts in one room. In a few moments I forgot all about this crap when we entered the wildlife room. There were snakes, spiders, turtles, and fish. There were even two turtles who fought for my love. One turtle kept kicking the other turtle in the face to win my affections. He didn’t succeed. I felt bad for the other turtle. Plus the turtle who got kicked was much weirder looking.
The very helpful front desk guy made my roomie sad b/​c he told us that the owls in residence had since passed away (ok, like 8 yrs ago). I was sad that they died, but relieved that they couldn’t hoot at me and make me relive some serious childhood trauma.
I’d come back with little kids, or to check on my turtle friends. Plus, just around the bend is a murder cave. Seriously it’s haunted. It’s called Devil’s Cave, I mean, really.
Don’t drink the water in the drinking fountain. It tastes odd.