Independence Grove through the eyes of 5th graders Connor and Morgan from Hawthorn Elementary School in Vernon Hills

By: Jonathan Jones 05/17/2012

Have you ever been to Independence Grove? If you have not, then you will be in for a lot of fun. Independence Grove is located in Libertyville, IL. It is a forest preserve with many things to do such as swimming, playing at the park, boating, fishing, hiking and concerts.

While at the lake you can enjoy the sandy beach where you can swim and play fun games like Marco Polo. You can also play catch on the beach. Another thing you can do is just lay on the beach and listen to the water. The park is fun to go to. At the park you can climb on the climbing wall. There is a little cave you can go into and there is a maze that leads to a treasure chest and a rock chair.

In Independence Grove you can rent a boat for a small fee. You can rent paddle boats, row boats and small motor boats. On the far end of the lake there is a giant war canoe. It is really cool! If you go to the canoe on a paddle boat or row boat you will get a good workout!

Another fun thing you can do in Independence Grove is fishing. You can't keep the fish but it is still fun to catch and release them. For the bait you can use bread, the fish in the lake love bread for some reason.

If you really like nature, you can go on a hiking trail. On the trail you will see a lot of nature. The birds and wildlife is amazing. I once saw a turtle walking across the trail, not to mention a deer with her fawn. There are many colorful flowers and greenery. When your on the trail it is just you and the person your hiking with are the only ones around.

After a tiring day of having fun, you can listen to the band that they hire. You can even dance if you have energy. The music varies, it might rock & roll or jazz.

So if you have never been to Independence Grove then I hope you can go sometime.