McNaughton Park - Park in Pekin - 217 McNaughton Park Dr, USA

McNaughton Park is one of my favorite parks. We've been going since I was little. The trails are easy to traverse and maintained. There is a huge disc golf course. They have some covered pavilions and picnic tables. Plenty of parking. Lots to explore with many hiking trails. Very fun place to sled in the winter!

Great walking experience for you and your dog. There are open fields as well as wooded trails. It is quiet and has very little traffic coming in and out. Be advised that if you are taking your dog, this is a deer haven. We have been able to get with 100 feet, and they stare at you. So, if your pet is highly excitable, this could be an issue. There is no water available. So bring some for your dogs. It has a large frisbee golf course as well. As well as picnic tables and fire pits.

Fun fact: I’ve been here a dozen times to play disc golf with my friend Jacob and had no idea it was more than that. So, when my girlfriend suggested we go for a hike here on a nice February day, I was surprised it had trails to hike. We strapped on our hiking shoes and hit the trails. This park has multiple entrances and we used the one I was familiar with. As we rolled up to the parking spots, I had a nostalgic trip from my discin’ days. I don’t play anymore due to shoulder issues but the trip down memory lane was a pleasant surprise. Once we parked and orientated ourselves to the online map, we hit the trail. Mud. So much mud everywhere. Not sinking into mud levels but definitely slippery and tricky. Not thinking ahead, we didn’t anticipate the rain/snow we have been getting lately would cause the trails to be slippery and muddy in most spots. There were a few dry areas but a lot of it was a precarious walk through the woods. There were a few close calls but luckily the only things that got muddy were our shoes and pant legs. It wasn’t unmanageable and did make the hike a bit of a fun challenge. As we walked, the trails were marked by either a simple sign in the ground that pointed you in the next direction or trees being spray painted the color of the trail. Red was for hiking and orange was for the equestrian trails. At some points, the two types of trails do merge and you should keep at eye on horses passing should you hit those parts. Luckily we had a digital map of the park and the hiking trails because there is almost no signage aside from what is said in the last paragraph. There was no giant map of the park at the parking spot. There was no ‘you are here’ signs while out on the trails. Nothing. Since we had a map, this didn’t bother me too much but I could see how this would be very confusing or disorienting to someone who didn’t have the map saved beforehand, didn’t have cell service in the woods, new to hiking, or have anxiety about being too disconnected when hiking. Maybe this will change in the future but it’s something to make note of regardless. We ended up walking 2.75 miles in about 90 minutes. Our route, while not named, wasn’t too hard to follow on the map. We made it to some horse stables and then took a long way back through some hills and creeks. I don’t normally get too winded and worn out from simple hikes but the mud made this one a bit of a challenge. I can feel it the next day as I type this up. All-in-all, this was a nice hike on a nice day before temps drop back down to their winter levels. I would like to see the Pekin Park District put in some maps and better trail markers (not a fan of spray painting trees) to really help flesh this out but don’t let that dissuade you from coming here. We only did a short hike but you can easily do 7+ miles here. You can even bring your dog(s) here as there is an attached dog park at one of the other entrances. Enjoy nature. She’s a beaut.

Beautiful. Me and my family (with little ones) love it out here. We regularly go hiking and visit the trails

Mcnaughton is a beautiful park, perfect for all ages with many ammenities. A good spot to frisbee golf, walk the trails, and experience 2 well maintained accessible lakes.

Wear long pants and big spray, but get out and enjoy this space! Gorgeous rolling hills, mixed woods and open fields, incredibly challenging but fun disc golf course, tons of wildlife and decent parking options. Great outdoor space!

Review of the hiking: Started at the trail next to the pond/lake, But it was super muddy and covered in deer (I hope) dookie. Stopped less than a quarter mile in. Hella lame, and ended up going to hike at Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights instead, because they know how to maintain trails.

Wonderful asset to the area! Plenty of different parking areas in Pekin/ North Pekin for various entry points. There are some shelters, disc golfing, hiking/ riding trails, large grassy areas, very nice creek, and lots of horse poop, so watch your step!