Organized in 1966, Plainfield Park District covers more than 40 square miles and serves a population of more than 120,000 people, making it the ninth-largest park district in the state of Illinois based on population served.
The park district maintains more than 80 amenity-filled parks totaling more than 1,500 acres. Community parks include Eaton Preserve, Four Seasons Park, Northwest Community Park, Renwick Community Park and Van Horn Woods. The park district also oversees Mather Woods, a 67-acre natural area that contains woods and restored prairie, along with a 1.25-mile wood chip walking trail complete with interpretive signs describing the foliage located along the path.
In addition to the park sites, the park district operates several quality facilities in town. Horseback riding and training is available at the modern Normantown Trails Equestrian Center, while swimmers frequent the Ottawa Street Pool. The Streams Recreation Center is a 3,000-square-foot facility featuring a dance room, two multipurpose rooms and a room designated for fitness classes, as well as an outdoor playground area.
The Plainfield Park District also provides many programs designed especially for seniors, including fitness and yoga classes, pot luck lunches, game days, bridge lessons, games and trips.
C.W. Avery Family YMCA is one-stop fun for people of all ages. The branch has an indoor pool, gymnasium, family locker rooms, saunas, child play area, teen room, wellness center and indoor family aquatic center. Adults enjoy fitness classes, playing full-court basketball and swimming laps in the pool, while their children enjoy playing in the pool and gym with friends. A large variety of programs are offered for all ages before and after school, including swimming, karate, sports and camps, as well as family fun nights.
The Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve is one of the largest protected heron nesting sites in Illinois. Co-owned by the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the site provides protected nesting sites for egrets and herons. The Forest Preserve District’s Renwick Road entrance to Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve allows public viewing on Wednesdays and Saturdays between May and August, after the birds have established their nesting sites.
Golfers hit the greens at The Links at Carillon, a beautiful, semiprivate daily fee golf course featuring a championship 18-hole layout and a regulation 9-hole course. The highly rated facility also has a “Links Learning Center,” a full-service pro shop, an on-site restaurant and banquet facilities for up to 300 guests.
Whitetail Ridge Golf Club opened in 2007, and is locally owned. It has become one of the premier public golf courses in the western suburbs. Local architect Greg Martin designed the golf course among the farm land locally known as “The Ridge.” The front nine plays as a links-style course, while the back nine features elevation changes and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
Whitetail Ridge offers the perfect venue to host a wedding or golf outing. The 24,000-square-foot clubhouse features a beautiful restaurant and bar that seats 100 people, with a balcony that overlooks the front nine. The elegant ballroom accommodates parties of up to 350 people, and is complemented by the Terrace Room, with a private balcony, that can host business meetings and smaller events such as wedding and baby showers, and business meetings. The lower level of the clubhouse features the 19th Hole with a private bar, and seating for up to 50. The patio and outdoor party area provide an ideal place for an outdoor wedding, party or post-outing summer fun and socializing.