Looking for the perfect fall getaway? McHenry County, Illinois is the perfect travel destination this fall for the whole family! McHenry County has a little bit of everything from adventure farms to corn mazes and apple picking to good ole’ home cooking comfort foods. It is the perfect weekend destination for exploring with your family in Northeastern Illinois, just a short drive to either Chicago or Milwaukee.

My mom and I had the opportunity to travel a little over six hours from our farms in Northern Missouri to Northeast Illinois for Visit McHenry County. They put us up in the perfect hotel, in the perfect location: Hampton Inn in McHenry, Illinois. We stayed four days and three nights for a jam packed schedule full of the most incredible things to do in McHenry County.

Watch the video below to get a glimpse into our fun-filled time spent in McHenry County:

↓ Watch Our Video Below ↓

And here’s some of our favorite reasons to visit McHenry County, Illinois.

Apple Picking. The county is not short on apples! You find nearly every variety of apples from Honeycrisp to Gala and every variety in between. All Seasons Orchard near Woodstock, Illinois is known for their Honeycrisp apples. They’ll even let you pick your own! Or, you can find them in their store along with their made-in-house apple cider.

Apple Cider Donuts. I’d never had apple cider donuts until my visit to McHenry County but we got to try them at every farm we visited during our stay. They are so delicious! Richard Adventure Farm had some fresh out of the oven that we got to enjoy. Oh my goodness, they are so delicious! I even brought home a dozen to enjoy with my family.

Homegrown Produce. My mom always grows a lot of produce for us to enjoy here at home but some things we do have to go to the store to buy. Von Bergen’s Country Market is the go-to place for buying produce in McHenry County.

They offer a wide variety of homegrown produce at great prices!

Corn Mazes. I would love to fly over McHenry County in a plane just to see all of the corn mazes! Most of the farms offer a corn maze of some kind and Royal Oak Farm even has an apple maze! The most notable corn maze is the “world’s largest corn” maze at Richardson Adventure Farm. My mom and I did gain bragging rights since we completed the 28-acre maze!

Comfort Food. You can find so many great options for food at all of the different farms we visited and even a home cooked style meal at Royal Oak Farm. We also visited Pub 47 where we had their popular beer nuggets,

D.C. Cobb’s where I’m pretty sure I had three sandwiches in one and Lou Malnati’s for their delicious Chicago deep dish style pizza.

Let’s not forget the sweets and treats! Kiera Confections surprised us with the most scrumptious cupcakes I’ve ever experienced in my life!

We also had an incredible chocolate party making our very own chocolate pizzas, chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate lollipops at Morke’s Chocolates.

I was also sure to grab some kettle corn while we were on the popular autumn drive.

Kids Adventures. All of the farms offer a variety of fun activities for kids big and small. You’ll find things to ride on, to bounce on, to climb on and even learn how to chuck a pumpkin from 50 feet high!

Wagon Rides. The owner of Stade’s Farm and Market took us on the most wonderful wagon ride through pumpkin patches, apple orchards, berry fields and more around their farm. We even got to get off and pick out our own pumpkins.

Mums and Fall Plants. I don’t want to forget all of the beautiful fall flowers we got to enjoy. Tom’s Farm and Market is known for their quality plants grown in their on-site greenhouse. You can find a huge variety of mums and fall plants that are perfect to add to your home fall decor.

Groundhog Day Walking Tour. Ever see the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? If so, you’ll love visiting where the movie was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois for a Groundhog Day tour. Many sites have been recognized with an engraved metal plaque that refers to the appropriate scene form the movie. You can enjoy walking the paths and remembering the moments any time of the year. If you’re lucky enough to be in Woodstock during Groundhog Days weekend, you can take advantage of the Guided Walking tour. Hear the stories, told by people who were a part of the movie-making process.

We even visited Cherry Street Inn where the movie was filmed. You can even stay at the Cherry Street Inn since it is now a bed and breakfast!

As you can see, there’s so much to do and see in McHenry County, Illinois! It’s the perfect destination for the whole family to enjoy! I can’t wait to travel back to take my son! I would love to travel there during the holidays to see what they have to offer.

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What’s your favorite fall activities? Comment below and share with us!