Majestic raptors are a year-round sight above Big Marsh Park, but they’re not the only reason to visit this nearly 300-acre swath of urban wilderness in South Deering. It used to be a dumping ground, polluted with slag from nearby factories. But since the Chicago Park District acquired it in 2011 and started cleaning it up, it’s become a haven for deer, coyotes, turtles, snakes, muskrats, herons, and hawks. You’ll glimpse those critters, but not many fellow humans, while walking the miles of paved trails. 11559 S. Stony Island Ave.