Measuring roughly 14 acres (5.7 ha) in area, it is dominated by a ravine formed by an ephemeral stream that flows after heavy rainfall and consists of a series of muddy ponds otherwise.

The ravines formed as water drained from the high moraine bluffs north of Chicago into Lake Michigan after the retreat of the area's last glacier roughly 12,000 years ago.

The ravine faces significant erosion issues, discharging hundreds of tons of sediment into Lake Michigan each year.

A Park Commission was formed and determined that 64 species of tree were present in the ravine shortly before establishing a nature path through the area.

The wind and cold air rising off Lake Michigan conspire to moderate the ravines' temperature, often keeping them significantly cooler than the surrounding area.

[9] The more common animal denizens of Ravine Park include white-tailed deer, squirrels, and potentially a small population of coyotes.