Oakhurst Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
411 acres7.1 mi of trail
Meadowview TrailLake Patterson TrailWoodland Loop TrailBeaver Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Sea Cow · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Aurora Township
7% of Aurora Township’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Oakhurst Forest Preserve (7.1 mi), Phillips Park (2.5 mi), Indian Creek Park (0.8 mi). 27 miles of mapped trail cross Aurora Township, 0.8 per square mile of land. 7% of Aurora Township’s land is conserved, about 1,614 acres.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #171 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,614 acres · of 34.5 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,745 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
0.6 mi lanes · 36 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Aurora Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Aurora Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Aurora Township is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #171 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Aurora Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,745 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 82%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 78%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Aurora Township ranks #170 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Oakhurst Forest Preserve, with 7.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Phillips Park
Managed by Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
236 acres2.5 mi of trail
Mastodon Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Indian Creek Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
44 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Simmons Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
26 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Church Road Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
19 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
RiverEdge Park
Managed by Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
16 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Nature's Meadows Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
15 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Arrow Wood Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
21 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 93 parks & preserves
Oakhurst Forest Preserve411 acres · 7.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsPhillips Park236 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsIndian Creek Park44 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSimmons Park26 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsChurch Road Park19 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRiverEdge Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNature's Meadows Park15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsArrow Wood Park21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
McCullough Park19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsVictor Dunn Memorial Park18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSolfisburg Memorial Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsArlene Shoemaker Forest Preserve119 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsPhillips Park West Recreation Area12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsStonegate Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMontgomery Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsChuck E. Hoscheit Park31 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHarmony Pointe Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCarty Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBlackhawk Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Krug Park20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAllen Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
South River Street Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCopley II Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHighland Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCool Acres Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCopley I Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGoodwin Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Island Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsNorth River Street Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsFearn Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Hometown Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHall Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsErickson Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHometown Town Center Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHupp Park47 acres
DirectionsSouth Island Park34 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsWashington Park26 acres
Lincoln Park22 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsWaubonsie Lake Park20 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGarfield Park20 acres · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNew Haven Park20 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRandall Park18 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsIllinois Avenue Park17 acres
DirectionsO'Donnell Park15 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGregory Island Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsArbor Ridge Park12 acres
DirectionsChesterfield Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Aurora Prairie Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Golden Oaks Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Lebanon Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAustin Memorial Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSmith Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsNorth Aurora Island Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGreene Field Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Hurd's Island Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSutton Lake Park8 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Kiehl Park8 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsPine Knoll Park6 acres
Aurora Township Park District6 acres
DirectionsMcCleery Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSlattery Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsFour Pointes Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cowherd Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRob Roy Park5 acres
Wilbert Walters Park4 acres
Edgebrook Park4 acres
DirectionsWestwood Park4 acres
DirectionsNorth Aurora Riverfront Park4 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGolfview Park4 acres
Foxcroft Lake Park3 acres
Wilder Park3 acres · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBluff Street Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Rollins Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGinger Woods Park2 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Pierce Park2 acres
Birmingham Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Pine Creek Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Marshall Boulevard Park1 acres
DirectionsJaycee Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Pavillion Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsLincoln Avenue Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsIndian Trail Mini Park1 acres
DirectionsTurnstone Lake Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Palmer Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Pigeon Hill Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSherwood Glen Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Union-Flagg Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRichard Street Park1 acres
DirectionsMoecherville Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsFalkos Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCenter Street Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMarie Wilkinson Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,614 conserved acres
7% of Aurora Township’s land. Who manages Aurora Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,190 ac
Town or city490 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Local Park · 931 acLocal Conservation Area · 388 acUnknown · 327 acLocal Recreation Area · 22 acLocal Other or Unknown · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 92 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakhurst Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 388 | Open |
| Phillips Park Local Park | Town or city | 253 | Open |
| Arlene Shoemaker Unknown | Regional agency | 116 | Closed |
| Fox River Trail Unknown | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| North Aurora Island Park Local Park | Regional agency | 51 | Open |
| Gilman Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Indian Creek Park Local Park | Regional agency | 50 | Open |
| Illinois Prairie Path Unknown | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Simmons Park Local Park | Regional agency | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
135 places to go in Aurora Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Aurora Township
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Aurora Township
Goodwin playgroundIn Goodwin Park
DirectionsHighland Park playgroundIn Highland Park
DirectionsLincoln Park PlaygroundIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsWashington ParkIn Washington Park
Directions117 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Aurora Township
Phillips Dog ParkIn Phillips Park West Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Aurora Township
4 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Aurora Township
9 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Aurora Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Aurora Township
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
10 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.1 mi
Meadowview Trail1.4 mi
Lake Patterson Trail1.4 mi
Woodland Loop Trail1.0 mi
Mastodon Lake Trail1.0 mi
Beaver Trail0.5 mi
South Connector Trail0.5 mi
Black Maple Loop Trail0.4 mi
Hilltop Trail0.4 mi
Swamp White Oak Trail0.4 mi
Harmony Pointe Park Path0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
36 mi
off-road bike paths
Aurora BikewaysBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
50Baseball
47Tennis
38Basketball
13Beach volleyball
11Soccer
6Football
3Skate park
3Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Aurora Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Aurora Township →
Next door
Aurora Township and its neighbors
Aurora Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Naperville Township31 miAurora Township27 miOswego Township23 miBatavia Township17 miSugar Grove Township13 miNorth Aurora2.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Township | 7% | 0.8 | 14 | 97% | A− |
| Batavia Township | 7% | 0.9 | 18 | 98% | A |
| Sugar Grove Township | 13% | 0.4 | 99 | 95% | A |
| Oswego Township | 5% | 0.6 | 22 | 95% | A− |
| Naperville Township | 17% | 0.9 | 20 | 99% | A |
| North Aurora | 5% | 0.4 | 16 | 99% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Aurora Township
Where can I hike in Aurora Township?
The longest trail networks: Oakhurst Forest Preserve, 7.1 miles; Phillips Park, 2.5 miles; Indian Creek Park, 0.8 miles; Simmons Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Aurora Township is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 4% for an Illinois town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Aurora Township’s trails?
Oakhurst Forest Preserve and Phillips Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Aurora Township?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of painted or protected lanes and 36 of off-road paths. Named routes: Aurora Bikeways.
Is there public land near Aurora Township?
26,525 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Aurora Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,861 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Aurora Township have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #171 of 768 in Illinois. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Aurora Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →