Oakhurst Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
409 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 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Aurora
10% of Aurora’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
10% of Aurora’s land is conserved, about 2,988 acres. The biggest trail networks: Oakhurst Forest Preserve (7.1 mi), Phillips Park (2.4 mi), Culver Forest Preserve (1 mi). 36 miles of mapped trail cross Aurora, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #107 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
2,988 acres · of 45.2 sq mi of land
Trails
36 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,081 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
87 mi
2.0 mi lanes · 85 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Aurora?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Aurora have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Aurora is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #107 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’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (36 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,081 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home99% 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 88%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 86%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Aurora ranks #113 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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
234 acres2.4 mi of trail
Mastodon Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Culver Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
96 acres1 mi of trail
Woodland TrailMeadow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Simmons Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
27 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Church Road Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
17 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Waubonsie Lake Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
184 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Indian Creek Park
Managed by Fox Valley Park District
44 acres0.7 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 ↗
All 119 parks & preserves
Oakhurst Forest Preserve409 acres · 7.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsPhillips Park234 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCulver Forest Preserve96 acres · 1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsSimmons Park27 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsChurch Road Park17 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsWaubonsie Lake Park184 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsIndian Creek Park44 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRiverEdge Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNature's Meadows Park14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsArrow Wood Park20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Victor Dunn Memorial Park20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCullough Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSolfisburg Memorial Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsStonegate Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsArlene Shoemaker Forest Preserve67 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsSpring Lake Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsPhillips Park West Recreation Area11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsChuck E. Hoscheit Park31 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRidge Park16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMcCarty Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHarmony Pointe Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsStation Boulevard Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Blackhawk Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Wheatlands Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAmberwood Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHarbor Springs Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
Summerlin Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Oswegoland Park District
Kingshill Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Naperville Park District
DirectionsSouth River Street Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCopley II Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsStill Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAllen Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHomestead Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCool Acres Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCopley I Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsLakewood Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
North River Street Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsHall Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHometown Town Center Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHidden Creek Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Oswegoland Park District
Big Woods County Forest Preserve275 acres · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
DirectionsBarnes Forest Preserve201 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsHupp Park50 acres
DirectionsSutton Lake Park25 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCheshire Lake Park24 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Washington Park23 acres · Oswegoland Park District
Lincoln Park22 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMiddlebury East Park21 acres · Fox Valley Park District
New Haven Park21 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGarfield Park19 acres · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsIllinois Avenue Park18 acres
DirectionsRandall Park17 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsButterfield Park16 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsEdinburgh Park15 acres · Fox Valley Park District
O'Donnell Park15 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMonarch Park14 acres · Naperville Park District
DirectionsSouth Island Park13 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMiddlebury West Park13 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsStonebridge Park13 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAsbury Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGolden Oaks Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Deerbrook Park12 acres · Oswegoland Park District
DirectionsBirmingham Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Aurora Prairie Park12 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Lebanon Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsBarrington Park11 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Meadow Lake Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Ashton Pointe Park10 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsGinger Woods Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Amber Fields Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Hankes Road Park9 acres
DirectionsGreene Field Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Hurd's Island Park9 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsSmith Park8 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsFrontenac Park8 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsClearwood Park7 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Briarwood Park6 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Island Park6 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsAndover Park6 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsBrooklyn Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cambridge Chase Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
McCleery Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsWilbert Walters Park5 acres
Four Pointes Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Cowherd Park5 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsBreckenridge Park4 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Hometown Park4 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsLindens Park4 acres
Rob Roy Park4 acres
Cherry Hill Park4 acres
Edgebrook Park4 acres
DirectionsWestwood Park4 acres
Foxcroft Lake Park3 acres
Golfview Park3 acres
Wilder Park3 acres · Aurora Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCumberland Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Fox Hill Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Crescent Park3 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Bluff Street Park2 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Rollins Park2 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsVerona Ridge Park2 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Deerpath Park2 acres
Pigeon Hill Park2 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsJaycee Park1 acres · Oswegoland Park District
Marshall Boulevard Park1 acres
DirectionsPavillion 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
Canterbury Park1 acres
Sherwood Glen Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Union-Flagg Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsRichard Street Park1 acres
DirectionsFalkos Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsCenter Street Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
DirectionsMarie Wilkinson Park1 acres
Titsworth Mini Park1 acres · Fox Valley Park District
Who protects it
2,988 conserved acres
10% of Aurora’s land. Who manages Aurora’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency2,510 ac
Town or city510 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4 ac
Local Park · 1,628 acLocal Conservation Area · 568 acUnknown · 430 acLocal Other or Unknown · 339 acLocal Recreation Area · 53 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 142 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 | 384 | Open |
| Big Woods 1 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 316 | Unknown |
| Phillips Park Local Park | Town or city | 255 | Open |
| Barnes Unknown | Regional agency | 203 | Open |
| Orchard Valley Local Park | Regional agency | 172 | Open |
| Culver Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 94 | Open |
| Night Heron Marsh Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 88 | Open |
| Waubonsie Lake Local Park | Regional agency | 70 | Open |
| Arlene Shoemaker Unknown | Regional agency | 67 | Closed |
| Gilman Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 67 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
190 places to go in Aurora
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Aurora
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Aurora
Amber Fields PlaygroundIn Amber Fields Park
DirectionsBlackberry Playground
DirectionsLincoln Park PlaygroundIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsWashington ParkIn Washington Park
Directions162 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Aurora
Phillips Dog ParkIn Phillips Park West Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 4 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Aurora
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Aurora
9 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Aurora
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
12 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.3 mi
Meadowview Trail1.4 mi
Lake Patterson Trail1.4 mi
Woodland Loop Trail1.0 mi
Mastodon Lake Trail0.9 mi
Woodland Trail0.6 mi
Beaver Trail0.5 mi
South Connector Trail0.5 mi
Black Maple Loop Trail0.4 mi
Meadow Trail0.4 mi
Hilltop Trail0.4 mi
2 more trails
Swamp White Oak Trail
0.4 miHarmony Pointe Park Path
0.3 miBiking & sports
87 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
85 mi
off-road bike paths
Aurora BikewaysBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
107Tennis
74Basketball
68Baseball
22Soccer
20Beach volleyball
17Football
16Pickleball
6Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →29 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fox River HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWilliam A. Tanner HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itChicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive ShopBuilding · listed 1978
About itCol. Ira C. Copley MansionBuilding · listed 1978
About itOld Second National BankBuilding · listed 1979
About itKeystone BuildingBuilding · listed 1980
About itParamount TheatreBuilding · listed 1980
About itAurora Elks Lodge No. 705Building · listed 1980
About itGraham BuildingBuilding · listed 1982
About itMasonic TempleBuilding · listed 1982
About itHotel AuroraBuilding · listed 1982
About it17 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Aurora
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 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Aurora →
Next door
Aurora and its neighbors
Aurora has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Aurora36 miNaperville25 miOswego8.6 miBatavia8.0 miNorth Aurora2.9 miSugar Grove2.9 miWarrenville2.5 miMontgomery1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 10% | 0.8 | 17 | 99% | A |
| Montgomery | 9% | 0.2 | 30 | 97% | A− |
| North Aurora | 5% | 0.4 | 16 | 99% | A− |
| Naperville | 8% | 0.6 | 15 | 99% | A− |
| Warrenville | 4% | 0.5 | 11 | 88% | B+ |
| Sugar Grove | 2% | 0.2 | 25 | 94% | B+ |
| Batavia | 5% | 0.7 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Oswego | 8% | 0.5 | 23 | 96% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Aurora
Where can I hike in Aurora?
The longest trail networks: Oakhurst Forest Preserve, 7.1 miles; Phillips Park, 2.4 miles; Culver Forest Preserve, 1 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 is conserved land?
10% 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’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?
87 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of painted or protected lanes and 85 of off-road paths. Named routes: Aurora Bikeways.
Is there public land near Aurora?
31,706 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Aurora or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,396 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Aurora have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #107 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 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 →