Sahara Woods State Recreation Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
232 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Brushy Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Brushy Township
4% of Brushy Township’s land is conserved, about 894 acres. 210 acres are parks and preserves, 205 per 1,000 residents. 28 miles of mapped trail cross Brushy Township, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
4%
894 acres · of 33.8 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
210 ac
205 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
5%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Sahara Woods State Recreation Area, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
894 conserved acres
4% of Brushy Township’s land. Who manages Brushy Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits685 ac
State natural resources209 ac
Agricultural Easement · 494 acState Conservation Area · 209 acRecreation or Education Easement · 99 acRanch Easement · 53 acOther Easement · 39 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 685 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 209 | Open |
Things to do
7 places to go in Brushy Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Brushy Township
7 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
When to get out
The walking year in Brushy 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 47 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 81 | 70 | 56 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.4 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Brushy Township →
Next door
Brushy Township and its neighbors
Brushy Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Carrier Mills Township43 miBrushy Township28 miHarrisburg Township16 miRaleigh Township13 miGalatia Township4.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brushy Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Carrier Mills Township | 50% | 1.2 | 3,249 | 74% | A+ |
| Galatia Township | under 1% | 0.3 | 2 | 58% | C− |
| Harrisburg Township | 6% | 0.4 | 18 | 65% | B+ |
| Raleigh Township | under 1% | 0.4 | 35 | 33% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brushy Township
Where can I hike in Brushy Township?
The longest trail networks: Sahara Woods State Recreation Area, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Brushy Township’s trails?
Sahara Woods State Recreation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Brushy Township?
37,477 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brushy Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 210 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Brushy 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 →