Raceway Woods Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
227 acres9.2 mi of trail
SerpentineSteffan's LoopWood's TrailPrairie Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Smallbones · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Carpentersville
Carpentersville has 18 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 19% of Carpentersville’s land is conserved, about 955 acres. The biggest trail networks: Raceway Woods Forest Preserve (9.2 mi), Salamander Springs (1.1 mi), Fox River Shores Forest Preserve (1 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #25 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
955 acres · of 7.9 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
641 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
15 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Carpentersville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Carpentersville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Carpentersville is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #25 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Carpentersville’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (641 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 97%
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 Raceway Woods Forest Preserve, with 9.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Salamander Springs
Managed by Dundee Township
96 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Fox River Shores Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
274 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Library Springs Natural Area
Nature preserve
53 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Andres Bike Park
Park
4 acres0.5 mi of trail
Andres Acess PathBig Jump AlleyBeginner Jumo Line
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 23 parks & preserves
Raceway Woods Forest Preserve227 acres · 9.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsSalamander Springs96 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Dundee Township
DirectionsFox River Shores Forest Preserve274 acres · 1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsCarpenter Park18 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsLibrary Springs Natural Area53 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsAndres Bike Park4 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Silverstone Lake Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKemper Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBinnie Forest Preserve7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsRolling Hills Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Huntley Marsh23 acres
DirectionsWilloughby Farms Forest Preserve18 acres
Meadowdale Park16 acres
DirectionsFairview Park9 acres
Brunner Family Forest Preserve8 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Helm Woods Forest Preserve8 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Grandview Park8 acres
Besinger Park6 acres
DirectionsGlen Eagle Park5 acres
Golfview Park3 acres
White Oaks Park3 acres
Austin Park2 acres
Morningside Park1 acres
Who protects it
955 conserved acres
19% of Carpentersville’s land. Who manages Carpentersville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency449 ac
Town or city371 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits128 ac
State conservation106 ac
State natural resources104 ac
Local Conservation Area · 550 acConservation Easement · 338 acUnknown · 139 acLocal Park · 106 acState Conservation Area · 19 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 135 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunner Family Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 154 | Open |
| Raceway Woods Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 105 | Open |
| Fox River Shores Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 101 | Open |
| Salamander Springs Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 98 | Open |
| Greater Raceway Woods Unknown | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Library Springs Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Kieth Andres Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Huntley Marsh Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Carpentersville Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
41 places to go in Carpentersville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Carpentersville
Curiousity ShedIn Library Springs Natural Area
DirectionsLiberty Park
Directions36 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Carpentersville
Canoe LaunchIn Fox River Shores Forest Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Carpentersville
Scenic OverlookIn Raceway Woods Forest Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miUnpaved · 9.1 mi
Serpentine1.3 mi
Steffan's Loop0.7 mi
Wood's Trail0.7 mi
Andres Flow0.6 mi
Prairie Trail0.5 mi
Valley Loop Trail0.4 mi
Scarab's Revenge0.4 mi
Ranch Road Trail0.2 mi
Connector Trail0.2 mi
Lower Field Trail0.2 mi
10 more trails
Doane's Hill
0.2 miSouth East Trail
0.2 miMeadow Trail
0.2 miDogwood Trail
0.1 miWood's Trail (South)
0.1 miAndres Acess Path
0.1 miPrairie Serpentine
0.1 miBig Jump Alley
0.1 miBeginner Jumo Line
0.1 miAndres Bike Park Access
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
15 mi
off-road bike paths
SerpentineBike route
1.3 miFox River Shores Forest Preserve bike pathBike route
0.5 miScarab's RevengeBike route
0.4 miCourts & fields
13Baseball
9Basketball
8Tennis
6Soccer
2Lacrosse
1Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Library HallBuilding · listed 1973
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Carpentersville
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Carpentersville →
Next door
Carpentersville and its neighbors
Carpentersville has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpentersville | 19% | 2.3 | 17 | 99%+ | A+ |
| East Dundee | 8% | 0.3 | 52 | 97% | A− |
| West Dundee | 14% | 2.6 | 44 | 92% | A+ |
| Barrington Hills | 8% | 2.3 | 282 | 36% | A |
| Algonquin | 8% | 0.3 | 23 | 99% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Carpentersville
Where can I hike in Carpentersville?
The longest trail networks: Raceway Woods Forest Preserve, 9.2 miles; Salamander Springs, 1.1 miles; Fox River Shores Forest Preserve, 1 miles; Carpenter Park, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Carpentersville is conserved land?
19% 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 Carpentersville’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Library Springs Natural Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Carpentersville?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of off-road paths. Named routes: Serpentine, Fox River Shores Forest Preserve bike path and Scarab's Revenge.
Is there public land near Carpentersville?
24,949 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Carpentersville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 756 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Carpentersville have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 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 Carpentersville 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 →