Deer Run Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
676 acres8 mi of trail
Blue PathGreen PathOrange PathRed Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
AOutdoors
Outdoors in Cherry Valley Township
Cherry Valley Township has 2,643 acres of parks, 138 for every 1,000 residents
38 miles of mapped trail cross Cherry Valley Township, 1.2 per square mile of land. 14% of Cherry Valley Township’s land is conserved, about 2,816 acres. The biggest trail networks: Deer Run Forest Preserve (8 mi), Oak Ridge Forest Preserve (7.6 mi), Atwood Park & Lodge (3.9 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #79 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,816 acres · of 30.3 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,643 ac
138 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
63%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.8 mi
7.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
1 beach · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cherry Valley Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cherry Valley Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cherry Valley Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #79 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cherry Valley Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land138 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,643 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home63% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 90%
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 Deer Run Forest Preserve, with 8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Oak Ridge Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
641 acres7.6 mi of trail
Orange TrailBlue TrailGreen TrailRed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Atwood Park & Lodge
Managed by Rockford Park District
71 acres3.9 mi of trail
Whiz BangBlackhawkDaisy Cutter.30 Caliber
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
623 acres3.6 mi of trail
Orange TrailRed TrailGreen TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve
Managed by Winnebago Forest Preserve District
364 acres2.6 mi of trail
Maintenance Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kishwaukee Gorge North Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
121 acres1.8 mi of trail
The Kishwaukee Gorge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Espenscheid Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
104 acres1.5 mi of trail
Green TrailYellow TrailOrange Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rockford Rotary County Forest Preserve
Managed by Winnebago Forest Preserve District
68 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Deer Run Forest Preserve676 acres · 8 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsOak Ridge Forest Preserve641 acres · 7.6 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsAtwood Park & Lodge71 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsBlackhawk Springs Forest Preserve623 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsKishwaukee River Forest Preserve364 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Winnebago Forest Preserve District
DirectionsKishwaukee Gorge North Forest Preserve121 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsEspenscheid Forest Preserve104 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsRockford Rotary County Forest Preserve68 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Winnebago Forest Preserve District
DirectionsMcKiski Forest Preserve41 acres · 1 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
Southeast Community Park53 acres
DirectionsAtwood Park Estates Playground18 acres
DirectionsSwanson Park6 acres
Swan Hillman Park6 acres
Who protects it
2,816 conserved acres
14% of Cherry Valley Township’s land. Who manages Cherry Valley Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County2,374 ac
Regional agency581 ac
Town or city162 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits80 ac
Local Conservation Area · 2,675 acLocal Park · 317 acLocal Recreation Area · 124 acConservation Easement · 80 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espenscheid Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 1,331 | Open |
| Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 622 | Open |
| Kishwaukee Greenway Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 302 | Open |
| Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 169 | Open |
| Sandy Hollow Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 123 | Open |
| Kiskwakee Gorge North Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 118 | Open |
| Rockford Rotary Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 100 | Open |
| Baumann Park Local Park | Regional agency | 99 | Open |
| Southeast Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 76 | Open |
| Seth B Atwood Park Local Park | Regional agency | 73 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Cherry Valley Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cherry Valley Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Cherry Valley Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Cherry Valley Township
Canoe LaunchIn Oak Ridge Forest Preserve
DirectionsCanoe Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Cherry Valley Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Cherry Valley Township
Blackhawk Valley CampgroundFee
DirectionsTrails & water
18 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.5 miHorses · 4.6 miUnpaved · 31.1 mi
Orange Trail4.1 mi
Green Trail2.9 mi
Blue Trail2.2 mi
Blue Path2.2 mi
Red Trail2.0 mi
Green Path1.9 mi
Orange Path1.5 mi
The Kishwaukee Gorge Trail1.2 mi
Red Path0.8 mi
McKiski FP0.8 mi
8 more trails
Yellow Trail
0.8 miWhiz Bang
0.7 miBlackhawk
0.7 miDaisy Cutter
0.6 mi.30 Caliber
0.6 miYellow Path
0.3 miMaintenance Trail
0.2 miPath 15 Yellow Connector Path to McKiski FP
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
12Tennis
5Baseball
4Pickleball
3Basketball
2Soccer
1Football
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 Cherry Valley 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
January is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Cherry Valley Township →
Next door
Cherry Valley Township and its neighbors
Cherry Valley Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Rockford Township51 miCherry Valley Township38 miCherry Valley17 miFlora Township16 miMonroe Township2.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Valley Township | 14% | 1.2 | 138 | 63% | A |
| Rockford Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Flora Township | under 1% | 0.4 | 3 | 52% | C− |
| Monroe Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 25% | D |
| Cherry Valley | 38% | 2.1 | 524 | 61% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cherry Valley Township
Where can I hike in Cherry Valley Township?
The longest trail networks: Deer Run Forest Preserve, 8 miles; Oak Ridge Forest Preserve, 7.6 miles; Atwood Park & Lodge, 3.9 miles; Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cherry Valley Township is conserved land?
14% 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 Cherry Valley Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Atwood Park & Lodge (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cherry Valley Township?
7.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Cherry Valley Township?
13,421 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cherry Valley Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,643 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cherry Valley Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #79 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 Cherry Valley 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 →