Moraine View State Recreation Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,354 acres3.1 mi of trail
Tanglewood Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Benjaminville Friends Meetinghouse and Burial Ground · Photo: See above. · CC BY 2.5–Not graded
Outdoors in Dawson Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Dawson Township
The biggest trail networks: Moraine View State Recreation Area (3.1 mi). 7% of Dawson Township’s land is conserved, about 1,647 acres. 1,653 acres are parks and preserves, 3,095 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
7%
1,647 acres · of 37.3 sq mi of land
Trails
3.2 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,653 ac
3,095 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
6%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
1 beach · 3 boat launches
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 Moraine View State Recreation Area, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,647 conserved acres
7% of Dawson Township’s land. Who manages Dawson Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,647 ac
State Recreation Area · 1,647 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moraine View State Recreational Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 1,647 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Dawson Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dawson Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Dawson Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Dawson Township
Twin Groves Wind Farm Lookout
DirectionsCampgrounds in Dawson Township
Catfish Bay camp areaFee · In Moraine View State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 3 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 0.6 mi
Tanglewood Nature Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Baseball
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).
Benjaminville Friends Meetinghouse and Burial GroundBuilding · listed 1983
About itWhen to get out
August is the best month for walking in Dawson 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Dawson Township →
Next door
Dawson Township and its neighbors
Dawson Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Dawson Township3.2 miOld Town Township1.8 miBlue Mound Township1.7 miArrowsmith Township0.6 miEmpire Township0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Empire Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 9 | 90% | C |
| Old Town Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 44% | D |
| Blue Mound Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Arrowsmith Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dawson Township
Where can I hike in Dawson Township?
The longest trail networks: Moraine View State Recreation Area, 3.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Dawson Township’s trails?
Moraine View State Recreation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Dawson Township?
3,420 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dawson Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,653 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Dawson 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 →