Rock Springs Conservation Area
Nature preserve
1,353 acres8 mi of trail
Lookout TrailWoodland TrailDiscovery TrailPrairie Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
AOutdoors
Outdoors in Decatur Township
13% of Decatur Township’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
13% of Decatur Township’s land is conserved, about 2,473 acres. 2,163 acres are parks and preserves, 46 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Rock Springs Conservation Area (8 mi), Nelson Park (1.3 mi), Hess Park (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #69 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
2,473 acres · of 29.1 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,163 ac
46 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
20 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
1 beach · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Decatur Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Decatur Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Decatur Township is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #69 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Decatur Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land46 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,163 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% 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 92%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 91%
Water is 7% of Decatur Township’s area (2 of 31 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Rock Springs Conservation Area, with 8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 35 parks & preserves
Rock Springs Conservation Area1,353 acres · 8 mi of trail
DirectionsNelson Park153 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHess Park22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park2 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFairview Park180 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCondit Street Residential Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
decatur greenspace2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Park59 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLeafland Residential Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Orchard Street Residential Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Scovill Park West152 acres
DirectionsFaries Park122 acres
DirectionsHorace B Garman Park60 acres
DirectionsRotary Park28 acres
DirectionsSouth Shores Park28 acres
DirectionsKiwanis Park28 acres
DirectionsMueller Park27 acres
DirectionsChandler Park26 acres
DirectionsJohns Hill Park20 acres
DirectionsTorrence Park18 acres
DirectionsSunnyside Park17 acres
Oak Grove Park13 acres
Sanders Park13 acres
Galloway Park10 acres
DirectionsGraceland Ball Complex10 acres
Fans Field Park9 acres
Coates Park6 acres
DirectionsGarfield Park5 acres
Grant Park5 acres
DirectionsBorg Warner Field4 acres
DirectionsMonroe Park4 acres
DirectionsLyons Park4 acres
DirectionsJasper Park2 acres
DirectionsClokey Park2 acres
Fisherman's Warf Park2 acres · Decatur Park District
DirectionsWho protects it
2,473 conserved acres
13% of Decatur Township’s land. Water is left out: Decatur Township has 29.1 square miles of land and 2.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Decatur Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,279 ac
Town or city1,191 ac
State conservation424 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits3 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,279 acLocal Park · 763 acUnknown · 431 acConservation Easement · 424 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Springs Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 1,279 | Open |
| Fairview Park Local Park | Town or city | 173 | Open |
| Scovill Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Nelson Park And Golf Course Local Park | Town or city | 156 | Open |
| Red Tail Run Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 143 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 123 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Park | Town or city | 87 | Open |
| Garman Park Local Park | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Sunnyside Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
36 places to go in Decatur Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Decatur Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Decatur Township
16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Decatur Township
Fido FieldsIn Fairview Park
DirectionsNelson Dog parkIn Nelson Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Decatur Township
Lower Dam Canoe AccessIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsWycles Road Canoe AccessIn Rock Springs Conservation Area
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Decatur Township
Miller's Mill OverlookIn Rock Springs Conservation Area
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Decatur Township
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.2 mi
Lookout Trail1.3 mi
Woodland Trail0.4 mi
Discovery Trail0.3 mi
Prairie Path0.2 mi
Loop trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
24Baseball
19Tennis
9Basketball
6Pickleball
5Football
4Beach volleyball
2Multi-sport
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Decatur 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 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 40 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 79 | 66 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Decatur Township →
Next door
Decatur Township and its neighbors
Decatur Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Decatur Township18 miDecatur17 miSouth Wheatland Township12 miHarristown Township4.4 miHickory Point Township4.0 miLong Creek Township3.1 miOakley Township0.5 miWhitmore Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Township | 13% | 0.6 | 46 | 97% | A |
| Long Creek Township | 5% | 0.1 | 36 | 70% | B |
| Hickory Point Township | 2% | 0.1 | 28 | 83% | B− |
| South Wheatland Township | 5% | 0.4 | 246 | 51% | B+ |
| Oakley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Decatur | 8% | 0.4 | 34 | 92% | A− |
| Whitmore Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 9 | 64% | C |
| Harristown Township | 2% | 0.2 | 42 | 26% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Decatur Township
Where can I hike in Decatur Township?
The longest trail networks: Rock Springs Conservation Area, 8 miles; Nelson Park, 1.3 miles; Hess Park, 0.8 miles; Central Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Decatur Township is conserved land?
13% 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 Decatur Township’s trails?
Rock Springs Conservation Area and Nelson Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Decatur Township?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Decatur Township?
5,552 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Decatur Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,289 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Decatur Township have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #69 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 Decatur 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 →