Transfer House · Photo: Ander107 · CC BY-SA 3.0Decatur has 2,365 acres of parks, 34 for every 1,000 residents
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Nelson Park (1.2 mi), Hess Park (0.8 mi), Scovill Park (0.5 mi). 8% of Decatur’s land is conserved, about 2,257 acres.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #194 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Decatur?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Decatur have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Decatur is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #194 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.
Water is 10% of Decatur’s area (5 of 49 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Nelson Park, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Park Luise
All 52 parks & preserves
2,257 conserved acres
8% of Decatur’s land. Water is left out: Decatur has 44.2 square miles of land and 4.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Decatur’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Tail Run Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 262 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 259 | Open |
| Hickory Point Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 189 | Open |
| Fairview Park Local Park | Town or city | 171 | Open |
| Scovill Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Nelson Park And Golf Course Local Park | Town or city | 154 | Open |
| Big Creek Park & Riding Stables Local Park | Town or city | 126 | Open |
| East Mound Park Local Park | Town or city | 111 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Park | Town or city | 83 | Open |
| Garman Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
63 places to go in Decatur
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
25 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Plus 15 boat launches without a name on the map.
Plus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
August is the best month for walking in Decatur
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 →
Decatur and its neighbors
Decatur has the second most mapped trails of the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 8% | 0.4 | 34 | 92% | A− |
| Forsyth | 3% | 0.5 | 38 | 99%+ | A− |
| Mount Zion | 2% | 0.4 | 17 | 92% | B |
| Oakley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Whitmore Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 9 | 64% | C |
| Decatur Township | 13% | 0.6 | 46 | 97% | A |
| South Wheatland Township | 5% | 0.4 | 246 | 51% | B+ |
| Long Creek Township | 5% | 0.1 | 36 | 70% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Decatur
Where can I hike in Decatur?
The longest trail networks: Nelson Park, 1.2 miles; Hess Park, 0.8 miles; Scovill Park, 0.5 miles; Park Luise, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Decatur is conserved land?
8% 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’s trails?
Nelson Park and Hess Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Decatur?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 21 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Decatur?
7,464 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Decatur or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,633 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Decatur have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #194 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 neighbors.
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 →