P. A. Nehring Forest Preserve
Nature preserve
34 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Johnnie Tran · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in DeKalb Township
99% of residents live within a half mile of a park in DeKalb Township
The biggest trail networks: P. A. Nehring Forest Preserve (1 mi), Rotary Park (0.7 mi), Mason Park (0.6 mi). 4% of DeKalb Township’s land is conserved, about 921 acres. 847 acres are parks and preserves, 20 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
4%
921 acres · of 35.1 sq mi of land
Trails
8.9 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
847 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
6.3 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
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 P. A. Nehring Forest Preserve, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Katz Park
Park
14 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wright Farm Park
Managed by City of DeKalb Park District
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 32 parks & preserves
P. A. Nehring Forest Preserve34 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park20 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMason Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth 4068 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWelsh Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsKatz Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Wright Farm Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of DeKalb Park District
League of Women Voters Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
John Boardman Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPrairie Park107 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHopkins Park60 acres
DirectionsGreenwood Park35 acres
DirectionsEco Park19 acres
DirectionsBrooks Park9 acres
DirectionsEllwood7 acres
Pappas Park7 acres
DirectionsAnnie's Woods7 acres
DirectionsPrather Park6 acres
DirectionsMcCormack Park6 acres
DirectionsCheesbro Park5 acres
Sweet Park5 acres
DirectionsDeprin Park5 acres
Huntley Park3 acres
DirectionsShipman Park2 acres
Sculpture Park1 acres
DirectionsJack Olsen Park1 acres
DirectionsHallgren Park1 acres
Liberty Park1 acres
Overlook Pointe Park1 acres · City of DeKalb Park District
Oakland Park1 acres
Hanna Park1 acres
DeKalb Square1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
921 conserved acres
4% of DeKalb Township’s land. Who manages DeKalb Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency406 ac
Town or city312 ac
Other state land105 ac
Private owners96 ac
Local Park · 485 acLocal Recreation Area · 192 acUnknown · 118 acPrivate Park · 96 acLocal Conservation Area · 28 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Heights Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 127 | Open |
| Prairie Park Local Park | Regional agency | 104 | Open |
| Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 96 | Open |
| North 40 Local Park | Other state land | 66 | Open |
| Buena Vista Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Hopkins Park Local Park | Regional agency | 61 | Open |
| Sports & Recreation Center Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 44 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | Regional agency | 32 | Open |
| P.A. Nehring Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 28 | Open |
| Eco Park Local Park | Other state land | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in DeKalb Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in DeKalb Township
Hopkins PlaygroundIn Hopkins Park
DirectionsPappas ParkIn Pappas Park
DirectionsPlus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in DeKalb Township
Katz dog parkHours: sunrise-sunset · In Katz Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in DeKalb Township
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
DeKalb Sycamore Bicycle NetworkBike route
2.3 miNIU Bicycle NetworkBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
37Tennis
24Baseball
15Soccer
12Basketball
2Football
2Beach volleyball
1Softball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in DeKalb Township: April and September
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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in DeKalb Township →
Next door
DeKalb Township and its neighbors
DeKalb Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Afton Township10 miDeKalb Township8.9 miCortland Township5.0 miMayfield Township2.7 miMalta Township0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cortland Township | 1% | 0.1 | 11 | 83% | C+ |
| Malta Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 5 | 52% | D |
| Afton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mayfield 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 DeKalb Township
Where can I hike in DeKalb Township?
The longest trail networks: P. Nehring Forest Preserve, 1 miles; Rotary Park, 0.7 miles; Mason Park, 0.6 miles; North 40, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on DeKalb Township’s trails?
P. Nehring Forest Preserve and Rotary Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in DeKalb Township?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of painted or protected lanes and 14 of off-road paths. Named routes: DeKalb Sycamore Bicycle Network and NIU Bicycle Network.
Is there public land near DeKalb Township?
4,255 acres of parks and open public land lie inside DeKalb Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 882 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from DeKalb 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 →