Photo: Johnnie Tran · CC BY-SA 3.07% of DeKalb’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Rotary Park (0.7 mi), Mason Park (0.7 mi), North 40 (0.5 mi). 7% of DeKalb’s land is conserved, about 789 acres. 807 acres are parks and preserves, 20 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #184 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is DeKalb?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does DeKalb have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, DeKalb is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #184 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.
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 Rotary Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Welsh Park
Wright Farm Park
All 33 parks & preserves
789 conserved acres
7% of DeKalb’s land. Who manages DeKalb’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| 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 | 103 | Open |
| North 40 Local Park | Other state land | 66 | Open |
| Buena Vista Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 64 | 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 |
| Eco Park Local Park | Other state land | 23 | Open |
| DeKalb-Sycamore Bike Path Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 19 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
15 places to go in DeKalb
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
6 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.
6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in DeKalb: 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 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 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 →
DeKalb and its neighbors
DeKalb has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in DeKalb
Where can I hike in DeKalb?
The longest trail networks: Rotary Park, 0.7 miles; Mason Park, 0.7 miles; North 40, 0.5 miles; Welsh Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of DeKalb is conserved land?
7% 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 DeKalb’s trails?
Rotary Park and Mason Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in DeKalb?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.2 of painted or protected lanes and 15 of off-road paths. Named routes: DeKalb Sycamore Bicycle Network and NIU Bicycle Network.
Is there public land near DeKalb?
3,640 acres of parks and open public land lie inside DeKalb or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 842 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does DeKalb have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #184 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 DeKalb 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 →