Pleasant Valley
Managed by McHenry Country Conservation District
328 acres3.9 mi of trail
Horse trail0.8 Mile Loop0.9 Mile Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dorr Township
Dorr Township has 1,166 acres of parks, 54 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Pleasant Valley (3.9 mi), Emricson Park (3.5 mi), Hennen Conservation Area (1.8 mi). 7% of Dorr Township’s land is conserved, about 1,717 acres. 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #158 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,717 acres · of 35.9 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,166 ac
54 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
1.7 mi lanes · 9.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Dorr Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dorr Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dorr Township is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #158 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, trail miles lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dorr Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (20 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land54 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,166 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home85% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 83%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 80%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to 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 Pleasant Valley, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Emricson Park
Park
118 acres3.5 mi of trail
Woodsrock Woods Walk - Intergenerational Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hennen Conservation Area
Nature preserve
23 acres1.8 mi of trail
Sky Dance TrailTurkey RunEmbers MeadowSoggy Bottoms+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ryders Wood Park
Nature preserve
23 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area
Managed by McHenry County Conservation District
152 acres1.2 mi of trail
Trail Loop (0.6 mi)Trail Loop (0.38 mi)(0.16mi)
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lippold Park
Managed by Crystal Lake Park District
231 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dufield Pond Conservation Area
Managed by McHenry County Conservation District
80 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
William C. Donato Conservation Area
Park
29 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
All 21 parks & preserves
Pleasant Valley328 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · McHenry Country Conservation District
DirectionsEmricson Park118 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHennen Conservation Area23 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRyders Wood Park23 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsKishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area152 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · McHenry County Conservation District
DirectionsLippold Park231 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Crystal Lake Park District
DirectionsDufield Pond Conservation Area80 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · McHenry County Conservation District
DirectionsWilliam C. Donato Conservation Area29 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSilver Creek Nature Area17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDick Tracy Way Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsConcannon Conservation Area1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Protected Grassland124 acres
DirectionsBoone Creek Conservation Area66 acres · McHenry County Conservation District
Davis Road Park29 acres
DirectionsRaintree Park18 acres
DirectionsBoger Bog Conservation Area5 acres · McHenry County Conservation District
Grand Oaks Recreation Center4 acres · Crystal Lake Park District
Prairie Ridge Drive Park3 acres
Willowbrook park3 acres
DirectionsOlson Park2 acres
DirectionsWoodstock Square Historic District1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,717 conserved acres
7% of Dorr Township’s land. Who manages Dorr Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency739 ac
State natural resources406 ac
Town or city366 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits328 ac
Private owners152 ac
State conservation148 ac
Conservation Easement · 726 acLocal Park · 719 acState Recreation Area · 278 acState Other or Unknown · 175 acState Conservation Area · 104 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 383 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 71 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lippold Park Local Park | Regional agency | 231 | Open |
| Woodstock Greenway Acquisition State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 175 | Unknown |
| Pleasant Valley 8 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 144 | Open |
| Sunset Meadow Park Local Park | Regional agency | 132 | Open |
| Emricson Park Local Park | Town or city | 117 | Open |
| Boone Creek Fen Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Private owners | 80 | Closed |
| Dufield Pond Local Park | Town or city | 79 | Open |
| Pleasant Valley 10 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 53 | Open |
| Pleasant Valley 6 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 42 | Open |
| Pleasant Valley 7 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 40 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Dorr Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Dorr Township
27 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Dorr Township
Still Farm Dog Park
DirectionsFishing spots in Dorr Township
4 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Dorr Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miHorses · 0.6 miUnpaved · 11.6 mi
Trail Loop (0.6 mi)0.7 mi
Horse trail0.6 mi
0.8 Mile Loop0.4 mi
Trail Loop (0.38 mi)0.4 mi
Sky Dance Trail0.3 mi
0.9 Mile Loop0.2 mi
Turkey Run0.2 mi
Woodsrock Woods Walk - Intergenerational Nature Trail0.1 mi
Embers Meadow0.1 mi
(0.16mi)0.1 mi
3 more trails
Soggy Bottoms
0.1 miHickory Haven
0.1 miTurtle Trace
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.4 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
28Tennis
23Baseball
23Soccer
10Basketball
6Football
4Volleyball
4Pickleball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Dorr 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 33 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Dorr Township →
Next door
Dorr Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Nunda Township38 miGrafton Township28 miDorr Township20 miCrystal Lake20 miWoodstock12 miGreenwood Township9.3 miSeneca Township5.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorr Township | 7% | 0.6 | 54 | 85% | A− |
| Greenwood Township | 9% | 0.3 | 122 | 82% | A− |
| Grafton Township | 8% | 0.8 | 28 | 95% | A |
| Nunda Township | 16% | 0.8 | 63 | 73% | A |
| Woodstock | 9% | 0.9 | 23 | 94% | A |
| Seneca Township | 4% | 0.2 | 101 | 40% | B− |
| Crystal Lake | 10% | 1.0 | 40 | 97% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dorr Township
Where can I hike in Dorr Township?
The longest trail networks: Pleasant Valley, 3.9 miles; Emricson Park, 3.5 miles; Hennen Conservation Area, 1.8 miles; Ryders Wood Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dorr Township 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 Dorr Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Kishwaukee Headwaters Conservation Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dorr Township?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.7 of painted or protected lanes, 9.4 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Dorr Township?
22,453 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dorr Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,167 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dorr Township have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #158 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 Dorr 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 →