M.J. Rhymer Family Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
15 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
C−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dry Grove Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Dry Grove Township
The biggest trail networks: M.J. Rhymer Family Nature Preserve (0.9 mi). 1% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 32 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 19% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
under 1%
15 acres · of 35.5 sq mi of land
Trails
3.5 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
32 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
1%
of residents within ½ mile
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dry Grove Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dry Grove Township is ahead of 19% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
C−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dry Grove Township’s overall grade.
Conserved landunder 1% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%DTrails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4CPark land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (32 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home1% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%D
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 19%
LessMore
NoteFew parks or trails are mapped in Dry Grove Township. OpenStreetMap is mapped by volunteers and coverage varies from town to town, so a town with unmapped parks scores low on them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. 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 M.J. Rhymer Family Nature Preserve, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
15 conserved acres
under 1% of Dry Grove Township’s land. Who manages Dry Grove Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city15 ac
State Conservation Area · 15 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.J. Rhymer Family Dry Grove Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Dry Grove 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 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Dry Grove Township →
Next door
Dry Grove Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bloomington28 miBloomington City Township28 miNormal Township11 miDry Grove Township3.5 miDale Township3.1 miDanvers Township1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Grove Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 23 | 1% | C− |
| Bloomington | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Bloomington City Township | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Dale Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 12% | D |
| Normal Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Danvers Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 53% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dry Grove Township
Where can I hike in Dry Grove Township?
The longest trail networks: M.J. Rhymer Family Nature Preserve, 0.9 miles; Rivian Natural Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dry Grove Township is conserved land?
under 1% 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 Dry Grove Township’s trails?
M.J. Rhymer Family Nature Preserve and Rivian Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Dry Grove Township?
5,555 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dry Grove Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 32 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dry Grove Township have?
Ahead of 19% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Dry Grove 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 →