Sandy Ford State Natural Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
201 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Farm Ridge Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Farm Ridge Township
7 acres are parks and preserves, 7.5 per 1,000 residents. 1.6 miles of mapped trail cross Farm Ridge Township. 2% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land
1%
204 acres · of 34.8 sq mi of land
Trails
1.6 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
7 ac
7.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
204 conserved acres
1% of Farm Ridge Township’s land. Who manages Farm Ridge Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources202 ac
State conservation195 ac
State Conservation Area · 202 acConservation Easement · 195 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Ford State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 202 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Farm Ridge Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Farm Ridge Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Farm Ridge Township: April, August 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Farm Ridge Township →
Next door
Farm Ridge Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Deer Park Township31 miSouth Ottawa Township3.3 miBruce Township2.9 miFarm Ridge Township1.6 miVermillion Township1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Ridge Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Vermillion Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Deer Park Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Ottawa Township | 1% | 0.2 | 17 | 84% | C+ |
| Bruce Township | 1% | 0.2 | 8 | 56% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Farm Ridge Township
Are dogs allowed on Farm Ridge Township’s trails?
Sandy Ford State Natural Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Farm Ridge Township?
7,256 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Farm Ridge Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Farm Ridge 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 →