Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,026 acres12.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Fox Township
Fox Township has 1,551 acres of parks, 985 for every 1,000 residents
10% of Fox Township’s land is conserved, about 2,300 acres. The biggest trail networks: Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area (12.5 mi), Millbrook South Forest Preserve (1.9 mi), Fox River Bluffs (1.6 mi). 23 miles of mapped trail cross Fox Township, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
2,300 acres · of 36.2 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,551 ac
985 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.2 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 4.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Fox Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fox Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fox Township is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fox Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land985 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,551 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home54% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area, with 12.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Millbrook South Forest Preserve
Managed by Kendall County Forest Preserve District
301 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fox River Bluffs
Managed by Kendall County Forest Preserve District
165 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Freeman Forest Preserve
Managed by Kendall County Forest Preserve District
9 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hoover Forest Preserve
Managed by Kendall County Forest Preserve District
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area1,026 acres · 12.5 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMillbrook South Forest Preserve301 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Kendall County Forest Preserve District
DirectionsFox River Bluffs165 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Kendall County Forest Preserve District
DirectionsFreeman Forest Preserve9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Kendall County Forest Preserve District
DirectionsHoover Forest Preserve7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Kendall County Forest Preserve District
Shuh Shuh Gah Canoe Launch3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Kendall County Forest Preserve District
DirectionsWho protects it
2,300 conserved acres
10% of Fox Township’s land. Who manages Fox Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation977 ac
Regional agency814 ac
County207 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits178 ac
Private owners126 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)27 ac
State natural resources8 ac
State Park · 966 acLocal Conservation Area · 636 acConservation Easement · 216 acLocal Resource Management Area · 207 acUnknown · 164 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 174 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Springs State Park | State conservation | 966 | Open |
| Millbrook Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 585 | Restricted |
| Bright Local Resource Management Area | County | 198 | Open |
| Fox River Bluffs Unknown | Regional agency | 164 | Open |
| Dickson Sedge Meadow Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 108 | Closed |
| Hollenbach Sugarbush Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 45 | Open |
| Freeman Local Resource Management Area | County | 9 | Open |
| Tucker-Millington Fen Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 9 | Closed |
| Millington Fen Private Conservation | Private owners | 9 | Restricted |
| Millhurst Fen State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Fox Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Fox Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Fox Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Fox Township
Shuh Shuh Gah Canoe Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Fox Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Fox Township
Fox View Picnic AreaIn Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
DirectionsTall Oaks Picnic AreaIn Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Fox Township
Cedar Ridge Primitive CampgroundIn Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area
DirectionsDickson Valley Camp & Retreat Center
DirectionsTrails & water
5 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
6Basketball
3Equestrian
1Beach volleyball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Fox 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 64 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Fox Township →
Next door
Fox Township and its neighbors
Fox Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Little Rock Township29 miFox Township23 miKendall Township13 miBig Grove Township4.1 miMission Township2.3 miNorthville Township1.6 miSandwich0.8 miMillington0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Township | 10% | 0.6 | 985 | 54% | A− |
| Little Rock Township | 3% | 0.8 | 53 | 91% | A− |
| Kendall Township | 2% | 0.3 | 62 | 83% | B+ |
| Northville Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 5 | 66% | C− |
| Mission Township | 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 25% | D |
| Millington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Big Grove Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 36 | 69% | C+ |
| Sandwich | 3% | 0.2 | 12 | 98% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fox Township
Where can I hike in Fox Township?
The longest trail networks: Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area, 12.5 miles; Millbrook South Forest Preserve, 1.9 miles; Fox River Bluffs, 1.6 miles; Freeman Forest Preserve, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fox Township is conserved land?
10% 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 Fox Township’s trails?
Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area and Millbrook South Forest Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fox Township?
4.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes and 4.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Fox Township?
6,482 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fox Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,717 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Fox Township have?
Ahead of 84% 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 Fox 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 →