Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
439 acres8.6 mi of trail
Deer TrailBeaver-Deer-Rock TrailBeaver TrailConnector+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Godfrey, Benjamin, Memorial Chapel · Photo: Joseph T. Golabowski · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Godfrey
9% of Godfrey’s land is conserved: 1,910 acres
The biggest trail networks: Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve (8.6 mi). 387 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents. 26% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 57% of U.S. towns · #438 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,910 acres · of 34.4 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
387 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.3 mi
8.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
2 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Godfrey have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Godfrey is ahead of 57% of U.S. towns, #438 of 768 in Illinois. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Godfrey’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (387 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home26% 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 57%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 43%
Water is 5% of Godfrey’s area (2 of 36 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. 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 Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve, with 8.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,910 conserved acres
9% of Godfrey’s land. Water is left out: Godfrey has 34.4 square miles of land and 2.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Godfrey’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,246 ac
State natural resources630 ac
State conservation417 ac
Private owners176 ac
Town or city166 ac
Other state land148 ac
Joint51 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,290 acState Conservation Area · 490 acUnknown · 436 acLocal Park · 166 acPrivate Park · 159 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 517 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 57 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| John M. Olin Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 295 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 236 | Open |
| Piasa Island Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 177 | Open |
| Rolling Hills Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 158 | Open |
| LaVista Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Schrage Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 56 | Open |
| Godfrey Ball Park Local Recreation Area | Joint | 51 | Open |
| Kemp and Cora Hutchinson Bird Sanctuary Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 41 | Open |
| Robert K. Glazebrook Park Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Kemp and Cora Hutchinson East Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 41 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Godfrey
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Godfrey
10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Godfrey
Heinz Memorial Dog ParkIn Godfrey Ball Park
DirectionsHeinz Memorial Dog ParkIn Godfrey Ball Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Godfrey
Alton Ski Club
DirectionsAlton-Woodriver Sportsmens Reservoir
DirectionsWaterfalls in Godfrey
Beaver FallsIn Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve
DirectionsCreek Trek WaterfallIn Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve
DirectionsScenic views in Godfrey
Mississippi River OverlookIn Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve
DirectionsObservation Deck
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Godfrey
Cheyene
DirectionsIllini
DirectionsKwains
DirectionsOptimist
DirectionsRanger
DirectionsRotary
DirectionsStaff Village
DirectionsWischixin
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.3 mi
Deer Trail1.1 mi
Beaver-Deer-Rock Trail0.8 mi
Connector0.6 mi
Beaver Trail0.6 mi
Burn Break0.5 mi
Beaver-Deer Trails0.4 mi
Indian Trail0.4 mi
Fox Trail0.4 mi
Hutchinson Bird Trail0.4 mi
Bunny Rim Run0.3 mi
11 more trails
Carillon Crest
0.3 miRock Trail
0.2 miOld Blue Pool Trail
0.2 miBeaver-Deer-Rock-Fox Trail
0.2 miDogwood Dell Trail
0.1 miOwl Hollow Trail
0.1 miSycamore Draw
0.1 miNut Ridge
0.1 miEagle Trail
0.1 miDeer Trace
0.1 miBeaver Falls Bottom
0.1 miBiking & sports
8.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
17Baseball
15Tennis
8Pickleball
5Soccer
3Football
1Cricket
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Godfrey, Benjamin, Memorial ChapelBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Godfrey
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Godfrey →
Next door
Godfrey and its neighbors
Godfrey has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godfrey | 9% | 0.4 | 22 | 26% | B |
| Alton | 6% | 0.5 | 20 | 59% | B+ |
| Alton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Foster Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 2% | D |
| Elsah Township | 10% | 0.4 | 322 | 28% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Godfrey
Where can I hike in Godfrey?
The longest trail networks: Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve, 8.6 miles; Glazebrook Park, 0.4 miles; Godfrey Ball Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Godfrey is conserved land?
9% 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 Godfrey’s trails?
Mississippi Sanctuary/Olin Nature Preserve and Glazebrook Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Godfrey?
8.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Godfrey?
9,048 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Godfrey or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 712 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Godfrey have?
Ahead of 57% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #438 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 Godfrey 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 →