Grafton Township has 28 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Deicke Park (2.7 mi), Pleasant Valley (1.3 mi), Peter J Exner Marsh Convervation Area (1.3 mi). 8% of Grafton Township’s land is conserved, about 1,801 acres.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #113 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Grafton Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Grafton Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Grafton Township is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #113 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Deicke Park, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pleasant Valley
Peter J Exner Marsh Convervation Area
Sunset Park
Jack and Bob Tures Park
All 23 parks & preserves
1,801 conserved acres
8% of Grafton Township’s land. Who manages Grafton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 171 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 54 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lussky Marsh State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 241 | Open |
| Pleasant Valley 10 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 168 | Open |
| Pinecrest Golf Club Unknown | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Crystal Lake Unknown | Town or city | 118 | Open |
| Hum Hennig/Kloempken 1 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 113 | Open |
| Pleasant Valley 11 State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 113 | Unknown |
| Sunset Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Hum Hennig/Kloempken 2 State Recreation Area | Regional agency | 70 | Open |
| Betsey Warrington Park Local Park | Regional agency | 67 | Open |
| HUM Railroad Prairie East Private Conservation | Private owners | 42 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
65 places to go in Grafton Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
62 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
43 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
September is the best month for walking in Grafton 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
January 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 Grafton Township →
Grafton Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton Township | 8% | 0.8 | 28 | 95% | A |
| Rutland Township | 16% | 0.9 | 116 | 88% | A |
| Coral Township | 6% | 0.2 | 224 | 23% | B |
| Dorr Township | 7% | 0.6 | 54 | 85% | A− |
| Algonquin | 8% | 0.3 | 23 | 99% | A− |
| Huntley | 6% | 1.3 | 21 | 85% | A− |
| Crystal Lake | 10% | 1.0 | 40 | 97% | A |
| Algonquin Township | 12% | 1.1 | 40 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Grafton Township
Where can I hike in Grafton Township?
The longest trail networks: Deicke Park, 2.7 miles; Pleasant Valley, 1.3 miles; Peter J Exner Marsh Convervation Area, 1.3 miles; Sunset Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Grafton Township is conserved land?
8% 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 Grafton Township’s trails?
Deicke Park and Pleasant Valley don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Grafton Township?
43 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of painted or protected lanes and 41 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Grafton Township?
25,773 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Grafton Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,734 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Grafton Township have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #113 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 Grafton Township neighbors.
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 →