Photo: Chamber221 · CC BY-SA 3.098% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Morrison
The biggest trail networks: Sports Complex (1.2 mi). 121 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents. 1.7 miles of mapped trail cross Morrison, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #141 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Morrison?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Morrison have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Morrison is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #141 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land 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 Sports Complex, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Whiteside County Fairgrounds
Waterworks Park
All 6 parks & preserves
75 conserved acres
5% of Morrison’s land. Who manages Morrison’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrison Sport Complex Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| French Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Waterworks Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Kelly Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Veteran'S Park & Memorial Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
3 places to go in Morrison
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 lakes & rivers
3.2 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.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
April is the best month for walking in Morrison
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) | 30 | 35 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 48 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Morrison →
Questions about parks and trails in Morrison
Where can I hike in Morrison?
The longest trail networks: Sports Complex, 1.2 miles; Waterworks Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Morrison is conserved land?
5% 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 Morrison’s trails?
Sports Complex and Whiteside County Fairgrounds don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Morrison?
3.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes and 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Morrison?
2,514 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Morrison or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 121 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Morrison have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #141 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 Morrison 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 →