Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
622 acres5 mi of trail
Horse TrailPin Oak Hiking TrailPine View Hiking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Orchard Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Orchard Township
The biggest trail networks: Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (5 mi). 3% of Orchard Township’s land is conserved, about 628 acres. 660 acres are parks and preserves, 499 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
3%
628 acres · of 36.9 sq mi of land
Trails
7.0 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
660 ac
499 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
6%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
463 ft
Potatoe Hill
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 Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, with 5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Brush Creek Church Camp
Park
29 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
628 conserved acres
3% of Orchard Township’s land. Who manages Orchard Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources628 ac
State Conservation Area · 628 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Dale Lake State Conservation Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 628 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in Orchard Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Orchard Township
Potatoe Hill463 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Potatoe Hill446 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails
Named trails
Horses · 2.9 miUnpaved · 5.2 mi
Horse Trail2.9 mi
County Road 1775N1.1 mi
Pin Oak Hiking Trail1.1 mi
Pine View Hiking Trail1.0 mi
County Road 1550N0.6 mi
When to get out
The walking year in Orchard 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 44 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 80 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Orchard Township →
Next door
Orchard Township and its neighbors
Orchard Township has the second most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Indian Prairie Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hickory Hill Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Orchard Township
Where can I hike in Orchard Township?
The longest trail networks: Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, 5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Orchard Township’s trails?
Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Brush Creek Church Camp don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Orchard Township?
1,540 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Orchard Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 660 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Orchard 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 →