Lowden-Miller State Forest
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
2,291 acres23.9 mi of trail
Backbone Ridge
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Chana School · Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Oregon-Nashua Township
Oregon-Nashua Township has 3,588 acres of parks, 752 for every 1,000 residents
19% of Oregon-Nashua Township’s land is conserved, about 4,716 acres. 39 miles of mapped trail cross Oregon-Nashua Township, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Lowden-Miller State Forest (23.9 mi), Castle Rock State Park (9.1 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #24 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
4,716 acres · of 38.4 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,588 ac
752 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.2 mi
3.2 mi paths
Highest peak
899 ft
Devils Backbone
Lakes & rivers
1
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Oregon-Nashua Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam752 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild19% of the land is conserved; a typical Illinois town, 4%.A trail town1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 80% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oregon-Nashua Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oregon-Nashua Township is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #24 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Oregon-Nashua Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land752 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,588 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home84% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 97%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A 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 Lowden-Miller State Forest, with 23.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Castle Rock State Park
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,587 acres9.1 mi of trail
Heather Valley TrailWildlife Viewing TrailForest Ridge TrailOak Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
George B. Fell Nature Preserve
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
715 acres0.3 mi of trail
Oak Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking @ George B Fell Nature Preserve trailhead
All 12 parks & preserves
Lowden-Miller State Forest2,291 acres · 23.9 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCastle Rock State Park1,587 acres · 9.1 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsGeorge B. Fell Nature Preserve715 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLowden State Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Carnation Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFairground Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOregon Park West58 acres
DirectionsPark East23 acres
DirectionsMix Park3 acres
Lions Park2 acres
DirectionsWilliams Park1 acres
Kiwanis Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,716 conserved acres
19% of Oregon-Nashua Township’s land. Who manages Oregon-Nashua Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,186 ac
State conservation932 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits367 ac
Town or city150 ac
Other state land11 ac
State Conservation Area · 2,345 acState Park · 1,765 acConservation Easement · 932 acPrivate Park · 237 acUnknown · 133 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 97 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowden-Miller State Forest State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2,337 | Open |
| Castle Rock State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,754 | Open |
| Kyte River Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 237 | Open |
| Sand Ridge Prairie Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 83 | Open |
| 1100 Jefferson St Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Devil's Backbone Natural Heritage Landmark Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 42 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Lowden State Park State Park | Other state land | 11 | Open |
| Jack's Landing Unknown | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| 120 N River Rd Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
31 places to go in Oregon-Nashua Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Oregon-Nashua Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Oregon-Nashua Township
Village Way Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Oregon-Nashua Township
Canoe launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Oregon-Nashua Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Oregon-Nashua Township
Castle Rock Scenic OutlookIn Castle Rock State Park
DirectionsCastle Rock Scenic OutlookIn Castle Rock State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Oregon-Nashua Township
Devils Backbone899 ft elevation
DirectionsCastle Rock748 ft elevation · In Castle Rock State Park
DirectionsPlus 5 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Oregon-Nashua Township
Valley View Picnic AreaIn Castle Rock State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Oregon-Nashua Township
Camp LowdenBlackhawk Area Council
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 24.4 mi
Heather Valley Trail1.7 mi
Wildlife Viewing Trail1.3 mi
Oak Ridge Trail1.2 mi
Forest Ridge Trail1.0 mi
River Bluff Trail0.6 mi
Fox Trail0.6 mi
Pond Trail0.5 mi
Timber Edge0.4 mi
Backbone Ridge0.2 mi
Black Hawk Trail0.2 mi
1 more trails
Vesper Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
7Soccer
6Baseball
4Pickleball
3Basketball
3Tennis
1Softball
1Volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Chana SchoolBuilding · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Oregon-Nashua 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 34 | 47 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 48 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Oregon-Nashua Township →
Next door
Oregon-Nashua Township and its neighbors
Oregon-Nashua Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oregon-Nashua Township39 miRockvale Township20 miTaylor Township16 miPine Creek Township9.2 miPine Rock Township1.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon-Nashua Township | 19% | 1.0 | 752 | 84% | A+ |
| Pine Rock Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pine Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Taylor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rockvale Township | 6% | 0.6 | 299 | 34% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Oregon-Nashua Township
Where can I hike in Oregon-Nashua Township?
The longest trail networks: Lowden-Miller State Forest, 23.9 miles; Castle Rock State Park, 9.1 miles; George B. Fell Nature Preserve, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oregon-Nashua Township is conserved land?
19% 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 Oregon-Nashua Township’s trails?
Lowden-Miller State Forest and Castle Rock State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oregon-Nashua Township?
3.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Oregon-Nashua Township?
7,080 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oregon-Nashua Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,722 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Oregon-Nashua Township have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #24 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 Oregon-Nashua 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 →