Paul Douglas Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
1,789 acres23 mi of trail
CAMBr Yellow TrailCAMBR Brown TrailCAMBr Orange TrailCAMBR Tan Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Palatine Township
Palatine Township has 52 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 10% of Palatine Township’s land is conserved, about 2,347 acres. The biggest trail networks: Paul Douglas Forest Preserve (23 mi), Deer Grove Forest Preserve (12 mi), Baker's Lake (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #144 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
2,347 acres · of 35.7 sq mi of land
Trails
52 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
926 ac
8.3 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
57 mi
7.2 mi lanes · 49 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
What kind of outdoors town is Palatine Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Palatine Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Palatine Township is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #144 of 768 in Illinois. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Palatine Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (52 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land8.3 acres of park per 1,000 residents (926 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 81%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Palatine Township ranks #145 on Outdoors.
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 Paul Douglas Forest Preserve, with 23 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Deer Grove Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
1,735 acres12 mi of trail
Deer Grove - East Brown Unpaved LoopDeer Grove - East Green Hiking TrailPurple Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Baker's Lake
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
258 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Baker's Lake Younghusband Prairie
Charlemagne Park
Park
33 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
South Park
Managed by Salt Creek Rural Park District
32 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Birchwood Park
Managed by Palatine Park District
13 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pine Park
Park
10 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
North Salk Park
Managed by Rolling Meadows Park District
21 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 66 parks & preserves
Paul Douglas Forest Preserve1,789 acres · 23 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsDeer Grove Forest Preserve1,735 acres · 12 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsBaker's Lake258 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsCharlemagne Park33 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
South Park32 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Salt Creek Rural Park District
DirectionsBirchwood Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Palatine Park District
DirectionsPine Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
North Salk Park21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Rolling Meadows Park District
DirectionsRolling Meadows Community Center Fields19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Rolling Meadows Park District
Community Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Palatine Park District
DirectionsWillow Recreation Area14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJuniper Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBaker's Lake Nature Preserve90 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsMargreth Reimer Reservoir69 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Palatine Park District
DirectionsSouth Ridge Lake Park26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Salk Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Rolling Meadows Park District
Aspen Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Palatine Park District
DirectionsOlmstead Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHuntington Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKimball Hill Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rolling Meadows Park District
DirectionsColony Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lombardy Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Tom T. Hamilton Park48 acres · Palatine Park District
Birchwood Park South42 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsWestbury Lake Park15 acres
DirectionsLindberg Park13 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsMaple Park10 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsKingston Park9 acres
North Park9 acres
DirectionsOsage Park7 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsOak Park6 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsPlum Grove Park6 acres · Rolling Meadows Park District
North Ridge Lake Park5 acres
Willowwood Park5 acres · Palatine Park District
Chestnut Park5 acres · Palatine Park District
New Brittany Park5 acres
DirectionsAshwood Park5 acres · Palatine Park District
Eagle Park4 acres · Palatine Park District
Hummingbird Park4 acres
DirectionsValley Park4 acres
Falcon Park4 acres
DirectionsSycamore Park4 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsCountryside Park3 acres
The Grove3 acres · Rolling Meadows Park District
DirectionsNorth Greenway Park3 acres
DirectionsArbor Day Park3 acres
Directions90 North Park2 acres
Winston Park2 acres · Salt Creek Rural Park District
Colony Point Nature Area2 acres
Patridge Park2 acres · Palatine Park District
Mallard Park2 acres · Palatine Park District
Locust Park2 acres · Palatine Park District
Sunset Park2 acres · Rolling Meadows Park District
Cottonwood Park2 acres · Rolling Meadows Park District
DirectionsTowne Square2 acres · Palatine Park District
DirectionsHeron Park2 acres · Palatine Park District
Willow Park1 acres
DirectionsWhippoorwill Park1 acres · Palatine Park District
Wally Degner Park1 acres
Thornbark Park1 acres
Sparrow Park1 acres · Palatine Park District
Cedar Park1 acres · Palatine Park District
Peregrine Park1 acres · Palatine Park District
Sundance Park1 acres
DirectionsRose Park1 acres · Salt Creek Rural Park District
Hawthorne Park1 acres · Palatine Park District
Who protects it
2,347 conserved acres
10% of Palatine Township’s land. Who manages Palatine Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,395 ac
Regional agency754 ac
Private owners151 ac
Town or city50 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,395 acLocal Park · 650 acPrivate Park · 148 acLocal Recreation Area · 93 acLocal Conservation Area · 51 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,391 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 148 | Open |
| Twin Lakes Recreational Area Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 73 | Open |
| Tom T Hamilton Park Local Park | Regional agency | 57 | Open |
| Plum Grove Reservoir Local Park | Regional agency | 55 | Open |
| Margreth Riemer Reservoir Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 51 | Open |
| South Ridge Park Local Park | Regional agency | 29 | Open |
| South Park Local Park | Regional agency | 29 | Open |
| Palatine Prairie Local Park | Regional agency | 29 | Open |
| Community Center Park Local Park | Regional agency | 24 | Open |
| South Salk Park Local Park | Regional agency | 21 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
79 places to go in Palatine Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Palatine Township
Meadow Edge Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Palatine Township
Chickadee Park
DirectionsHidden Playground
Directions66 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Palatine Township
Bo's Run Dog ParkIn Willow Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Palatine Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Palatine Township
Deer Grove East Picnic Shelter 2In Deer Grove Forest Preserve
DirectionsDeer Grove East Picnic Shelter 3In Deer Grove Forest Preserve
DirectionsDeer Grove East Picnic Shelter 4In Deer Grove Forest Preserve
DirectionsDeer Grove East Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Deer Grove Forest Preserve
DirectionsDeer Grove Picnic Grove 3In Deer Grove Forest Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Palatine Township
Camp ReinbergFee · In Deer Grove Forest Preserve · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 20.1 miHorses · 0.7 miUnpaved · 17.4 mi
CAMBr Yellow Trail5.2 mi
CAMBR Brown Trail4.6 mi
CAMBr Orange Trail3.6 mi
Deer Grove - East Brown Unpaved Loop2.3 mi
CAMBR Tan Trail2.2 mi
CAMBR Purple Trail1.0 mi
Deer Grove - East Green Hiking Trail0.5 mi
Connector0.2 mi
CAMBR Green Trail0.1 mi
CAMBR Red Trail0.1 mi
1 more trails
Purple Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
57 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
49 mi
off-road bike paths
1.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Deer Grove - East Brown Unpaved LoopBike route
2.3 miPurple Connection TrailBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
80Tennis
57Baseball
25Soccer
20Basketball
18Pickleball
4Tracks
4Football
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Palatine 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) | 30 | 35 | 46 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Palatine Township →
Next door
Palatine Township and its neighbors
Palatine Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Barrington Township73 miPalatine Township52 miHoffman Estates35 miSchaumburg Township30 miWheeling Township19 miArlington Heights10 miPalatine6.8 miInverness1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palatine Township | 10% | 1.4 | 8 | 97% | A− |
| Barrington Township | 7% | 2.1 | 82 | 79% | A |
| Wheeling Township | 5% | 0.5 | 9 | 98% | B+ |
| Arlington Heights | 5% | 0.6 | 8 | 99% | B+ |
| Palatine | 5% | 0.5 | 8 | 99% | B+ |
| Hoffman Estates | 6% | 1.7 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
| Schaumburg Township | 9% | 1.0 | 14 | 99% | A |
| Inverness | 5% | 0.2 | 13 | 80% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Palatine Township
Where can I hike in Palatine Township?
The longest trail networks: Paul Douglas Forest Preserve, 23 miles; Deer Grove Forest Preserve, 12 miles; Baker's Lake, 1.2 miles; Charlemagne Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Palatine Township is conserved land?
10% 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 Palatine Township’s trails?
Paul Douglas Forest Preserve and Deer Grove Forest Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Palatine Township?
57 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.2 of painted or protected lanes, 49 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Deer Grove - East Brown Unpaved Loop and Purple Connection Trail.
Is there public land near Palatine Township?
27,449 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Palatine Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 931 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Palatine Township have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #144 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 Palatine 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 →