Big Bend State Conservation Area
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
2,224 acres5.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Portland Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Portland Township
The biggest trail networks: Big Bend State Conservation Area (5.6 mi). 5% of Portland Township’s land is conserved, about 1,084 acres. 12 miles of mapped trail cross Portland Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
5%
1,084 acres · of 34.7 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
636 ft
Thunderbolt Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
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 Big Bend State Conservation Area, with 5.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,084 conserved acres
5% of Portland Township’s land. Who manages Portland Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)1,084 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,084 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,084 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
Things to do
4 places to go in Portland Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Portland Township
Erie Boat Launch
DirectionsPeaks in Portland Township
Thunderbolt Hill636 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Portland Township
Blue Lake Resort
DirectionsErie Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Portland 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) | 9.5 | 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 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 48 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Portland Township →
Next door
Portland Township and its neighbors
Portland Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Portland Township12 miErie Township8.3 miCanoe Creek Township3.5 miPhenix Township2.6 miFenton Township1.9 miProphetstown Township0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Erie Township | 3% | 0.3 | 2 | 33% | C |
| Fenton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Canoe Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Prophetstown Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 25 | 73% | C |
| Phenix Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Portland Township
Where can I hike in Portland Township?
The longest trail networks: Big Bend State Conservation Area, 5.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Portland Township’s trails?
Big Bend State Conservation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Portland Township?
2,436 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portland Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Portland 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 →