Glacial Park Conservation Area
Nature preserve
2,888 acres11.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Richmond Township
Richmond Township has 1,343 acres of parks, 199 for every 1,000 residents
12% of Richmond Township’s land is conserved, about 2,564 acres. The biggest trail networks: Glacial Park Conservation Area (11.2 mi), Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve (1.4 mi), Thelen Park (0.5 mi). 19 miles of mapped trail cross Richmond Township, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #120 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
2,564 acres · of 32.9 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,343 ac
199 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
70%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
11 mi paths
Highest peak
906 ft
Hill Fifteen
Lakes & rivers
1
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Richmond Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Richmond Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Richmond Township is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #120 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 Richmond Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (19 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land199 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,343 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home70% 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 86%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 84%
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 Glacial Park Conservation Area, with 11.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
321 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
North Branch Conservation Area
Managed by McHenry County Conservation District
531 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Glacial Park Conservation Area2,888 acres · 11.2 mi of trail
DirectionsElizabeth Lake Nature Preserve321 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsThelen Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHorse Fair Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
North Branch Conservation Area531 acres · McHenry County Conservation District
DirectionsHackmatack National Wildlife Refuge185 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsBennet Park17 acres
DirectionsTryon Creek Woods2 acres
Who protects it
2,564 conserved acres
12% of Richmond Township’s land. Who manages Richmond Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,149 ac
State conservation502 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)308 ac
Private owners249 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits198 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service195 ac
Town or city189 ac
Local Park · 1,166 acConservation Easement · 1,023 acState Conservation Area · 222 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 195 acLocal Other or Unknown · 143 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 822 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 48 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacial Park 8 Local Park | Regional agency | 322 | Open |
| Glacial Park Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Private owners | 208 | Closed |
| Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 195 | Restricted |
| Glacial Park 21 Local Park | Regional agency | 158 | Open |
| Glacial Park 38 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 80 | Unknown |
| Glacial Park Local Park | Regional agency | 68 | Open |
| Glacial Park 23 Local Park | Regional agency | 67 | Open |
| Glacial Park 26 Local Park | Regional agency | 60 | Open |
| Glacial Park 40 Local Park | Regional agency | 55 | Open |
| Glacial Park 22 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 49 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Richmond Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Richmond Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Richmond Township
Keystone LandingIn Glacial Park Conservation Area
DirectionsPioneer LandingHours: Jan 20-Nov 1 sunrise-sunset · In Glacial Park Conservation Area
DirectionsScenic views in Richmond Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Richmond Township
Hill Fifteen906 ft elevation
DirectionsCamelback Kame879 ft elevation · In Glacial Park Conservation Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Richmond Township
North Branch Conservation Area (cyclists only)Fee · In North Branch Conservation Area
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Baseball
5Soccer
1Football
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Richmond Township: July to 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 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Richmond Township →
Next door
Richmond Township and its neighbors
Richmond Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Township | 12% | 0.6 | 199 | 70% | A |
| Burton Township | 8% | 0.2 | 78 | 85% | A− |
| Hebron Township | 5% | 0.1 | 345 | 71% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Richmond Township
Where can I hike in Richmond Township?
The longest trail networks: Glacial Park Conservation Area, 11.2 miles; Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve, 1.4 miles; Thelen Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Richmond Township is conserved land?
12% 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 Richmond Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Richmond Township?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Richmond Township?
21,988 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Richmond Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,343 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Richmond Township have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #120 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 Richmond 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 →