Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in River Forest Township
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Thatcher Woods Preserve (4.9 mi), G.A.R. Woods Preserve (0.8 mi). 2% of River Forest Township’s land is conserved, about 30 acres.
Conserved land
2%
30 acres · of 2.5 sq mi of land
Trails
7.1 mi
2.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
63 ac
5.3 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
0.5 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
2
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Thatcher Woods Preserve, with 4.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Thatcher Woods Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
243 acres4.9 mi of trail
Trailside Museum of Natural History Trails Red PrimitiveTrailside Museum of Natural History Trails Yellow PrimitiveTrailside Museum of Natural History Trails Brown PrimitiveTrailside Museum of Natural History Trails Green Primitive+1
2% of River Forest Township’s land. Who manages River Forest Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency30 ac
Local Park · 28 acUnknown · 2 ac
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)
Managed by
Acres
Public access
Keystone Park
Local Park
Regional agency
9
Open
Priory Park
Local Park
Regional agency
9
Open
Constitution Park
Local Park
Regional agency
3
Open
Centennial Park
Local Park
Regional agency
3
Open
Thatcher Woods - Surplus Property
Unknown
Regional agency
2
Open
Washington Commons
Local Park
Regional agency
2
Open
Memorial Parkway
Local Park
Regional agency
1
Open
Washington Square
Local Park
Regional agency
1
Open
Washington Triangle
Local Park
Regional agency
1
Open
Things to do
16 places to go in River Forest Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
30Tennis
12Baseball
11Soccer
3Basketball
3Football
2Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in River Forest Township: April, July 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)
32
36
47
59
70
80
84
82
76
63
49
37
Rain (in)
2.0
1.8
2.3
3.8
4.6
4.3
3.7
4.0
3.3
3.5
2.5
2.1
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in River Forest Township →
Next door
River Forest Township and its neighbors
River Forest Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in River Forest Township
Where can I hike in River Forest Township?
The longest trail networks: Thatcher Woods Preserve, 4.9 miles; G.A.R. Woods Preserve, 0.8 miles; Priory Park, 0.3 miles; Thomas Jefferson Woods Preserve, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on River Forest Township’s trails?
Thatcher Woods Preserve and G.A.R. Woods Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in River Forest Township?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near River Forest Township?
10,713 acres of parks and open public land lie inside River Forest Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 66 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from River Forest Township neighbors.
Photo: DFHoulihan · CC BY-SA 4.0