Flagg Township Public Library · Photo: Andy McMurray · CC BY 2.598% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Rochelle
303 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents. 1.6 miles of mapped trail cross Rochelle, 0.1 per square mile of land. 3% of Rochelle’s land is conserved, about 301 acres.
Ahead of 67% of U.S. towns · #335 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Rochelle?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Rochelle have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rochelle is ahead of 67% of U.S. towns, #335 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Atwood Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Drexler Park
All 14 parks & preserves
301 conserved acres
3% of Rochelle’s land. Who manages Rochelle’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyle Kunde Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 153 | Open |
| Drexler Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Vfw Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Helms Park & Athletic Complex Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Cooper Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Mid West Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Floyd J Tilton Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Atwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
5 places to go in Rochelle
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
5.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Rochelle: 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) | 29 | 34 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rochelle →
Rochelle and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochelle | 3% | 0.1 | 32 | 98% | B+ |
| Flagg Township | 2% | 0.1 | 36 | 83% | B− |
| Hillcrest | under 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 97% | C− |
| Dement Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rochelle
Where can I hike in Rochelle?
The longest trail networks: Atwood Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rochelle is conserved land?
3% 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 Rochelle’s trails?
Atwood Park and Drexler Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rochelle?
5.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Rochelle?
828 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rochelle or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 317 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Rochelle have?
Ahead of 67% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #335 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 Rochelle neighbors.
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 →