6% of Rochester’s land is conserved: 109 acres
80 acres are parks and preserves, 21 per 1,000 residents. 60% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns · #563 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
How much outdoors does Rochester have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rochester is ahead of 43% of U.S. towns, #563 of 768 in Illinois. Conserved land 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wanless Park
North Park
109 conserved acres
6% of Rochester’s land. Who manages Rochester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 45 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
10 places to go in Rochester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3.8 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.
August is the best month for walking in Rochester
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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 41 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 84 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 67 | 52 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Rochester →
Questions about parks and trails in Rochester
How much of Rochester is conserved land?
6% 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 Rochester’s trails?
Rochester Community Park and Wanless Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rochester?
3.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Rochester?
5,448 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rochester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 80 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Rochester have?
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #563 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 Rochester 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 →