Anna Page Park
Managed by Rockford Park District
524 acres6.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Alexbaumgarner · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Rockford
6% of Rockford’s land is conserved: 2,723 acres
The biggest trail networks: Anna Page Park (6.3 mi), Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden (3.1 mi), Mercyhealth Sportscore One (2.2 mi). 87% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 30 miles of mapped trail cross Rockford, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 73% of U.S. towns · #270 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
2,723 acres · of 65.4 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,564 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
57 mi
14 mi lanes · 36 mi paths
Highest peak
715 ft
Turtle Mound
Lakes & rivers
10
2 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Rockford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rockford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rockford is ahead of 73% of U.S. towns, #270 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rockford’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,564 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home87% 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 73%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 65%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Rockford ranks #253 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be B+. 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 Anna Page Park, with 6.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
141 acres3.1 mi of trail
Outback TrailTaylor TrailLegume TrailWildflower Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mercyhealth Sportscore One
Managed by Rockford Park District
156 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lockwood Park
Managed by Rockford Park District
94 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Washington Park
Managed by Rockford Park District
16 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Churchill Park
Park
14 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Levings Lake Park and Standfield Beach
Managed by Rockford Park District
134 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 66 parks & preserves
Anna Page Park524 acres · 6.3 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsKlehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden141 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsMercyhealth Sportscore One156 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsLockwood Park94 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsWashington Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsFairgrounds Park19 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChurchill Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Levings Lake Park and Standfield Beach134 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsHarmon Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Tinker Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHaskell Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAldeen Park111 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBlackhawk Park110 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsAlpine Park68 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTwin Sisters Hills - Dahlquist Park43 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsAlpine Meadows Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Liberty Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDavis Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rockford
DirectionsMariposa Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeattie Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
DirectionsHeritage Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Rockford Park District
Searls Park270 acres · Rockford Park DIstrict
DirectionsSearls Park Prairie Nature Reserve132 acres
DirectionsSinnissippi Park and Golf Course57 acres · Rockford Park District
DirectionsTalcott-Page Park23 acres
Carlson Nelles Park19 acres
GEM Field Park18 acres
Guilford Center Park13 acres
DirectionsMulford Crest Park11 acres
Kennedy Park11 acres
Brookview School Park10 acres
DirectionsTenth Avenue Park10 acres · Rockford Park District
Hunter Park9 acres
Gambino Park9 acres
DirectionsForest Hills View Park9 acres
DirectionsSoutheast Park8 acres
Belden Park8 acres
DirectionsHuffman Park7 acres
Ken-Rock Park5 acres
Brown Park5 acres
DirectionsSwan Hillman Park5 acres
South Park5 acres
DirectionsNelson Park5 acres
DirectionsAndrews Park4 acres
Conklin Park4 acres
Oxford Park4 acres
DirectionsBressler Park4 acres
Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza4 acres
Bloom School Park4 acres
DirectionsBeyer Stadium Park4 acres · Rockford Park District
DirectionsHighland Park4 acres
Ingersol Centennial Park4 acres
DirectionsMandeville Park3 acres
Wells Park3 acres
Garfield Avenue Park3 acres
Henrietta Park3 acres
Ridge Park3 acres
Franz Park3 acres
Williams Park2 acres
Collins Park2 acres
Nelson Boulevard Park2 acres · Rockford Park District
Kilbuck Bluffs Forest Preserve1 acres · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
Winnebago County Forest Preserve Headquarters1 acres
Sunset Park1 acres
DirectionsWester Park1 acres
DirectionsGateway Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,723 conserved acres
6% of Rockford’s land. Who manages Rockford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,506 ac
Town or city1,056 ac
County152 ac
State conservation127 ac
Private owners4 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2 ac
Local Park · 2,020 acLocal Recreation Area · 499 acLocal Conservation Area · 168 acConservation Easement · 127 acUnknown · 30 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Page Park Local Park | Regional agency | 328 | Open |
| Searls Park Prairie Nature Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 275 | Open |
| Park Local Park | Town or city | 166 | Restricted |
| Carl & Lois Klehm Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 152 | Open |
| Aldeen Golf Club Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 142 | Open |
| Sandy Hollow Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 127 | Open |
| Levings Park Local Park | Regional agency | 120 | Open |
| Mercy Sportscore Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 116 | Open |
| Ingersoll Memorial Park and Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 111 | Open |
| Blackhawk Park Local Park | Regional agency | 99 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
106 places to go in Rockford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rockford
Standfield BeachIn Levings Lake Park and Standfield Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Rockford
10th Ave Park PlaygroundIn Tenth Avenue Park
DirectionsBlack Hawk Park PlaygroundIn Blackhawk Park
DirectionsFair Grounds PlaygroundIn Fairgrounds Park
DirectionsGateway childrends playgroundIn Gateway Park
DirectionsGateway playgroundIn Gateway Park
DirectionsHighland PlaygroundIn Highland Park
DirectionsInegersol Centenntial Playground
DirectionsIngersoll Golf Course Playground
Directions6 more playgrounds
Kevin Erwin Memorial PlaygroundIn Bloom School Park
DirectionsLower PlaygroundIn Lockwood Park
DirectionsMorgan Street PlaygroundIn Liberty Park
DirectionsOutdoor Rock River Discovery Park
DirectionsSaturn Park
DirectionsVarious Play AreaIn Fairgrounds Park
Directions88 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Rockford
Canine Corners Dog ParkIn Searls Park
DirectionsCanine Corners Off -Leash Dog ParkIn Searls Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Rockford
5 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Rockford
Turtle Mound715 ft elevation · In Beattie Park
DirectionsLookout PointIn Sinnissippi Park and Golf Course
DirectionsDisc golf in Rockford
Disc Golf Course EastIn Anna Page Park
DirectionsDisc Golf Course WestIn Anna Page Park
DirectionsPlus 1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Rockford
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miUnpaved · 12.1 mi
Outback Trail0.8 mi
Magic Carpet0.7 mi
Freestyle (Skills Loop)0.5 mi
Taylor Trail0.4 mi
Legume Trail0.2 mi
Wildflower Trail0.2 mi
The Rock0.1 mi
Sweetshrub Trail0.1 mi
Hawthorn Trail0.1 mi
Pine Trail0.1 mi
4 more trails
Elm Trail
0.1 miCrabapple Trail
0.1 miSilverbell Trail
0.1 miWeeping Willow Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
57 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
14 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
36 mi
off-road bike paths
6.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Grand Illinois Trail - Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park to Rock Cut State ParkBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
100Tennis
74Baseball
44Basketball
35Soccer
11Football
6Softball
3Pickleball
3Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →34 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Tinker Swiss CottageBuilding · listed 1972
About itSoldiers and Sailors Memorial HallBuilding · listed 1976
About itGraham-Ginestra HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itCoronadoBuilding · listed 1979
About itAmos Catlin Spafford HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itEast Rockford Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itHerrick CobblestoneBuilding · listed 1980
About itLake-Peterson HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itLysander Jacoby HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itHaight Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itBeattie Park Mound GroupSite · listed 1991
About itChick HouseBuilding · listed 1997
About it22 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Rockford
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 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
January is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rockford →
Next door
Rockford and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Harlem Township52 miRockford Township51 miLoves Park45 miRockford30 miCherry Valley17 miNew Milford13 miOwen Township5.0 miMachesney Park5.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford | 6% | 0.5 | 17 | 87% | B+ |
| Loves Park | 34% | 2.7 | 146 | 85% | A+ |
| New Milford | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Owen Township | 2% | 0.1 | 154 | 28% | B− |
| Machesney Park | 6% | 0.4 | 22 | 85% | B+ |
| Cherry Valley | 38% | 2.1 | 524 | 61% | A+ |
| Harlem Township | 18% | 1.6 | 96 | 84% | A+ |
| Rockford 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 Rockford
Where can I hike in Rockford?
The longest trail networks: Anna Page Park, 6.3 miles; Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 3.1 miles; Mercyhealth Sportscore One, 2.2 miles; Lockwood Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rockford 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 Rockford’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden (on leash) and Mercyhealth Sportscore One (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rockford?
57 miles of bike routes are on the map: 14 of painted or protected lanes, 36 of off-road paths and 6.0 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Grand Illinois Trail - Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park to Rock Cut State Park.
Is there public land near Rockford?
16,058 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rockford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,594 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Rockford have?
Ahead of 73% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #270 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 Rockford 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 →