Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
106 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Chicago & North Western Railway Stone Arch Bridge · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Roscoe Township
Roscoe Township has 690 acres of parks, 34 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve (2 mi), Founders Park (1.1 mi). 44% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Roscoe Township’s land is conserved, about 785 acres.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #474 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
785 acres · of 30.7 sq mi of land
Trails
7.2 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
690 ac
34 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Roscoe Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Roscoe Township is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #474 of 768 in Illinois. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Roscoe Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land34 acres of park per 1,000 residents (690 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home44% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 54%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 38%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to 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 Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Founders Park
Park
15 acres1.1 mi of trail
Founders Park Walking Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Stone Bridge Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
96 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Burr Oak Valley
Managed by Natural Land Institute
92 acres
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve106 acres · 2 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
Founders Park15 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Stone Bridge Forest Preserve96 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsSouth Beloit Municipal Park72 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBurr Oak Valley92 acres · Natural Land Institute
Riverside Park73 acres
Hawes Park50 acres
Kelley Meyers Park36 acres · Roscoe Township
Hononegah Forest Preserve4 acres · Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
DirectionsLeland Park4 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
785 conserved acres
4% of Roscoe Township’s land. Who manages Roscoe Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city300 ac
County276 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits143 ac
State conservation130 ac
Regional agency37 ac
Private owners33 ac
State natural resources21 ac
Local Park · 292 acLocal Conservation Area · 276 acConservation Easement · 102 acUnknown · 96 acUnknown Easement · 96 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 42 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Beloit City Park Local Park | Town or city | 183 | Open |
| Ledges Golf Course Local Conservation Area | County | 170 | Open |
| Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 88 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 73 | Open |
| Burr Oak Valley Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 62 | Open |
| Upper Rock 002-06 State Conservation Area | Regional agency | 37 | Open |
| McCleary Woods Addition to Burr Oak Valley Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 33 | Open |
| Kelley-Myers Park Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Stone Bridge Reserve Land and Water Reserve Private Conservation | Private owners | 29 | Closed |
| Unnamed Forest Preserve Property Local Conservation Area | County | 14 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
8 places to go in Roscoe Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Roscoe Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Roscoe Township
City Park PlaygroundIn South Beloit Municipal Park
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.6 mi
Founders Park Walking Path0.6 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
12 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
9Baseball
4Tennis
3Basketball
3Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Chicago & North Western Railway Stone Arch BridgeStructure · listed 1993
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Roscoe Township
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 | 33 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Roscoe Township →
Next door
Roscoe Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Harlem Township52 miRockton Township27 miManchester Township11 miRoscoe Township7.2 miRockton7.2 miMachesney Park5.0 miOwen Township5.0 miRoscoe1.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscoe Township | 4% | 0.2 | 34 | 44% | B− |
| Harlem Township | 18% | 1.6 | 96 | 84% | A+ |
| Machesney Park | 6% | 0.4 | 22 | 85% | B+ |
| Rockton Township | 10% | 0.8 | 57 | 70% | A− |
| Owen Township | 2% | 0.1 | 154 | 28% | B− |
| Roscoe | 4% | 0.2 | 21 | 48% | B− |
| Manchester Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rockton | 12% | 1.0 | 69 | 59% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Roscoe Township
Where can I hike in Roscoe Township?
The longest trail networks: Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve, 2 miles; Founders Park, 1.1 miles; Stone Bridge Forest Preserve, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Roscoe Township is conserved land?
4% 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 Roscoe Township’s trails?
Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve and Founders Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Roscoe Township?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Roscoe Township?
9,517 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Roscoe Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 733 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Roscoe Township have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #474 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 Roscoe 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 →