Oakdale Nature Preserve
Managed by Freeport Park District
128 acres5.5 mi of trail
Perimeter TrailCranes Grove TrailBuss Loop TrailCliffside Forest Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Silver Creek Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Silver Creek Township
The biggest trail networks: Oakdale Nature Preserve (5.5 mi). 81 acres are parks and preserves, 175 per 1,000 residents. 8.7 miles of mapped trail cross Silver Creek Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
1%
185 acres · of 34.8 sq mi of land
Trails
8.7 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
81 ac
175 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
12%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
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 Oakdale Nature Preserve, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Indian Gardens
Nature preserve
47 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
185 conserved acres
1% of Silver Creek Township’s land. Who manages Silver Creek Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city134 ac
State natural resources53 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits49 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)1 ac
State Conservation Area · 134 acConservation Easement · 54 acUnknown · 49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 134 | Open |
| Indian Gardens Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 49 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in Silver Creek Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Silver Creek Township
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.4 mi
Perimeter Trail1.2 mi
Buss Loop Trail0.8 mi
Cranes Grove Trail0.7 mi
Cliffside Forest Trail0.6 mi
Newell Prairie Loop0.5 mi
Upland Forest Trail0.4 mi
Little Oak Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Silver Creek Township: 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 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
January is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Silver Creek Township →
Next door
Silver Creek Township and its neighbors
Silver Creek Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Silver Creek Township8.7 miRidott Township5.1 miFreeport2.3 miFreeport Township2.3 miLancaster Township0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lancaster Township | 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 13% | D |
| Freeport | 8% | 0.2 | 26 | 83% | B+ |
| Freeport Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ridott Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 24% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Silver Creek Township
Where can I hike in Silver Creek Township?
The longest trail networks: Oakdale Nature Preserve, 5.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Silver Creek Township’s trails?
Oakdale Nature Preserve and Indian Gardens don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Silver Creek Township?
1,044 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Silver Creek Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 132 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Silver Creek 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 →