Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
375 acres6.7 mi of trail
North Ring RouteCross Country LoopCreekbend TrailChicago Great Western Railway+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Keybdn at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in St. Charles Township
12% of St. Charles Township’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
40 miles of mapped trail cross St. Charles Township, 1.2 per square mile of land. 12% of St. Charles Township’s land is conserved, about 2,629 acres. 2,189 acres are parks and preserves, 42 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #35 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
2,629 acres · of 34.6 sq mi of land
Trails
40 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,189 ac
42 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
40 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 40 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is St. Charles Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does St. Charles Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, St. Charles Township is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #35 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of St. Charles Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (40 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land42 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,189 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 96%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. 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 Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve, with 6.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve
Managed by St. Charles Park District
236 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
East Side Sports Complex
Managed by St. Charles Park District
95 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hoscheit Woods Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
153 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fox River Bluff West Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
69 acres1.7 mi of trail
North Loop TrailSouth Loop TrailSouth Loop Cutover TrailNorth Loop Cutover Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
72 acres1.2 mi of trail
Grassland Loop TrailWoodland Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverbend Community Park
Park
39 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Kane County
207 acres1.1 mi of trail
Inner Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 61 parks & preserves
Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve375 acres · 6.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsHickory Knolls Nature Preserve236 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsEast Side Sports Complex95 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsHoscheit Woods Forest Preserve153 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsFox River Bluff West Forest Preserve69 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsTekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve72 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsRiverbend Community Park39 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJon J. Duerr Forest Preserve207 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsOtter Creek Bend Wetland Park73 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsPottawatomie Park20 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsJames O. Breen Community Park148 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsCambridge Park13 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFox River Bluff Forest Preserve84 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsFerson Creek Fen Nature Preserve34 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsMount Saint Mary Park23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsDavis Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Renaux Manor Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFox Chase Park21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCorron Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHunt Club Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · St
Rotary Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Baker Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJames "Pate" Philip State Park105 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsTimber Trails Park34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsHarvest Hills Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFerson Creek Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKingswood-Charlemagne Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bolcum Road Wetlands Forest Preserve5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Lincoln Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFairview Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLeroy Oakes East Forest Preserve79 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Norris Woods Nature Preserve70 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsDelnor Woods Park62 acres
DirectionsAndersen Woods Forest Preserve48 acres · Leroy Oakes East Trail
DirectionsPrimrose Farm Park46 acres · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsKane County Fairgrounds36 acres
DirectionsLangum Park28 acres
DirectionsBreen Park South Soccer Fields27 acres
DirectionsBrewster Creek Forest Preserve25 acres
DirectionsVasa Park24 acres
DirectionsRalph E Tredup Park East10 acres
DirectionsPratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve9 acres · Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Cranston Meadows Park8 acres
Brookside Park6 acres
Ralph E. Tredup Park West6 acres
DirectionsTaly Park5 acres
Silver Glen Park5 acres
West Side Park4 acres
DirectionsSugar Creek Preserve4 acres
Pickeral Point Park3 acres
DirectionsBelgium Town Park3 acres
DirectionsSurrey Hill Park3 acres
Baker Field Park2 acres
Moody Park2 acres
DirectionsKehoe Park2 acres
Red Gate Park2 acres
Wheeler Park1 acres · Geneva Park District
DirectionsLandsbrook Park1 acres
Hazletine Park1 acres
DirectionsArtesian Springs Park1 acres
City Hall Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,629 conserved acres
12% of St. Charles Township’s land. Who manages St. Charles Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,966 ac
Town or city526 ac
State conservation257 ac
Private owners122 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits87 ac
Local Park · 1,043 acLocal Conservation Area · 754 acConservation Easement · 327 acLocal Recreation Area · 307 acLocal Other or Unknown · 200 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 180 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 99 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campton Hills Park Local Park | Regional agency | 266 | Open |
| Primrose Farm Park Local Park | Regional agency | 174 | Open |
| Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 164 | Open |
| Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 164 | Open |
| Ferson Creek Forest Preserve Local Park | Regional agency | 135 | Restricted |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Regional agency | 135 | Open |
| Hickory Knolls Natural Area State Conservation Area | Town or city | 125 | Closed |
| Thornwood Retention/Bike Path Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 114 | Open |
| East Side Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 99 | Open |
| Burr Woods Marsh Private Conservation | Private owners | 93 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
125 places to go in St. Charles Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in St. Charles Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in St. Charles Township
Norris Recreation Center
DirectionsPlaygrounds in St. Charles Township
62 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in St. Charles Township
4 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in St. Charles Township
Boy Scout Island Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in St. Charles Township
3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in St. Charles Township
8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in St. Charles Township
1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in St. Charles Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in St. Charles Township
LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve Youth Camping AreaIn Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve
DirectionsDisc golf in St. Charles Township
James O. Breen Disc Golf CourseHours: sunrise-sunset · In James O. Breen Community Park · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsCommunity gardens in St. Charles Township
37 community gardens are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.9 miHorses · 2.7 miUnpaved · 18.2 mi
North Ring Route2.0 mi
Chicago Great Western Railway1.2 mi
North Loop Trail0.8 mi
Cross Country Loop0.7 mi
Meadow Loop Trail0.6 mi
South Loop Trail0.5 mi
Inner Loop Trail0.4 mi
Grassland Loop Trail0.4 mi
Creekbend Trail0.4 mi
Woodland Loop Trail0.4 mi
10 more trails
Mallard Lake Trail
0.3 miWet Meadow Loop
0.2 miSouth Border Trail
0.2 miSchool Trail
0.2 miSouth Loop Cutover Trail
0.1 miMaple Sugar Trail
0.1 miNorth Loop Cutover Trail
0.1 miBaker Park foot path
0.1 miWest Trail
0.1 miBarnyard Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
40 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
40 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
50Tennis
35Baseball
20Basketball
16Soccer
14Pickleball
10Beach volleyball
6Softball
6Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Durant HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in St. Charles Township: April, July 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) | 30 | 35 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 48 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in St. Charles Township →
Next door
St. Charles Township and its neighbors
St. Charles Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
St. Charles Township40 miCampton Township32 miGeneva Township28 miElgin Township25 miGeneva19 miCampton Hills19 miSt. Charles17 miSouth Elgin2.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Charles Township | 12% | 1.2 | 42 | 97% | A |
| Campton Township | 13% | 0.9 | 114 | 79% | A |
| St. Charles | 11% | 1.2 | 26 | 98% | A |
| Elgin Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Geneva | 14% | 1.9 | 48 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Geneva Township | 14% | 1.7 | 59 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Campton Hills | 16% | 1.1 | 96 | 77% | A |
| South Elgin | 9% | 0.4 | 17 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in St. Charles Township
Where can I hike in St. Charles Township?
The longest trail networks: Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve, 6.7 miles; Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve, 3.1 miles; East Side Sports Complex, 1.9 miles; Hoscheit Woods Forest Preserve, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of St. Charles Township is conserved land?
12% 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 St. Charles Township’s trails?
Leroy Oaks Forest Preserve and Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in St. Charles Township?
40 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 40 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near St. Charles Township?
32,990 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Charles Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,218 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does St. Charles Township have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #35 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 St. Charles 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 →