Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve
Managed by St. Charles Park District
235 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Keybdn at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in St. Charles
11% of St. Charles’ land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
17 miles of mapped trail cross St. Charles, 1.2 per square mile of land. 11% of St. Charles’ land is conserved, about 1,038 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve (3.1 mi), East Side Sports Complex (1.8 mi), Pottawatomie Park (1 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #47 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
1,038 acres · of 14.5 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
861 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 15 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is St. Charles?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does St. Charles have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, St. Charles is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #47 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.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of St. Charles’ overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (861 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home98% 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 93%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 94%
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 Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
East Side Sports Complex
Managed by St. Charles Park District
95 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
James O. Breen Community Park
Managed by Saint Charles Park District
146 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ferson Creek Fen Nature Preserve
Managed by Saint Charles Park District
33 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Mount Saint Mary Park
Managed by Saint Charles Park District
24 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Davis Park
Park
14 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 38 parks & preserves
Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve235 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsEast Side Sports Complex95 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsPottawatomie Park20 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsJames O. Breen Community Park146 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsCambridge Park13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFerson Creek Fen Nature Preserve33 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsMount Saint Mary Park24 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsDavis Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Renaux Manor Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFox Chase Park22 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHunt Club Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · St
Rotary Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Baker Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTimber Trails Park34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · St. Charles Park District
DirectionsHarvest Hills Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFerson Creek Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKingswood-Charlemagne Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lincoln Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorris Woods Nature Preserve67 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsDelnor Woods Park62 acres
DirectionsAndersen Woods Forest Preserve42 acres · Leroy Oakes East Trail
DirectionsKane County Fairgrounds35 acres
DirectionsLangum Park28 acres
DirectionsBreen Park South Soccer Fields27 acres
DirectionsLeroy Oaks Forest Preserve26 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsFox River Bluff Forest Preserve15 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsLeroy Oakes East Forest Preserve3 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Belgium Town Park3 acres
DirectionsSurrey Hill Park3 acres
Fox River Bluff West Forest Preserve2 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
DirectionsBaker Field Park2 acres
Moody Park2 acres
DirectionsRed Gate Park2 acres
Wheeler Park1 acres · Geneva Park District
DirectionsKehoe Park1 acres
Hazletine Park1 acres
DirectionsFairview Park1 acres
DirectionsCity Hall Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,038 conserved acres
11% of St. Charles’ land. Who manages St. Charles’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency823 ac
Town or city249 ac
State conservation233 ac
Private owners19 ac
Local Park · 598 acConservation Easement · 233 acLocal Recreation Area · 149 acState Conservation Area · 122 acLocal Conservation Area · 101 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 73 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 48 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 | 264 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Regional agency | 127 | Open |
| Hickory Knolls Natural Area State Conservation Area | Town or city | 122 | Closed |
| East Side Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 99 | Open |
| Ferson Creek Fen Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 54 | Open |
| Arthur Anderson Property 1 Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 49 | Unknown |
| Pottawatomi Park - Pottawatomie Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Timber Trails Park Local Park | Regional agency | 35 | Open |
| Fox Chase Park Local Park | Regional agency | 30 | Open |
| Pottawatomi Park - Pottawatomie Community Center, Miniature Golf Course Unknown | Town or city | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
54 places to go in St. Charles
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in St. Charles
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in St. Charles
Norris Recreation Center
DirectionsPlaygrounds in St. Charles
42 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in St. Charles
3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in St. Charles
Boy Scout Island Boat Launch
DirectionsScenic views in St. Charles
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in St. Charles
1 peak without a name on the map.
Disc golf in St. Charles
James O. Breen Disc Golf CourseHours: sunrise-sunset · In James O. Breen Community Park · Saint Charles Park District
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.3 mi
Baker Park foot path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
15 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
34Tennis
26Baseball
16Soccer
11Basketball
9Beach volleyball
7Pickleball
6Softball
5Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Hotel BakerBuilding · listed 1978
About itCity BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itAndrew Weisel HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itHunt HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itWilliam Beith HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itSt. Charles Municipal BuildingBuilding · listed 1991
About itArcada Theater BuildingBuilding · listed 1994
About itJoel H. Hulburd HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in St. Charles: 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 →
Next door
St. Charles and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
St. Charles Township40 miCampton Township32 miGeneva Township28 miWest Chicago24 miGeneva19 miCampton Hills19 miSt. Charles17 miWayne2.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Charles | 11% | 1.2 | 26 | 98% | A |
| Wayne | 22% | 0.4 | 253 | 90% | A |
| St. Charles Township | 12% | 1.2 | 42 | 97% | A |
| Geneva | 14% | 1.9 | 48 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Geneva Township | 14% | 1.7 | 59 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Chicago | 10% | 1.5 | 26 | 95% | A |
| Campton Township | 13% | 0.9 | 114 | 79% | A |
| Campton Hills | 16% | 1.1 | 96 | 77% | 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
Where can I hike in St. Charles?
The longest trail networks: Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve, 3.1 miles; East Side Sports Complex, 1.8 miles; Pottawatomie Park, 1 miles; James O. Breen Community Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of St. Charles is conserved land?
11% 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’ trails?
Hickory Knolls Nature Preserve and East Side Sports Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in St. Charles?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes and 15 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near St. Charles?
28,791 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Charles or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 864 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does St. Charles have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #47 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 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 →