Nachusa Grasslands
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
2,126 acres14.3 mi of trail
Big Jump PrairieClear Creek Knolls
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Taylor Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Taylor Township
The biggest trail networks: Nachusa Grasslands (14.3 mi). 27% of Taylor Township’s land is conserved, about 2,632 acres. 16 miles of mapped trail cross Taylor Township, 1.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
27%
2,632 acres · of 15.2 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Nachusa Grasslands, with 14.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
2,632 conserved acres
27% of Taylor Township’s land. Who manages Taylor Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,531 ac
State conservation1,589 ac
State natural resources72 ac
Private Conservation · 2,211 acConservation Easement · 1,812 acUnknown Easement · 96 acUnknown · 72 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 358 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 23 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Rock River Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2,026 | Unknown |
| Middle Rock River Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 185 | Unknown |
| Nachusa Prairie State Natural Area Unknown | State natural resources | 72 | Open |
Trails & water
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Big Jump Prairie0.4 mi
Clear Creek Knolls0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Taylor 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 47 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Taylor Township →
Next door
Taylor Township and its neighbors
Taylor Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oregon-Nashua Township39 miTaylor Township16 miNachusa Township14 miDixon Township14 miFranklin Grove Township5.7 miAshton Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Nachusa Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Oregon-Nashua Township | 19% | 1.0 | 752 | 84% | A+ |
| Franklin Grove Township | 6% | 0.2 | 8 | 46% | C+ |
| Ashton Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 77% | C− |
| Dixon 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 Taylor Township
Where can I hike in Taylor Township?
The longest trail networks: Nachusa Grasslands, 14.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Taylor Township’s trails?
Nachusa Grasslands doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Taylor Township?
6,676 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Taylor Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 67 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Taylor 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 →