Edward L Ryerson Conservation Area
Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves
533 acres7.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ryerson, Edward L., Area Historic District · Photo: Teemu08 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Vernon Township
18% of Vernon Township’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
18% of Vernon Township’s land is conserved, about 4,165 acres. 44 miles of mapped trail cross Vernon Township, 1.2 per square mile of land. 3,371 acres are parks and preserves, 47 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #22 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
18%
4,165 acres · of 35.8 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,371 ac
47 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
72 mi
0.3 mi lanes · 72 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Vernon Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Vernon Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Vernon Township is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #22 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Vernon Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (44 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land47 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,371 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 96%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 97%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to 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 Edward L Ryerson Conservation Area, with 7.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Discover Financial Park
Park
24 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Half Day Forest Preserve
Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves
117 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rivershire Park
Managed by Village of Lincolnshire
28 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hawthorn Club Park
Park
11 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Whytegate Park
Managed by Lincolnshire Park District
4 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Vernon Hills Memorial Arbortheater
Park
16 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 67 parks & preserves
Edward L Ryerson Conservation Area533 acres · 7.1 mi of trail · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsDiscover Financial Park24 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Park24 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHalf Day Forest Preserve117 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsRivershire Park28 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Village of Lincolnshire
DirectionsHawthorn Club Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Whytegate Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Lincolnshire Park District
DirectionsVernon Hills Memorial Arbortheater16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSpring Lake Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBuffalo Creek Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCarriage Green Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMike Rylko Community Park76 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsGrosse Pointe Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStone Fence Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Cahokia Flatwoods Forest Preserve212 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsDeerpath Park64 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChildren's Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsMirielle Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsAugusta Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Aspen Backyard Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Grainger Woods Conservation Preserve314 acres · Lake County Forest Preserves
Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve271 acres · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsWillow Stream Park60 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsSullivan Woods52 acres
DirectionsAdlai E. Stevenson High School Field29 acres
DirectionsGrosse Pointe Path22 acres
DirectionsChurchill Park20 acres
DirectionsGreen Lake Park20 acres
DirectionsPrairie Park16 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsVillage of Buffalo Grove Open Space15 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsOld Farm Park11 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Highland Point Park11 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Veterans Park11 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsTwin Creeks Park10 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsHartmann Park10 acres
DirectionsWestchester Park9 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Kelli Garvanian Park9 acres
Parkchester Park8 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Ranney Pond Greenspace8 acres
DirectionsIvy Park8 acres
Rolling Hills Park8 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Apple Hill Park7 acres
Crossing Pond Park6 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsCanterbury Park6 acres
Cherbourg Park6 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Nicole Park5 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsRolling Hills North Park5 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsWilliam E. Peterson Park4 acres
DirectionsTartan Park4 acres
Bicentennial Park4 acres
W. Sieja Greenspace3 acres
DirectionsRaupp Memorial Park3 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsNorthwood Park3 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Westwood Park3 acres
DirectionsAptakisic Park3 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsOlde Mill Park2 acres
DirectionsMartha Weiss Park2 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
Ranney Park2 acres
DirectionsLarry Laschen Tennis Courts2 acres
DirectionsPrairie Grove Park2 acres
DirectionsCentral Park2 acres
Sugar Creek Park1 acres
The Larry Laschen Community Center1 acres
DirectionsDonnelley Park1 acres
DirectionsOxford Park1 acres · Buffalo Grove Park District
DirectionsCommons Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,165 conserved acres
18% of Vernon Township’s land. Who manages Vernon Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency2,936 ac
State conservation1,155 ac
Town or city575 ac
County540 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits90 ac
Private owners30 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,966 acLocal Park · 1,869 acConservation Easement · 1,248 acLocal Recreation Area · 125 acRecreation or Education Easement · 33 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 159 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 731 | Open |
| Granger Woods Forest Preserve Local Park | Regional agency | 578 | Open |
| Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | County | 540 | Open |
| Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 245 | Open |
| Half Day Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 231 | Open |
| Cahokia Flatwoods Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 219 | Open |
| Vernon Hills Athletic Complex Local Park | Town or city | 170 | Open |
| Traditions at Chevy Chase Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 125 | Open |
| Florsheim Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Mike Rylko Community Park, Fitness Center, And Spray 'N Play Local Park | Regional agency | 75 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
78 places to go in Vernon Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Vernon Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Vernon Township
Westwood PoolIn Westwood Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Vernon Township
Child Play GroundIn Apple Hill Park
DirectionsKids’ CastleIn Deerpath Park
DirectionsPrairie Elementary School Playground
Directions69 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Vernon Township
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Vernon Township
Captain Daniel Wright Woods Canoe Launch
DirectionsScenic views in Vernon Township
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Vernon Township
Picnic AreaIn Apple Hill Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Vernon Township
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.6 mi
Avalon Path0.2 mi
Des Plaines River Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
BrookfieldpondBuffalo Creek ReservoirreservoirConway Farms Golf Club Pond 2pondCrossing Park PondpondHalf Day PondpondLake ToomuchaguapondMiceli PondpondOld Mill PondpondRanney PondpondSugar Creek PondpondThorngate PondpondThrone Grove PondpondWillow Lawn Memorial Park PondpondDes Plaines RiverIndian Creek
Biking & sports
72 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
72 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
88Tennis
53Baseball
29Soccer
27Basketball
20Pickleball
12Lacrosse
12Tracks
9Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Ryerson, Edward L., Area Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Vernon 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Vernon Township →
Next door
Vernon Township and its neighbors
Vernon Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Vernon Township44 miWest Deerfield Township36 miEla Township25 miWheeling Township19 miLibertyville Township17 miWheeling4.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Township | 18% | 1.2 | 47 | 97% | A+ |
| West Deerfield Township | 11% | 2.0 | 38 | 97% | A+ |
| Wheeling Township | 5% | 0.5 | 9 | 98% | B+ |
| Libertyville Township | 25% | 0.5 | 55 | 97% | A |
| Ela Township | 8% | 0.7 | 23 | 93% | A− |
| Wheeling | 3% | 0.5 | 6 | 95% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Vernon Township
Where can I hike in Vernon Township?
The longest trail networks: Edward L Ryerson Conservation Area, 7.1 miles; Discover Financial Park, 1.4 miles; North Park, 0.9 miles; Half Day Forest Preserve, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Vernon Township is conserved land?
18% 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 Vernon Township’s trails?
Edward L Ryerson Conservation Area and Discover Financial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Vernon Township?
72 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes and 72 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Vernon Township?
22,208 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Vernon Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,374 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Vernon Township have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #22 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 Vernon 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 →