Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
668 acres23.5 mi of trail
Schroll'sTrack StandBlue ChevyAlt Creekside+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Farmdale Reservoir Overlook
Photo: Boscophotos · CC BY-SA 3.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Washington Township
Washington Township has 29 miles of mapped trails, 0.5 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area (23.5 mi), Meadow Valley Park (2.9 mi), Weaver Park (0.5 mi). 74% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 353 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #407 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
1,016 acres · of 54.9 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
353 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
13 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington Township is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #407 of 768 in Illinois. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Washington Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (353 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home74% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 60%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 47%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B. 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 Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area, with 23.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Meadow Valley Park
Managed by Washington Park District
84 acres2.9 mi of trail
BD
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Meadow Valley Park West Access
Weaver Park
Managed by Washington Park District
7 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Washington Park
Managed by Washington Park District
59 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area668 acres · 23.5 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsMeadow Valley Park84 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Washington Park District
DirectionsWeaver Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Washington Park District
George Doering Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park59 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsOak Ridge Park46 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsSpring Creek Preserve9 acres · Fon du Lac Park District
Bowen Lake Park7 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsWestgate Park7 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsHarry LaHood Park5 acres · Washington Park District
Candlewood Park5 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsSweitzer Park3 acres
DirectionsGrant Park2 acres · Washington Park District
Railroad Park2 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsBirchwood Park2 acres · Washington Park District
Recreation Facility Park1 acres · Washington Park District
DirectionsWindsong Estates Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,016 conserved acres
3% of Washington Township’s land. Who manages Washington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers662 ac
Regional agency196 ac
Town or city105 ac
Private owners53 ac
State conservation1 ac
Recreation Management Area · 662 acLocal Park · 341 acUnknown · 5 acPrivate Historic or Cultural · 3 acLocal Conservation Area · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmdale Dam Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 662 | Open |
| Meadow Valley Park Local Park | Regional agency | 87 | Open |
| Quail Meadows Local Park | Regional agency | 55 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Oak Ridge Park Local Park | Private owners | 48 | Open |
| Doering Park Local Park | Regional agency | 19 | Open |
| Bowen Lake Park Local Park | Regional agency | 12 | Open |
| East Peoria Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Glendale Memorial Gardens Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Washington City Hall Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Washington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Washington Township
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Washington Township
16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Washington Township
Washington "Bark" DistrictIn Meadow Valley Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Washington Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Washington Township
Farmdale Reservoir OverlookIn Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Washington Township
Washington Square
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Washington Township
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
21 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 24.9 miHorses · 17.9 miUnpaved · 10.9 mi
Schroll's1.7 mi
Track Stand0.9 mi
Mike & Don's0.9 mi
Alt Creekside0.6 mi
Blue Chevy0.6 mi
Borneo0.5 mi
Devil's Cliff0.5 mi
Back Trail0.5 mi
TnT0.5 mi
Spillway0.5 mi
11 more trails
B
0.5 miEagle Ridge
0.5 miRoy-L
0.4 miRosewood
0.3 miD
0.3 miCampground Trail
0.3 miCheez
0.3 miWhistler
0.2 miHorse Hill
0.2 miCreekside to Trackstand
0.2 miPath to Baker Cemetery
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
off-road bike paths
1.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
19Baseball
12Tennis
10Soccer
4Basketball
4Pickleball
2Football
1Equestrian
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Washington Township: August 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Washington Township →
Next door
Washington Township and its neighbors
Washington Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Washington Township29 miFondulac Township12 miWorth Township9.1 miMorton2.4 miMorton Township2.4 miCruger Township1.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | 3% | 0.5 | 15 | 74% | B |
| Fondulac Township | 9% | 0.7 | 62 | 80% | A |
| Morton | 3% | 0.2 | 18 | 82% | B |
| Morton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cruger Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 33 | 60% | C+ |
| Worth Township | 4% | 0.3 | 80 | 40% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington Township
Where can I hike in Washington Township?
The longest trail networks: Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area, 23.5 miles; Meadow Valley Park, 2.9 miles; Weaver Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington Township is conserved land?
3% 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 Washington Township’s trails?
Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area and Meadow Valley Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Washington Township?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths and 1.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Washington Township?
12,447 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,024 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #407 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 Washington 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 →