Routzong Preserve
Managed by Darke County Parks
53 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainD−Outdoors
Outdoors in Van Buren Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Van Buren Township
The biggest trail networks: Routzong Preserve (2.1 mi). 3% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2.1 miles of mapped trail cross Van Buren Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 5% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
under 1%
0 acres · of 25.4 sq mi of land
Trails
2.1 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
3%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.2 mi
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Van Buren Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Van Buren Township is ahead of 5% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; trail miles come closest.
D−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Van Buren Township’s overall grade.
Conserved landunder 1% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%DTrails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (2 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4CPark land0.0 acres of park per 1,000 residents (0 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13DParks close to home3% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%D
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 5%
LessMore
NoteFew parks or trails are mapped in Van Buren Township. OpenStreetMap is mapped by volunteers and coverage varies from town to town, so a town with unmapped parks scores low on them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. 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 Routzong Preserve, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Biking & sports
0.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Van Buren 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 39 | 49 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Van Buren Township →
Next door
Van Buren Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Greenville Township8.4 miAdams Township4.7 miTwin Township3.4 miVan Buren Township2.1 miNeave Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 3% | D− |
| Greenville Township | 2% | 0.1 | 26 | 71% | B− |
| Adams Township | 2% | 0.1 | 6 | 38% | C |
| Neave Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 2 | 18% | D |
| Twin Township | 1% | 0.1 | 12 | 63% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Van Buren Township
Where can I hike in Van Buren Township?
The longest trail networks: Routzong Preserve, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Van Buren Township is conserved land?
under 1% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Van Buren Township’s trails?
Routzong Preserve doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Van Buren Township?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Van Buren Township?
871 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Van Buren Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Van Buren Township have?
Ahead of 5% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Van Buren 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 →