With 43 forest preserves, Winnebago County in northern Illinois manages around 10,500 acres of land for anyone to enjoy and explore.

List of Preserves With Size
No. | Name | Acres | Notes |
1 | Atwood Homestead | 338 | Golf Course |
2 | Blackhawk Springs | 629.9 | 7.5 miles of trails |
3 | Cedar Cliff | 167 | 2017; restoration in progress |
4 | Clayton Andrews | 88 | 2.1 miles of trails |
5 | Colored Sands | 303.9 | Bird Banding (SBBO) |
6 | County Line | 158.4 | 2 miles of trails |
7 | Crooked River | 221.5 | Pecatonica River |
8 | Deer Run | 594.8 | 7.5 miles of trails |
9 | Espenscheid Memorial | 114.7 | 1.6 miles of trails |
10 | Four Lakes | 168.3 | Fishing |
11 | Ferguson | 525 | Sugar & Pecatonica Rivers |
12 | Fuller Memorial | 135 | Bird sanctuary |
13 | Grove Creek | 80.5 | Undeveloped |
14 | Hartley Memorial | 40 | Undeveloped |
15 | Headquarters | 44.5 | Home of district offices |
16 | Hinchliff Memorial | 2 | Canoe access to Kishwaukee |
17 | Hononegah | 228.2 | 2.7 miles of trails, camping |
18 | Indian Hill | 49.5 | 1.75 miles of trails |
19 | J. Norman Jensen | 112.5 | Natural areas |
20 | Kieselberg | 211 | 2.9 miles of trails |
21 | Kilbuck Bluffs | 224.3 | 1.5 miles of trails |
22 | Kishwaukee Gorge North | 127.6 | 3 miles of trails |
23 | Kishwaukee Gorge South | 49.6 | Undeveloped |
24 | Kishwaukee River | 176 | 1.5 miles of trails |
25 | Klehm Forest Preserve | 158.2 | Klehm Arboretum |
26 | Laona Heights | 40 | Nature preserve |
27 | Ledges | 185 | Golf course |
28 | Macktown | 280.8 | Golf course, historic site |
29 | McKiski | 32.7 | Trail access from Deer Run |
30 | Millrace Isle | 132.6 | Undeveloped |
31 | Oak Ridge | 653.6 | 7.1 miles of trails |
32 | Pecatonica River | 466 | 5.5 miles of trails |
33 | Pecatonica Wetlands | 1,048 | 8 miles of trails |
34 | Rockford Rotary | 220.7 | 2.9 miles of trails |
35 | Roland Olson | 127 | 1.5 miles of trails |
36 | Severson Dells | 369 | Nature Study Center |
37 | Seward Bluffs | 636.6 | 8.0 miles of trails, camping |
38 | Stone Bridge | 119 | Undeveloped |
39 | Sugar River | 529 | 6 miles of trails, camping |
40 | Sugar River Alder | 537.8 | 5 miles of trails |
41 | Trailside | 9 | Picnic spot |
42 | Trask Bridge | 15 | Fishing |
43 | Two Rivers | 6.5 | Pecatonica & Sugar Rivers |
Learn about the Kishwaukee River Conservation Corridor, a Birdfreak project in the works!
Campgrounds are available at three Winnebago County Forest Preserves: Honenegah, Seward Bluffs, and Sugar River. Each offer picturesque natural settings but can get crowded on weekends.