Forest Preserves of Winnebago County

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.NameAcresNotes
1Atwood Homestead338Golf Course
2Blackhawk Springs629.97.5 miles of trails
3Cedar Cliff1672017; restoration in progress
4Clayton Andrews882.1 miles of trails
5Colored Sands303.9Bird Banding (SBBO)
6County Line158.42 miles of trails
7Crooked River221.5Pecatonica River
8Deer Run594.87.5 miles of trails
9Espenscheid Memorial114.71.6 miles of trails
10Four Lakes168.3Fishing
11Ferguson525Sugar & Pecatonica Rivers
12Fuller Memorial135Bird sanctuary
13Grove Creek80.5Undeveloped
14Hartley Memorial40Undeveloped
15Headquarters44.5Home of district offices
16Hinchliff Memorial2Canoe access to Kishwaukee
17Hononegah228.22.7 miles of trails, camping
18Indian Hill49.51.75 miles of trails
19J. Norman Jensen112.5Natural areas
20Kieselberg2112.9 miles of trails
21Kilbuck Bluffs224.31.5 miles of trails
22Kishwaukee Gorge North127.63 miles of trails
23Kishwaukee Gorge South49.6Undeveloped
24Kishwaukee River1761.5 miles of trails
25Klehm Forest Preserve158.2Klehm Arboretum
26Laona Heights40Nature preserve
27Ledges185Golf course
28Macktown280.8Golf course, historic site
29McKiski32.7Trail access from Deer Run
30Millrace Isle132.6Undeveloped
31Oak Ridge653.67.1 miles of trails
32Pecatonica River4665.5 miles of trails
33Pecatonica Wetlands1,0488 miles of trails
34Rockford Rotary220.72.9 miles of trails
35Roland Olson1271.5 miles of trails
36Severson Dells369Nature Study Center
37Seward Bluffs636.68.0 miles of trails, camping
38Stone Bridge119Undeveloped
39Sugar River5296 miles of trails, camping
40Sugar River Alder537.85 miles of trails
41Trailside9Picnic spot
42Trask Bridge15Fishing
43Two Rivers6.5Pecatonica & 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.