Hill Climb Park
Park
15 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: AlphaBeta135 · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Algonquin
8% of Algonquin’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
8% of Algonquin’s land is conserved, about 655 acres. 687 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents. 4.3 miles of mapped trail cross Algonquin, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #191 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
655 acres · of 12.6 sq mi of land
Trails
4.3 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
687 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
38 mi
1.9 mi lanes · 36 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Algonquin?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Algonquin have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Algonquin is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #191 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Algonquin’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (687 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home99% 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 81%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 75%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Hill Climb Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rotary Park
Managed by Village of Cary, IL
25 acres0.2 mi of trail
Brown Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 22 parks & preserves
Hill Climb Park15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Park25 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Village of Cary, IL
DirectionsCornish Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTowne Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYellowstone Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Stoneybrook Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Front Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAlgonquin Lakes School and Park36 acres
DirectionsHigh Hill Park29 acres
DirectionsFox River Shores Forest Preserve18 acres · Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Presidential Park18 acres
DirectionsKelliher Park12 acres
DirectionsWilloughby Farms Forest Preserve10 acres
Holder Memorial Park8 acres
DirectionsSurrey Lane Preserve7 acres
Gaslight Park6 acres
Braewood Park4 acres
DirectionsBroadsmore Park4 acres
Dixie Briggs Forest Preserve3 acres
DirectionsSnapper Field2 acres
Tunbridge Park1 acres · Village of Algonquin
Merrill-Pioneer Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
655 conserved acres
8% of Algonquin’s land. Who manages Algonquin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city626 ac
State natural resources18 ac
Regional agency12 ac
Local Park · 533 acLocal Conservation Area · 102 acState Park · 18 acState Recreation Area · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Spella Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 141 | Open |
| Algonquin Lakes Park Local Park | Town or city | 82 | Open |
| Woods Creek Riparian Corridor Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Algonquin Bluffs Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| High Hill Park And Nature Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Kelliher Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| James B. Wood Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Village Hall Open Space Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Presidential Park State Park | State natural resources | 18 | Open |
| Haeger'S Bend Open Space Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Algonquin
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Algonquin
Lions PoolFee
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Algonquin
Fun City Trampoline ParkHours: Mo-Th 12:00-21:00, Fr 12:00-23:00, Sa 10:00-23:00, Su 10:00-21:00 · Fee
Directions34 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Algonquin
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Algonquin
2 fishing spots without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Algonquin
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.6 mi
Brown Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
38 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
36 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
21Baseball
20Tennis
10Basketball
8Soccer
4Pickleball
2Football
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Christian Geister HouseBuilding · listed 2007
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Algonquin
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) | 30 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Algonquin →
Next door
Algonquin and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Barrington Hills61 miDundee Township55 miRutland Township34 miGrafton Township28 miLake in the Hills23 miCarpentersville18 miCary7.8 miAlgonquin4.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin | 8% | 0.3 | 23 | 99% | A− |
| Lake in the Hills | 13% | 2.2 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Cary | 17% | 1.2 | 50 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Carpentersville | 19% | 2.3 | 17 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Barrington Hills | 8% | 2.3 | 282 | 36% | A |
| Rutland Township | 16% | 0.9 | 116 | 88% | A |
| Grafton Township | 8% | 0.8 | 28 | 95% | A |
| Dundee Township | 21% | 1.6 | 56 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Algonquin
Where can I hike in Algonquin?
The longest trail networks: Hill Climb Park, 0.4 miles; Rotary Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Algonquin is conserved land?
8% 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 Algonquin’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Rotary Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Algonquin?
38 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.9 of painted or protected lanes and 36 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Algonquin?
23,410 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Algonquin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 687 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Algonquin have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #191 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 Algonquin 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 →