Lansing Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
1,068 acres4.4 mi of trail
Thorn Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bloom Township
Bloom Township has 29 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Lansing Woods (4.4 mi), Jurgensen Woods (2.8 mi), Plum Creek Forest Preserve (2.7 mi). 823 acres are parks and preserves, 9.8 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #344 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
953 acres · of 46.4 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
823 ac
9.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
20 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Bloom Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bloom Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bloom Township is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #344 of 768 in Illinois. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bloom Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land9.8 acres of park per 1,000 residents (823 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home92% 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 66%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 55%
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 Lansing Woods, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jurgensen Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
462 acres2.8 mi of trail
Thorn Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Plum Creek Forest Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
1,035 acres2.7 mi of trail
Plum Creek Black Unpaved Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Glenwood Woods South
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
347 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Joe Orr Woods
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
88 acres0.8 mi of trail
Thorn Creek Black Unpaved Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Jurgensen Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Forest Preserve District of Cook County
115 acres0.6 mi of trail
Thorn Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Apollo Park
Managed by Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
32 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Erfert Park
Managed by Lan-Oak Park District
19 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 52 parks & preserves
Lansing Woods1,068 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsJurgensen Woods462 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPlum Creek Forest Preserve1,035 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsGlenwood Woods South347 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsJoe Orr Woods88 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsJurgensen Woods Nature Preserve115 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsApollo Park32 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
DirectionsErfert Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Lan-Oak Park District
DirectionsIndian Hill Woods65 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Halsted Woods61 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsWoodrow Wilson Woods31 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsPatriots Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
DirectionsRotary Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Lan-Oak Park District
DirectionsWoodbrough Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
DirectionsIndian Trail Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
DirectionsGlenwood Woods North30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsSauk Trail Forest Preserve1,141 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
DirectionsLakeview Community Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPheasant Trails Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Willow Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
DirectionsOakwood Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lan-Oak Park District
Michael J. O'Malley Preserve110 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Veteran's Memorial Park52 acres · Bloom Township
DirectionsLiberty Memorial Park33 acres
Hickory Glen Park14 acres
Commissioners Park13 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Hecht Park10 acres
Millennium Park7 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Swanson Park6 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
DirectionsAlgonquin Park6 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Smith Memorial Park6 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Beacon Hill Park5 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
George Arquilla Park5 acres
Alex Lopez Park4 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
DirectionsSeiter Park4 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Euclid Park4 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Wacker Park3 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
King Park3 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Jackson Park3 acres
DirectionsEastgate Park3 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Jirtle Park3 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Merchants Park3 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Glenwood Woods Park2 acres
DirectionsMurphy Park2 acres
Jones Center Family Play Lot2 acres · Jones Memorial Community Center
Cedar Park2 acres
Heritage Park1 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Memorial Park1 acres
Petrarca Park1 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Tower Park1 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Meidell Park1 acres · Chicago Heights Park District
Pinehurst Park1 acres · Homewood-Flossmoor Park District
Who protects it
953 conserved acres
3% of Bloom Township’s land. Who manages Bloom Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency516 ac
Town or city298 ac
State conservation116 ac
State natural resources21 ac
County1 ac
Local Park · 353 acLocal Resource Management Area · 247 acUnknown · 215 acConservation Easement · 116 acState Recreation Area · 21 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 116 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schubert's Woods Local Resource Management Area | Regional agency | 247 | Open |
| Sauk Trail Unknown | Regional agency | 94 | Open |
| Golf Course - East Unknown | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Golf Course - West Unknown | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Apollo Park Local Park | Regional agency | 45 | Open |
| Liberty Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Old Plank Road State Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 21 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Lake View Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Butterfield Park Local Park | Regional agency | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
42 places to go in Bloom Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bloom Township
Greenbriar Playground
DirectionsPlus 23 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Bloom Township
Glenwood Woods-North Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Glenwood Woods North
DirectionsGlenwood Woods-South Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Glenwood Woods South
DirectionsJoe Orr Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Joe Orr Woods
DirectionsJurgensen Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Jurgensen Woods
DirectionsJurgensen Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Jurgensen Woods
DirectionsKings Grove Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Sauk Trail Forest Preserve
DirectionsLansing Woods Picnic Grove 1In Lansing Woods
DirectionsLansing Woods Picnic Grove 2In Lansing Woods
Directions10 more picnic areas
North Creek Meadow Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Lansing Woods
DirectionsNorth Creek Meadow Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Lansing Woods
DirectionsNorth Creek Meadow Picnic Shelter Grove 3In Lansing Woods
DirectionsPlum Creek Play Meadow Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Plum Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsPlum Creek Play Meadow Picnic Shelter Grove 2In Plum Creek Forest Preserve
DirectionsSauk Trail Woods Grove 2In Sauk Trail Forest Preserve
DirectionsSauk Trail Woods Grove 3In Sauk Trail Forest Preserve
DirectionsSauk Trail Woods Grove 5In Sauk Trail Forest Preserve
DirectionsSauk Trial Woods Grove 1In Sauk Trail Forest Preserve
DirectionsWoodrow Wilson Woods Picnic Shelter Grove 1In Woodrow Wilson Woods
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.7 miHorses · 5.4 miUnpaved · 5.9 mi
Thorn Creek Yellow Unpaved Trail3.2 mi
Plum Creek Black Unpaved Loop Trail1.8 mi
Bicycle Paths0.2 mi
Thorn Creek Yellow Unpaved Spur0.2 mi
Thorn Creek Black Unpaved Spur0.1 mi
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
41Tennis
34Baseball
9Basketball
5Football
4Soccer
2Beach volleyball
2Softball
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bloom Township: April 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 64 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bloom Township →
Next door
Bloom Township and its neighbors
Bloom Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Rich Township29 miBloom Township29 miThornton Township21 miHomewood5.2 miLansing2.4 miFlossmoor1.1 miThornton0.0 miSteger0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom Township | 3% | 0.6 | 10 | 92% | B+ |
| Thornton Township | 7% | 0.5 | 8 | 98% | B+ |
| Rich Township | 11% | 0.8 | 12 | 96% | A− |
| Thornton | 2% | under 0.1 | 12 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Steger | 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 83% | C− |
| Homewood | 5% | 1.0 | 18 | 99% | A |
| Flossmoor | 8% | 0.3 | 21 | 99% | A− |
| Lansing | 3% | 0.3 | 5 | 98% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bloom Township
Where can I hike in Bloom Township?
The longest trail networks: Lansing Woods, 4.4 miles; Jurgensen Woods, 2.8 miles; Plum Creek Forest Preserve, 2.7 miles; Glenwood Woods South, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bloom 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 Bloom Township’s trails?
Lansing Woods and Jurgensen Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bloom Township?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bloom Township?
13,602 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bloom Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 916 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bloom Township have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #344 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 Bloom 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 →