The Grove
Nature preserve
89 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Bloomington
Bloomington has 28 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: The Grove (3.1 mi), Miller Park (0.9 mi), Angler’s Lake Park (0.7 mi). 89% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 7% of Bloomington’s land is conserved, about 1,290 acres.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #180 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,290 acres · of 27.1 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,185 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
89%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
2.6 mi lanes · 25 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Bloomington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bloomington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bloomington is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #180 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bloomington’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,185 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home89% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 77%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 The Grove, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Angler’s Lake Park
Managed by Bloomington Park District
16 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hedge Apple Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
8 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ewing Cultural Center
Managed by Illinois State University Foundation
6 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
O'Neil Park
Park
23 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 44 parks & preserves
The Grove89 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
Miller Park70 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsAngler’s Lake Park16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Bloomington Park District
DirectionsHedge Apple Woods Nature Preserve8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsEwing Cultural Center6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Illinois State University Foundation
DirectionsWhite Oak Park84 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsO'Neil Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ewing Park III14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEwing Park II13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMcGraw Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGaelic Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTipton Park South34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEwing Park I4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEmerson Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Tipton Park59 acres
DirectionsEwing Park40 acres
Forrest Park19 acres
Pepper Ridge Park16 acres
DirectionsPJ Irvin Park16 acres
DirectionsAdlai E. Stevenson Park16 acres
DirectionsEagle View Park15 acres
DirectionsSunnyside Park14 acres
Rollingbrook Park13 acres
DirectionsHoliday Park13 acres
DirectionsClearwater Park13 acres
DirectionsTipton Park North13 acres
DirectionsWalt Bittner Park9 acres
DirectionsBrookridge Park8 acres
DirectionsAirport Park6 acres
DirectionsRT Dunn Fields6 acres · City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsWittenberg Woods Park6 acres · Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Franklin Park5 acres
Eagle Crest Park5 acres
Hawthorne Hills Park4 acres
Oakland Park3 acres
Suburban East Park3 acres
Alton Depot Park2 acres · Bloomington Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts
Fell Avenue Park2 acres
DirectionsBuckmann Park1 acres
Lincoln Park1 acres
DirectionsWoodbury Park1 acres
Evergreen Park1 acres
Empire Junction1 acres
DirectionsAtwood Wayside1 acres · Bloomington Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWho protects it
1,290 conserved acres
7% of Bloomington’s land. Who manages Bloomington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,003 ac
Private owners191 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits95 ac
Local Recreation Area · 603 acLocal Park · 539 acPrivate Park · 139 acUnknown · 9 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Den at Fox Creek Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 205 | Open |
| Prairie Vista Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 153 | Open |
| Bloomington Country Club Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 110 | Open |
| Highland Park Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 98 | Open |
| State Farm Park Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 95 | Open |
| White Oak Park Local Park | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Miller Park Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Royal Links Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 44 | Open |
| Lakeside Country Club Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 37 | Open |
| Tipton Park South Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
119 places to go in Bloomington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bloomington
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Bloomington
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Bloomington
Gaelic Park PlaygroundIn Gaelic Park
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsPlaysynthesis Children’s Activity CenterHours: Tue–Sat 9 am – 3 pm · Fee
DirectionsWhite Oak Park PlaygroundIn White Oak Park
Directions110 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Fishing spots in Bloomington
White Oak Fishing PierIn White Oak Park
DirectionsPlus 2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Bloomington
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Bloomington
WBRP Community GardensWest Bloomington Revitalization Project
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.9 miUnpaved · 6.8 mi
Constitution Trail Southtown Branch1.7 mi
Route 66 Trail1.0 mi
Constitution Trail Illinois Central Branch0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
25 mi
off-road bike paths
4.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
McLean County Historic Route 66 TrailBike route
2.6 miConstitution Trail Southtown BranchBike route
1.7 miConstitution Trail Illinois Central BranchBike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
60Tennis
37Basketball
35Baseball
21Tracks
20Pickleball
13Beach volleyball
9Softball
6Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →19 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
McLean County Courthouse and SquareBuilding · listed 1973
About itStevenson HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itFranklin SquareDistrict · listed 1976
About itGeorge H. Miller HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itRuben M. Benjamin HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itJohn M. Hamilton HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itMiller-Davis Law BuildingsBuilding · listed 1979
About itDavis, David, III & IV, HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itScott-Vrooman HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itHoly Trinity Church Rectory and ConventBuilding · listed 1983
About itBloomington Central Business DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About it7 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Bloomington
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 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Bloomington →
Next door
Bloomington and its neighbors
Bloomington has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bloomington28 miBloomington City Township28 miNormal Township11 miNormal9.6 miBloomington Township5.6 miDale Township3.1 miOld Town Township1.8 miTowanda Township0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Bloomington City Township | 7% | 1.0 | 15 | 89% | A− |
| Bloomington Township | 1% | 0.3 | 10 | 39% | C |
| Old Town Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 44% | D |
| Normal Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Normal | 5% | 0.5 | 7 | 84% | B |
| Dale Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 12% | D |
| Towanda Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 7 | 29% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bloomington
Where can I hike in Bloomington?
The longest trail networks: The Grove, 3.1 miles; Miller Park, 0.9 miles; Angler’s Lake Park, 0.7 miles; Hedge Apple Woods Nature Preserve, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bloomington is conserved land?
7% 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 Bloomington’s trails?
The Grove and Miller Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bloomington?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes, 25 of off-road paths and 4.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: McLean County Historic Route 66 Trail, Constitution Trail Southtown Branch and Constitution Trail Illinois Central Branch.
Is there public land near Bloomington?
5,958 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bloomington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,194 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bloomington have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #180 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 Bloomington 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 →