Central Township has 129 acres of parks, 16 for every 1,000 residents
2.6 miles of mapped trail cross Central Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 1% of Central Township’s land is conserved, about 250 acres. 66% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns · #609 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
How much outdoors does Central Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Central Township is ahead of 36% of U.S. towns, #609 of 768 in Illinois. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Patriot's Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jaycee Park
William S. Wait Park
Laura Mollet Park
All 7 parks & preserves
250 conserved acres
1% of Central Township’s land. Who manages Central Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 132 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot's Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Jaycee Park Local Park | Regional agency | 9 | Open |
| William S. Wait Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Laura Mollett Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Breehne Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
6 places to go in Central Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
4.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The walking year in Central Township
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 43 | 54 | 66 | 76 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Central Township →
Central Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Township | 1% | 0.1 | 16 | 66% | C+ |
| Old Ripley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lagrange Township | 1% | 0.1 | 102 | 23% | C+ |
| Mills Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Central Township
Where can I hike in Central Township?
The longest trail networks: Patriot's Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Central Township is conserved land?
1% 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 Central Township’s trails?
Patriot's Park and Jaycee Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Central Township?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of painted or protected lanes and 3.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Central Township?
465 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Central Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 129 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Central Township have?
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #609 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 Central Township neighbors.
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 →