Heritage Park
Managed by Champaign Park District
42 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: BonkerStonker29 · CC BY-SA 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Champaign
5% of Champaign’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Heritage Park (0.8 mi). 5% of Champaign’s land is conserved, about 795 acres. 792 acres are parks and preserves, 8.8 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #369 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
795 acres · of 23.0 sq mi of land
Trails
5.1 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
792 ac
8.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
66 mi
17 mi lanes · 45 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Champaign?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Champaign have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Champaign is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #369 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 Champaign’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (5 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land8.8 acres of park per 1,000 residents (792 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home98% 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 63%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 52%
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 Heritage Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Commissioners Park
Managed by Champaign Park District
20 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Washington Park
Managed by Champaign Park District
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dodds Park
Managed by Champaign Park District
112 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 55 parks & preserves
Heritage Park42 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsCommissioners Park20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
Washington Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsMayfair Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
H. I. Gelvin and Mabery D. Gelvin Garden1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDodds Park112 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsKaufman Lake Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsDouglass Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsHuman Kinetics Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Champaign Park District
DirectionsBoneyard Greenway9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Center Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Centennial Park66 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsPorter Family Park37 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsRobeson Park24 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsMattis Park23 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsRobeson Meadows West Detention Park23 acres · Champaign Park District
Hessel Park22 acres
DirectionsSunset Ridge Park20 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsZahnd Park20 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsStadium Terrace Playing Field19 acres · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
DirectionsMorrissey Park19 acres · Champaign Park District
Spalding Park17 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsJohnston Park15 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsWest Side Park14 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsNoel Park10 acres · Champaign Park District
Powell Park7 acres · Champaign Park District
Toalson Park7 acres · Champaign Park District
Glenn Park6 acres
DirectionsHallbeck Park6 acres · Champaign Park District
Turnberry Ridge Park6 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsBristol Park5 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsHazel Park5 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsEisner Park5 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsGrange Grove5 acres
DirectionsClark Park5 acres
Garden Hills Park4 acres
DirectionsScott Park4 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsMullikin Park4 acres · Champaign Park District
Wesley Park3 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsBeardsley Park3 acres
DirectionsMoore Park3 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsWisegarver Park3 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsMillage Park3 acres · Champaign Park District
Robeson Meadows West Park3 acres · Champaign Park District
Washington Retention Park2 acres
Henry Michael Park2 acres · Champaign Park District
McCollum Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsSkelton Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsDavidson Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsDetention Recreation Area1 acres
DirectionsMeadows Square Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
Harris Park1 acres
Hedge Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
Willis Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
Bannon Mini Park1 acres · Champaign Park District
DirectionsWho protects it
795 conserved acres
5% of Champaign’s land. Who manages Champaign’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city680 ac
Private owners109 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government2 ac
Local Park · 608 acLocal Recreation Area · 96 acUnknown · 87 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign Country Club Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 96 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Town or city | 87 | Open |
| Dodds Park Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Unnamed Property Unknown | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Robert C. Porter Family Park Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Dodds Soccer Complex Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Kaufman Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Robeson Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Mattis Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Heritage Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
104 places to go in Champaign
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Champaign
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Champaign
Spalding Park PlaygroundIn Spalding Park
DirectionsSpalding Park PlaygroundIn Spalding Park
Directions88 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Champaign
Champaign Bark DistrictHours: dawn-dusk · Fee
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Champaign
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Champaign
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Champaign
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Champaign
The OasisIn Centennial Park
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Champaign
Dodds Park Disc GolfHours: dawn-dusk · In Dodds Park · Champaign Park District
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Champaign
Champaign West Rotary Club Meditation GardenIn Mattis Park
DirectionsQueen Anne Memorial Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
4 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
66 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
17 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
45 mi
off-road bike paths
3.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
81Basketball
47Tennis
44Soccer
40Pickleball
23Tracks
18Baseball
18Softball
10Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →27 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cattle BankBuilding · listed 1975
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1976
About itBurnham AthenaeumBuilding · listed 1978
About itStone Arch BridgeStructure · listed 1981
About itVriner's ConfectioneryBuilding · listed 1983
About itBeta Theta Pi Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itKappa Sigma Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itInman HotelBuilding · listed 1989
About itDelta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itSigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itAlpha Delta Phi Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itDelta Upsilon Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About it15 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Champaign
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 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 79 | 66 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Champaign →
Next door
Champaign and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Urbana8.5 miCunningham Township8.5 miChampaign5.1 miChampaign City Township5.1 miUrbana Township4.8 miSomer Township2.2 miChampaign Township1.0 miSavoy0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign | 5% | 0.2 | 9 | 98% | B |
| Champaign City Township | 5% | 0.2 | 9 | 98% | B |
| Champaign Township | 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 90% | C |
| Urbana | 7% | 0.7 | 16 | 98% | A− |
| Cunningham Township | 7% | 0.7 | 16 | 98% | A− |
| Urbana Township | 2% | 0.2 | 31 | 86% | B |
| Somer Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Savoy | 4% | 0.1 | 11 | 94% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Champaign
Where can I hike in Champaign?
The longest trail networks: Heritage Park, 0.8 miles; Commissioners Park, 0.3 miles; Washington Park, 0.3 miles; Dodds Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Champaign is conserved land?
5% 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 Champaign’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Heritage Park (on leash), Commissioners Park (on leash), Washington Park (on leash) and Dodds Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Champaign?
66 miles of bike routes are on the map: 17 of painted or protected lanes, 45 of off-road paths and 3.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Champaign?
3,418 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Champaign or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 856 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Champaign have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #369 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 Champaign 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 →