Grassy Lake Forest Preserve
Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves
668 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Cuba Township
9% of Cuba Township’s land is conserved: 1,296 acres
The biggest trail networks: Grassy Lake Forest Preserve (0.7 mi). 532 acres are parks and preserves, 31 per 1,000 residents. 11 miles of mapped trail cross Cuba Township, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #245 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,296 acres · of 22.8 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
532 ac
31 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
14 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
3 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cuba Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cuba Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #245 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cuba Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land31 acres of park per 1,000 residents (532 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home72% 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 76%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 68%
Water is 6% of Cuba Township’s area (1 of 24 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
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 Grassy Lake Forest Preserve, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Grigsby Prairie
Nature preserve
42 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fox River Forest Preserve
Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves
276 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Grassy Lake Forest Preserve668 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsGrigsby Prairie42 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Fox River Forest Preserve276 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsCitizens Park55 acres
DirectionsLangendorf Park37 acres · Barrington Park District
DirectionsCuba Marsh Forest Preserve34 acres · Lake County Forest Preserves
Field of Dreams17 acres
Eton Park3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,296 conserved acres
9% of Cuba Township’s land. Water is left out: Cuba Township has 22.8 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cuba Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency485 ac
State conservation462 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits366 ac
Town or city312 ac
Private owners307 ac
Local Park · 639 acConservation Easement · 541 acLocal Conservation Area · 367 acPrivate Conservation · 280 acOther Easement · 72 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons Prairie and Marsh Private Conservation | Private owners | 697 | Closed |
| Citizens For Conservation Open Space Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 326 | Open |
| Citizens Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 40 | Open |
| Langendorf Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Freier Farm Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Craftsbury Preserve State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Closed |
| Haverton Conservation Area Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Eton Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Hunters Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Cuba Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Cuba Township
Citizens Park PlaygroundIn Citizens Park
DirectionsPlus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Cuba Township
Fox River Boat LaunchIn Fox River Forest Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Cuba Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Cuba Township
9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Cuba Township
Fox River Youth Group Camping AreaIn Fox River Forest Preserve · Lake County Forest Preserves
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miUnpaved · 3.4 mi
Lyons Loop1.4 mi
Equestrian Trail1.2 mi
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
14 mi
off-road bike paths
1.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
37Tennis
10Pickleball
9Baseball
5Basketball
1Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Cuba 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) | 9.4 | 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 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Cuba Township →
Next door
Cuba Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Algonquin Township52 miEla Township25 miCuba Township11 miNorth Barrington6.6 miWauconda Township1.9 miBarrington1.8 miPort Barrington1.3 miDeer Park0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba Township | 9% | 0.5 | 31 | 72% | A− |
| Ela Township | 8% | 0.7 | 23 | 93% | A− |
| Barrington | 10% | 0.4 | 14 | 90% | B+ |
| Algonquin Township | 12% | 1.1 | 40 | 99% | A |
| Wauconda Township | 5% | 0.1 | 14 | 81% | B− |
| Deer Park | 20% | 0.2 | 41 | 99%+ | A |
| Port Barrington | 7% | 1.1 | 27 | 99% | A |
| North Barrington | 3% | 1.4 | 22 | 67% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cuba Township
Where can I hike in Cuba Township?
The longest trail networks: Grassy Lake Forest Preserve, 0.7 miles; Grigsby Prairie, 0.4 miles; Fox River Forest Preserve, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cuba Township is conserved land?
9% 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 Cuba Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Grassy Lake Forest Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cuba Township?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 14 of off-road paths and 1.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Cuba Township?
26,411 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cuba Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 546 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cuba Township have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #245 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 Cuba 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 →