Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in De Soto
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 17 acres are parks and preserves, 10 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is De Soto?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does De Soto have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, De Soto is ahead of 30% of U.S. towns. The share of residents near a park holds 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
3 places to go in De Soto
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 lakes & rivers
0.0 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 De Soto
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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 47 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 81 | 70 | 56 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 5.3 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in De Soto →
Questions about parks and trails in De Soto
How much of De Soto is conserved land?
under 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 De Soto’s trails?
De Soto - Recreation Complex and Senior Citizens Park & Gazebo don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near De Soto?
3,411 acres of parks and open public land lie inside De Soto or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 17 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does De Soto have?
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 De Soto 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 →